Scheduled file-based backups are failing in vCenter Server Appliance.

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

• Scheduled file-based backups are failing in vCenter Server Appliance.
  
  
• Manual (on-demand) backups complete successfully without any issues.
  
  
• Log file on VC /var/log/vmware/applmgmt/backupScheduler.log shows error message referencing incorrect credentials:

YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss [0] [MainProcess:PID-3736980] [Scheduler::ExecArchiveList:Scheduler.py:119] ERROR: Failed to issue the Archive.list request. Exception: {messages : [LocalizableMessage(id='com.vmware.applmgmt.backup.plugin.unauthorized', default_message='Access to the backup server is denied. Check your credentials.', args=['Plugin error occurred. ErrCode: 1, Args: ()'], params=None, localized=None)], data : None, error_type : None}
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/applmgmt/backup_restore/py/vmware/appliance/backup_restore/Scheduler.py", line 116, in ExecArchiveList
    backupList = svc_handle.list(locationSpec, systemName, filterSpec)
  File "/usr/lib/applmgmt/pyclient/applmgmt_client-1.0-py2.7.egg/com/vmware/appliance/recovery/backup/system_name_client.py", line 289, in list
    return self._invoke('list',
  File "/usr/lib/applmgmt/vapi/lib/vapi_runtime-2.100.0-py2.py3-none-any.whl/vmware/vapi/bindings/stub.py", line 345, in _invoke
    return self._api_interface.native_invoke(ctx, _method_name, kwargs)
  File "/usr/lib/applmgmt/vapi/lib/vapi_runtime-2.100.0-py2.py3-none-any.whl/vmware/vapi/bindings/stub.py", line 295, in native_invoke
    raise TypeConverter.convert_to_python(method_result.error,  # pylint: disable=E0702
com.vmware.vapi.std.errors_client.Error: {messages : [LocalizableMessage(id='com.vmware.applmgmt.backup.plugin.unauthorized', default_message='Access to the backup server is denied. Check your credentials.', args=['Plugin error occurred. ErrCode: 1, Args: ()'], params=None, localized=None)], data : None, error_type : None}

Environment

vCenter Server 8.x
vCenter Server 7.x

Cause

The issue occurs when backup server password configured in VAMI is either incorrect or has expired.

Resolution

• Log in to the VAMI of the vCenter Server Appliance using:

https://<VCSA-FQDN-or-IP>:5480

• Navigate to Backup > Configure.
  
  
• Update backup server credentials with correct password and save the configuration.

Note: Ensure that the backup server is reachable over the network and that the account has required permissions to write to backup location.

Additional Information

Manually Back Up vCenter Server by Using the vCenter Server Management Interface

Configure and Schedule Backups