Management Node Backups are stored locally in the /data directory instead of the configured SFTP server in VCF Operations 9.0

Products

• VCF Operations

Issue/Introduction

• In VCF Operations 9.0, an issue can be encountered where backups for the Management Node (Fleet Management) are not uploaded to the configured external SFTP backup server.
• While backups for the Automation and vIDB appliances are successfully transferred to the SFTP server, the Management Node backup fails to be backed up and no backups are seen on the SFTP server. 
• When clicking the Backup Now button under the Management Node Backup settings, the operation completes successfully, but the backup file is stored locally within the /data directory of the Fleet Management appliance
  
  
  
  
• Backups are seen on the /data directory on the Fleet Management appliance : 
  

Environment

VCF Operations 9.0.0.0 
VCF Operations 9.0.1.0

Cause

This behavior is by design in VCF Operations 9.0. 
The Management Node (Fleet Management appliance) does not currently support file-based backups to an external SFTP server. The Backup Now functionality provided in the VCF Management UI is intended solely to perform an ad-hoc backup. These ad-hoc backups are generated and stored locally within the /data directory of the appliance (similar to standard Photon OS-based appliance behavior) and are not automatically offloaded to the SFTP target defined for other components.

Resolution

The supported method to backup the Management Node (Fleet Management appliance) is via image-based backups. Refer to Image-Based Backup for VCF Operations