vCenter Server vc-support Log Bundle Generation Times Out Due to Large .backup Files

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

When attempting to generate a vCenter Server Appliance (vCSA) log bundle, the vc-support script takes an exceptionally long time to run or times out completely (e.g., after 7 hours). Upon reviewing the vcsupport.log, the script is observed getting stuck or taking an excessive amount of time compressing .backup files located in the following directories:

• /storage/log/vmware/trustmanagement/*.backup

• /storage/log/vmware/lookupsvc/*.backup

• /storage/log/vmware/eam/*.backup

Environment

vCenter Server Appliance (vCSA) 8.0U3

Cause

The vc-support script bundles the entire /storage/log/vmware/ directory tree. During certificate replacements (via certificate-manager) or when running diagnostic and remediation scripts like lsdoctor or fixsts.sh, backup files of keystores and configurations are created with .backup extensions in these service directories. Because vCenter's automated log rotation mechanisms (logrotate) do not target .backup files, they accumulate indefinitely. This causes the underlying tar operation during vc-support to take excessively long, exhaust available disk space, or trigger script timeouts.

Resolution

To resolve the issue, manually remove the stale .backup files once the environment is stable and the backups are no longer needed.

1. Connect to the vCenter Server Appliance via SSH and log in as the root user.

2. Verify the presence, timestamps, and sizes of the .backup files in the affected directories: ls -lh /storage/log/vmware/trustmanagement/*.backup ls -lh /storage/log/vmware/lookupsvc/*.backup ls -lh /storage/log/vmware/eam/*.backup

3. If the environment is stable and these historical backups are no longer required, delete them: rm /storage/log/vmware/trustmanagement/*.backup rm /storage/log/vmware/lookupsvc/*.backup rm /storage/log/vmware/eam/*.backup

4. Re-run the vc-support command to generate the log bundle.

Additional Information

For more information on restricting vc-support collection to reduce bundle size, see Collecting limited and specific information from vc-support using manifests.