Failed copy VMDK files from proxy <name of proxy VM> for VM <VM name>. (Unknown error (evddk-1))

Products

• VMware vSAN 8.x

Issue/Introduction

• Virtual machine fails to be restored using IBM Storage Protect (IBM) onto a vSAN ESA cluster.

Output similar to the below might be seen in vmware.log of a Virtual Machine:

2025-11-03T15:34:17.162Z In(05) vmx - VigorTransportProcessClientPayload: opID=########## seq=7246: Receiving Snapshot.Take request.
2025-11-03T15:34:23.515Z In(05) vcpu-0 - OBJLIB-VSANOBJ: VsanObjSnapshotInt: Create native snapshot(id: 130) for object ####-####_#####-#####. <=== vm-name.vmdk become read=only snapshot vmdk
2025-11-03T15:34:24.019Z In(05) vcpu-0 - DISK: OPEN scsi0:0 '/vmfs/volumes/vsan:#########-#############/########-######-######-######/vm-name.000001.vmdk' persistent R[]

... <===== Copying the base vmdk vm-name.vmdk corresponding to the newly created snapshot

2025-11-03T15:34:47.399Z In(05) vmx - VigorTransportProcessClientPayload: opID=####### seq=7381: Receiving Snapshot.Delete request.
2025-11-03T15:34:48.012Z In(05) vcpu-0 - DISK: OPEN scsi0:0 '/vmfs/volumes/vsan:###########-###############/#######-######-######-######/vm-name.vmdk' persistent R[]
...
2025-11-04T17:22:39.222Z In(05) vmx - VigorTransportProcessClientPayload: opID=######-###### seq=61915: Receiving Snapshot.Take request.
2025-11-04T17:22:45.629Z In(05) vcpu-0 - OBJLIB-VSANOBJ: VsanObjSnapshotInt: Create native snapshot(id: 132) for object #########_######_#######-######. <=== vm-name.vmdk become read=only snapshot vmdk
2025-11-04T17:22:46.120Z In(05) vcpu-0 - DISK: OPEN scsi0:0 '/vmfs/volumes/vsan:##############-################/#####-#######-######-#######/vm-name-000001.vmdk' persistent R[]
...
2025-11-04T17:23:05.473Z In(05) vmx - VigorTransportProcessClientPayload: opID=######-####### seq=62050: Receiving Snapshot.Delete request.
2025-11-04T17:23:06.063Z In(05) vcpu-0 - DISK: OPEN scsi0:0 '/vmfs/volumes/vsan:##############-################/#######-######-#######-########/vm-name.vmdk' persistent R[]

Environment

vSAN Version 8.x

Cause

When IBM Storage Protect triggers a restore, it creates a snapshot of the VM before restoring, then changes the running point change to "<VM name>-000001.vmdk". 
This is unsupported on vSAN ESA, as per https://techdocs.broadcom.com/content/dam/broadcom/techdocs/us/en/pdf/vmware/vsphere/vsphere-sdk-tools/vmware-vsphere-sdks-and-tools-9-0.pdf (page 221), quote:
    
By design, vSAN ESA (express storage architecture) makes a VMDK read-only when it has a snapshot. Do not attempt to restore virtual disks on vSAN ESA if they have snapshot(s).

Resolution

This interoperability problem requires review of a restore process workflow from backup software side. Broadcom recommends to engage backup vendor.