Backup fails with: Failed to create NFC download stream. NFC path

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

• Issue: Unable to take backups via Veeam due to an inability to connect to SOAP. The error received is:

  mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss AM :: Error: Cannot get service content.Soap fault. TimeoutDetail: 'connect failed in tcp_connect()', endpoint: 'https://vcsa.example.com:443/sdk'SOAP connection is not available. Connection ID: [vcsa.example.com].Failed to create NFC download stream. NFC path: [nfc://conn:vcsa.example.com,nfchost:host-1234,stg:datastore-1234@VM_name/VM-name.vmx].Agent failed to process method {Transfer.FileToText}.

• Impact:  unable to perform backup operations with Veeam, which could lead to potential data loss if not addressed.

• Port Check:

  • Verify port 443 was open on vCenter by running:

    nc -vz <vcenter_fqdn> 443

  • Test connection from the local server to vCenter using the curl command:

    curl <vcenter_fqdn>

• Log Review:

  • Review vCenter logs (envoy logs and vpxd logs) for any errors or failures. Search for specific terms like "failure" or "404".

  • Tail envoy.log and search for successful 200 connection messages, indicating no connectivity issues at the vCenter level.

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 7.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 8.x

Cause

The cause of most NFC errors fall into 4 primary categories:

• DNS
• Port (902(on veeam ), 443(on vcenter))
• Permissions (on users trying from Veeam end)
• File Locks (The file Veeam is trying to read is locked within the vSphere environment)

Resolution

The issue was related to incorrectly configured Veeam proxies, preventing proper communication between Veeam and vCenter for backup operations.

In such cases, please reach out to Veeam support for further help. Veeam support

Similar issues addressed from Veeam's end: KB1198: NFC connectivity troubleshooting steps