NSX Manager restore fails with error 29317 regarding missing Cluster or Node files
Article ID: 437952
Updated On:
Products
Issue/Introduction
- Restoring an NSX Manager from a backup fails with a specific error message indicating that the backup folder on the SFTP server does not contain the required files for the selected timestamp.
- The NSX UI displays:
Error: Folder '####' on a SFTP server, that contains a backup for a selected timestamp - doesn't have either a Cluster or a Node file (Error code: 29317)
- Log entries in
/var/log/proton/nsxapi.logindicate a mismatch between the expected FQDN and the FQDN found in the backup metadata.http-nio-127.0.0.1-7440-exec-8 ClusterRestoreFacadeImpl 81264 SYSTEM [nsx@6876 comp="nsx-manager" level="INFO" subcomp="manager"] Expected cluster backup file : {nsx-ufo-backup-restore=/cluster-node-backups/4.2.3.2.0.25077149-IPv4-####-###-####-###-####-nsxmg01.###.####.co.in/backup-2026-03-20T18_30_00UTC/cluster_backup-####-####-###-###-#####-nsxmg01.###.####.co.in-nsx-ufo-backup-restore.tar}http-nio-127.0.0.1-7440-exec-8 ClusterRestoreFacadeImpl 81264 SYSTEM [nsx@6876 comp="nsx-manager" level="INFO" subcomp="manager"] Expected node backup file : /cluster-node-backups/4.2.3.2.0.25077149-IPv4-####-####-###-###-####-####nsxmg01.###.#####.co.in/backup-2026-03-20T18_30_00UTC/node_backup-####-###-###-###-####-####nsxmg01.###.###.co.in.tarhttp-nio-127.0.0.1-7440-exec-8 ClusterRestoreFacadeImpl 81264 SYSTEM [nsx@6876 comp="nsx-manager" level="INFO" subcomp="manager"] Existing backup file : /home/localadmin/backup/nsx/cluster-node-backups/4.2.3.2.0.25077149-IPv4-####-###-###-####-####-###nsxmg01.###.####.co.in/backup-2026-03-20T18_30_00UTC/cluster_backup-#####-###-###-###-####-####nsxmg02.####.####.co.in-nsx-ufo-backup-restore.tarhttp-nio-127.0.0.1-7440-exec-8 ClusterRestoreFacadeImpl 81264 SYSTEM [nsx@6876 comp="nsx-manager" level="INFO" subcomp="manager"] Existing backup file : /home/localadmin/backup/nsx/cluster-node-backups/4.2.3.2.0.25077149-IPv4-####-###-####-####-####-####nsxmg01.###.####.co.in/backup-2026-03-20T18_30_00UTC/node_backup-####-####-###-###-#####-####nsxmg02.####.#####.co.in.tar
Environment
VMware NSX
Cause
The restore process fails because the current NSX Manager node was deployed with an FQDN that does not match the FQDN used when the backup was originally created.
The restore workflow expects the backup directory to contain files prefixed or metadata-aligned with the local node's current FQDN. If the backup was taken with manager2.example.com but the new node is deployed as manager1.example.com, the validation logic cannot locate the corresponding cluster or node files.
Resolution
To resolve this issue, the replacement NSX Manager node must be deployed with the exact same FQDN as the node from which the backup was taken.
Identify the FQDN used in the original backup by reviewing the file names/folders on the SFTP server.
Navigate to "cluster-node-backups" on the SFTP server and validate the FQDN of the backup file.
Delete the current NSX Manager node that has the incorrect FQDN.
Deploy a new NSX Manager appliance.
During the deployment wizard, ensure the Hostname/FQDN field matches the original backup node exactly.
Once the node is deployed and the management services are up, navigate to System > Lifecycle Management > Backup & Restore and initiate the restore process again.
Note: While it is possible to change the FQDN of a deployed node via CLI, this requires a reboot. After a reboot, the "Restore" option of a freshly deployed manager may not be available preventing the workflow from proceeding. Fresh deployment with the correct parameters is the recommended path.
Additional Information
For more details, refer to Troubleshooting NSX Backup and Restore Failures
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