vCenter Server VAMI backup retains one extra backup exceeding the configured retention policy

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

When configuring a scheduled backup in the vCenter Server Appliance Management Interface (VAMI) with a specific retention policy (e.g., retaining 7 backups), the target storage server (SFTP, NFS, SMB, etc.) temporarily displays one additional backup (n+1) than the configured limit immediately following a backup job.

Environment

vCenter Server

Cause

The automated cleanup routine for backups is designed to prioritize data integrity by retaining the oldest backup until the newest scheduled backup is successfully completed and its metadata is verified. This logic results in a temporary (n+1) backup count on the target storage during the transition and validation phase. Furthermore, because the cleanup job is hard-coded to execute daily at 00:00 UTC, any backup completed successfully before this time will result in an (n+1) state until the scheduled task triggers.

Resolution

This is expected behavior. No configuration changes are required.