Update backup cadence for NSX Manager from SDDC Manager

Products

• VMware SDDC Manager / VCF Installer
• VMware NSX
• VMware Cloud Foundation

Issue/Introduction

Whenever the backup SFTP server is configured or updated via the SDDC Manager UI (Site Settings tab), SDDC Manager automatically enforces a specific backup schedule on NSX Manager.

By default, SDDC Manager will overwrite any existing NSX Manager backup cadence—such as a weekly schedule set directly on the NSX Manager—with its own interval (typically 1 hour or 3600 seconds). This behaviour occurs every time the SFTP settings are changed, ensuring the NSX Manager aligns with the SDDC Manager’s defined configuration property.

SDDC Manager configures a backup schedule on NSX Manager during the following workflows:
- Management domain bringup (via VCF Installer)
- Workload domain creation (Add Domain)
- Backup configuration update(Site Settings tab)

Environment

VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) - 9.1.0.0

Cause

SDDC Manager uses a hardcoded default property seconds.between.backup=3600 (1 hour) that is applied to NSX Manager every time the SFTP backup server is configured or updated. This property controls the interval-based backup schedule that SDDC Manager pushes to NSX Manager. The value is sent as part of the backup configuration API call to NSX Manager, overwriting any existing schedule on the NSX Manager including weekly or daily cadences configured outside of SDDC Manager.

Resolution

Users may override the default backup interval by adding the seconds.between.backup property to the SDDC Manager VM application properties files.

Valid values: 300 (5 minutes) to 86400 (24 hours), in seconds.

Seconds	Equivalent
300	5 minutes (minimum)
3600	1 hour (default)
7200	2 hours
14400	4 hours
28800	8 hours
43200	12 hours
86400	24 hours (maximum)

Workflow Properties Files
Management domain bringup (VCF Installer): /etc/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/application-prod.properties
Workload domain creation (Add Domain): /etc/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/application-prod.properties
Backup configuration update(Site Settings tab): /etc/vmware/vcf/operationsmanager/application-prod.properties

1. Add the property to Domain Manager in SDDC Manager
   This covers management domain bringup and workload domain creation workflows.
   echo 'seconds.between.backup=86400' >> /etc/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/application-prod.properties
   
   
2. Add the property to Operations Manager in SDDC Manager
   This covers backup configuration update via Site Settings UI workflows. Replace 86400 with the desired interval in seconds from the table above.
   echo 'seconds.between.backup=86400' >> /etc/vmware/vcf/operationsmanager/application-prod.properties
   
   
3. Restart both services
   systemctl restart domainmanager
systemctl restart operationsmanager
   
   
4. Verify the services are running
   systemctl status domainmanager
systemctl status operationsmanager