NetVault Plug-in for VMware 13.1.3 - User Guide

File-level backups do not back up data for a reparse point

The file-level backup method does not back up data through a reparse point.

When a disk mounted as a reparse point on a Guest OS is included in a file-level backup, the backup completes without any errors or warnings. However, the plug-in does not back up any data for a reparse point. It is listed as an empty node on the Create Selection Set page.

The VMware API does not support this type of backup.

Workaround:

Restore job fails when using SAN transport

Restore job fails.

A restore job fails with the following error:

Log Message:

Failed to restore VM disk data.

Log Context:

Failed to open vmdk VDDK error encountered: code 13

Retrieving error message text VDDK error message is ‘You do not have access rights to this file’

Disk data restore failed for ‘[datastore]VirtualMachineName/ VitrualDiskName.vmdk’

The NetVault Client running the Plug‑in for VMware may not have access to the SAN. To verify, try using the NBD transport mode. If restore completes successfully with this mode, it indicates SAN connectivity issues.

To use the SAN transport mode, the NetVault Client must have SAN connectivity to the VMFS LUN. Ensure that the LUN is accessible and the SAN is configured correctly.

Restore job fails to add a virtual machine to the server inventory or to the alternate standalone ESXi Server

Restore job fails.

A restore job fails with the following error:

Log message:

Failed to add VM to target server's inventory.

— or —

Invalid datastore format.

Log context:

Fault string is 'Invalid configuration for device '3'.

When this error occurs, enable trace and run the restore job again. When the job completes, open the file named vmw<nnn>_soaprecv.log, and check if it contains an XML message <WaitForUpdatesExResponse> with contents similar to the following:

If so, it indicates that the backup contains an invalid configuration for a CD or DVD drive.

To correct this issue:

Disk type is always Thick Provision Eager Zeroed after restoring an image-level backup

After restoring a virtual machine, virtual drives that are Thin Provisioned or Thick Provisioned Lazy Zeroed are automatically converted to Thick Provision Eager Zeroed.

Regardless of the disk provisioning type, image-level backups without CBT enabled always back up the full disk. During restore, the “.vmdk” file is completely overwritten and VMware automatically converts a Thin Provision or Thick Provision Lazy Zeroed drive to Thick Provision Eager Zeroed.

To retain the original type for the drive during the restore process, make sure that the Enable Change Block Tracking for virtual machine option is enabled for the backup job. For more information, see Defining a backup strategy.