Backup files does not get stored to the backup folder when running a scheduled or manual vCenter backup via SFTP

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

• When running a scheduled or manual backup to the SFTP site the backup folder gets created at the specified SFTP location but no backup file is created in the backup folder
• /var/log/vmware/vstats/vTSDB shows errors similar to:

  2026-01-26T15:37:44.449 [20260126-143738-25092719] [ConfigFilesBackup:PID-78165] [Proc::GetProcsStatus:Proc.py:344] ERROR: Process returncode is 2, but expected exit codes are [0].
  2026-01-26T15:37:44.449 [20260126-143738-25092719] [ConfigFilesBackup:PID-78165] [Proc::GetProcsStatus:Proc.py:328] ERROR: rc: 1, stderr: Traceback (most recent call last):
    File "/usr/lib/applmgmt/backup_restore/py/vmware/appliance/backup_restore/plugins/../util/Calculate.py", line 58, in <module>
      main(sys.argv[1], sys.argv[2], sys.argv[3])
    File "/usr/lib/applmgmt/backup_restore/py/vmware/appliance/backup_restore/plugins/../util/Calculate.py", line 45, in main
      stdout_obj.write(data)
  BrokenPipeError: [Errno 32] Broken pipe
  2026-01-26T15:37:44.449 [########-######-########] [ConfigFilesBackup:PID-78165] [Proc::GetProcsStatus:Proc.py:333] INFO: Skip to report the error.
  2026-01-26T15:37:44.449 [########-######-########] [ConfigFilesBackup:PID-78165] [Proc::GetProcsStatus:Proc.py:344] ERROR: Process returncode is 1, but expected exit codes are [0].
  2026-01-26T15:37:44.450 [########-######-########] [ConfigFilesBackup:PID-78165] [Proc::GetProcsStatus:Proc.py:361] ERROR: rc: 1, stderr: b'sh: /<sftpbackupfolderlocation>/<vCenterFQDN>/M_8.0.3.00700_20260126-143738_/config_files.tar.gz: No such file or directory\n'
  2026-01-26T15:37:44.450 [########-######-########] [ConfigFilesBackup:PID-78165] [Proc::UpdateExceptionStatus:Proc.py:384] ERROR: Checksum not generated at /dev/shm/backupRestoreSumFile-########-######-########-########
  2026-01-26T15:37:44.451 [########-######-########] [ConfigFilesBackup:PID-78165] [ConfigFiles::BackupConfigFiles:ConfigFiles.py:366] ERROR: Encountered an error during ConfigFiles backup.

Environment

vCenter 8.0.3 

Resolution

Ensure the backup user does not have the permission to access the homes directory on the SFTP server

Additional Information

VCSA VAMI Backup fails with error "Failed to create backup directory" 

When performing a vCenter backup via VAMI over SFTP, the process fails with the error: "Failed to create backup directory on backup server"