API Call failed when backing up a VM (4034158)

API Call failed when backing up a VM

When backing up a VM the vRanger log shows the following error message:

Error Message: API Call failed with message: A general system error occurred: Protocol error from VMX

This can happen when an installation of Ranger is being used to backup an older version of ESX and guest quiescing is turned on, however the VM in question does not have a SQL database to pause.

For example, using Ranger 6.0.2 to backup an Domain Controller that is running on ESX 4.0 and has guest quiescing turned on can throw this error. Ranger will try to utilize guest quiescing and when there is no SQL database found the application will kick out the error message of:

Error Message: API Call failed with message: A general system error occurred: Protocol error from VMX

In this situation, since the Domain Controller is not an SQL database there isn't an instance of SQL that will be requiring the guest quiescing option. The removal of the option for guest quiescing on this particular VM should rectify the issue. If the VM is already part of a backup group then you might have to remove this VM from that group and create a seperate job for this VM.

This was tested against the same VMs for 6.0.1 and 6.0.2.