vCenter File-Level backup fails with error "Backup Manager encountered an exception. See logs for details"

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

• vCenter file-based backups are experiencing failures, throws the following error:  The backup management system encountered an exception during these failures.
• You may see the entries similar to the following in /var/log/vmware/applmgmt/backup.log: 
  
  

  2025-09-17T01:19:44.738 [StellarDbBackup:PID-2005514] [backupRestoreDispatch::dispatchFiles:backupRestoreDispatch.py:371] INFO: tarCmd = ['/usr/bin/tar', '-cz', '-C', '/tmp/backup_stellardb/', '--ignore-failed-read', '--warning', 'no-file-ignored', 'stellar.db']

  2025-09-17T01:19:44.744 [LotusBackup:PID-2005512] [Lotus::BackupLotus:Lotus.py:74] INFO: stdout: VdcBackupDB: Server in state (5) in which it cannot perform backup. error(9125)

  2025-09-17T01:19:44.744 [LotusBackup:PID-2005512] [Lotus::BackupLotus:Lotus.py:80] ERROR: BackupLotus: command "/usr/lib/vmware-vmdir/bin/vdcbackup /storage/db/vmware-vmdir/ /tmp/backup_lotus" failed. rc: 165.

Environment

VMware vCenter 7.x

VMware vCenter 8.x

Cause

The backup failures are caused by a replication issues between the vCenter nodes configured in Enhanced Linked Mode (ELM), such as VMDIR being in a Failure (5) state.

Example:

Replication status shows: 

/usr/lib/vmware-vmdir/bin/vdcrepadmin -f showpartnerstatus -h localhost -u administrator

Host available:   Yes
Status available: No

My last change number:             100537
Partner has seen my change number: 99947
Partner is 590 changes behind.

Resolution

Resolve the issue with scheduled and manual VAMI file-based backups by addressing the Enhanced Linked Mode and replication problems between the vCenter nodes.

 

Additional Information

Reference:

vCenter Server Replication Status Change Alarm in the vCenter Server UI

Enhanced Linked Mode (ELM) remains broken between the VCSA nodes