COS based VMware backup fails with channel error (4046363)

Date: SEP 2010
Product & Version:
OS Version: all
Module & Version: VMware 1.1, 1.2
Application version: VMware


Symptoms:
COS based VMware backup fails with channel error as seen below:

From binary log:

Error 2010/08/27 14:57:58 1063 Media S-EU-PAS01BKP01 S-EU-PAS01BKP01 1-0.2.0 (HP Ultrium 4-SCSI): had channel error

From subtext of binary log:

NET :00932 93 0 135758 Connection down
DATA :00932 103 12 135758 Error reading buffer contents
DATA :00932 216 0 135758 DataChannelGetReceiveBuffer (END)
MEDWRITE:00932 190 1 135758 Device write data in: FAILURE
DEVMGR :00932 812 0 135758 DevMgrChannelError() - FALSE = bChannelError, FALSE = bMediaError, FALSE = bAbort, FALSE = bStop




Looking at plugin trace we see the following at the end of the netvault VMware trace with no error.


4 0 095206.289120 VM 'Virtual server name’


1 VMWVIM :17388 4 0 095206.316417 Logged in to server localhost successfully
1 VMWVIM :17388 5 0 095206.316441 Login success=TRUE
1 VMWUTIL :17388 6 0 095206.316448 Login success=TRUE


Cause:
The Virtual server has been moved to a different esx server or been deleted from disk.

1/ Move the virtual server back to the esx server

2/ Stop using cos base backups and use a VCB server that would identify the movement of the virtual server to different esx server and back it up from the other esx server.

3/ upgrade to VMware 2.0 using VADP, but be aware cos based backups are no longer supported on this version

Explanation:
The VMware plugin is unable to access the backup information of the virtual server from the requested esx server.


Prepared by: Richard Downes