vSAN -- Data Protection snapshots fail with error -- SPIF filters change failure: One of the parameters supplied is invalid

Products

• VMware vSAN

Issue/Introduction

When attempting to take a snapshot with vSAN Data Protection, it errors with following message in vCenter.

The failed task reports: 

SPIF filters change failure: One of the parameters supplied is invalid.
The IO Filter policy cannot be changed when snapshot disks are present.

“SPIF filters change failure: The virtual disk requires a feature not supported by this program.”

 

In /var/log/vmware/snapservice/snap-service.log 

{"level":"debug","timestamp":"2025-10-01T20:42:50.245Z","C":"vcenter/task_monitor.go:312","message":"processTaskUpdate for","opID":"tasks-monitor","property update":{"name":"info","op":"assign","val":{"key":"task-95264","task":{"type":"Task","value":"task-95264"},"descriptionId":"com.vmware.dp.tasks.protect","entity":{"type":"VirtualMachine","value":"vm-3055"},"entityName":"#####-###-1","state":"error","cancelled":false,"cancelable":true,"error":{"fault":{"faultMessage":[{"key":"msg.disk.spifChangeFailure","arg":[{"key":"1","value":"msg.disklib.INVAL"}],"message":"SPIF filters change failure: One of the parameters supplied is invalid."},{"key":"msg.disklib.policy.noFilterSnap","message":"The IO Filter policy cannot be changed when snapshot disks are present."}],"reason":"SPIF filters change failure: One of the parameters supplied is invalid."},"localizedMessage":"SPIF filters change failure: One of the parameters supplied is invalid."},"reason":{"userName":"com.vmware.dp"},"queueTime":"2025-10-01T20:42:46.974305Z","startTime":"2025-10-01T20:42:46.988707Z","completeTime":"2025-10-01T20:42:50.255323Z","eventChainId":1382894,"activationId":"snapservice-68dae169-e1a5-fa08"}}}

Environment

vSAN 9.x
vSAN Data Protection 9.x

Cause

When creating Protection Group, VMs with traditional snapshots were added to Protection Group.
Protection Group snapshots failed on such VMs.

Adding VMs with snapshots to vSAN DP Protection Group is not supported at this time and is stated in this document Create a vSAN Data Protection Group. 
Refer to this line "You cannot add linked clone VMs or VMs that have vSphere snapshots to a protection group."

Resolution

Consolidate the VM snapshots and retry vSAN DP snapshots. Right click on the VM > Snapshots > Delete all Snapshots or Consolidate.

When creating a new Protection Group, confirm the VMs to be added to the Protection Group are not running on snapshots

Additional Information

After adding the VMs to Protection Group, traditional VM snapshots can be taken and vSAN DP will continue to take Protection Group snapshots successfully.