vCenter file-based backups fail with SSL certificate verification error

Products

• VMware vCenter Server 8.0
• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• When attempting a manual or scheduled file-based backup via the vCenter Server Management Interface (VAMI), the process fails with the following error message:

     BackupManager encountered an exception. See logs for details. https://<vCenter_FQDN>/appliance/support-bundle

• Upon reviewing the applmgmt logs located at /var/log/vmware/applmgmt/backup.log, entries similar to the following are observed:

     ERROR: Failed to get vcenter server endpoint urls. Err [SSL: CERTIFICATE_VERIFY_FAILED] certificate verify failed: certificate has expired

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 8.x

Cause

This issue occurs because the vCenter MACHINE_SSL_CERT has expired. The Backup Manager requires a valid SSL certificate to securely communicate with vCenter Server endpoints. If the certificate is expired, the identity of the server cannot be verified, causing the backup process to terminate.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, the expired vCenter certificates must be renewed.

1. Identify and Renew Certificates: Follow the steps outlined in the following Broadcom Knowledge Base article to replace or renew the expired certificates:

   • How to replace vCenter Server certificates (2112283)

2. Verify Services: Once the certificates are renewed, ensure all vCenter services are started and healthy.

3. Validate Backup: Log in to the vCenter Server Management Interface (VAMI) at https://<vCenter_FQDN>:5480 and manually initiate a file-based backup to confirm the issue is resolved.