"Error Message: 2916 – CIFS cannot connect to share" – General troubleshooting steps (76701)

When attempting a backup of a VM it fails with “Error Message: 2916 – CIFS cannot connect to share"

Also, this error message could be appearing when adding a new repository or suddenly appear after number of successful backups to the same repository.

There could be several reasons for this error, this KB will try to help you troubleshoot this yourself before you contact one of the Quest Support Engineers.

 

Please use domain admin if the server is a part of the domain

Please make your user part of Local Administrators group

(The NTFS permissions for the repository should be Full Control or Modify for the account used for the vRanger services)

Please check if there is firewall in between ESX and repository (We don’t support backups though firewall)

TCP PORTS 137, 139, and 445 and UDP PORTS 137 and 138 need to be open (inbound and outbound) between the ESX host and the repository

Please don't use hidden admin shares to connect to share, connect directly to the shared directory

(If you do remove repository, create a share, and point the new repository directly to a new share)

(Example: Instead of \\server\c$\vRangershare use \\server\vRangershare )
Please don't use special characters on the end or beginning of the password, like “.” Or “!”

When using Data Domain is ESX host listed in the “White List” (read/write access list)?

Please check if your account is not locked out

Please check for Symantec Endpoint Protection (Please search KB’s for more information on SEP)

Please check if any AD GPO policies were recently implemented

Good troubleshooting steps:
Please try to stop and start vRanger services
Please try to create a share on another server and try to attach a new repository there

Please try to create a file using vRanger account and write to it and save the changes
Please try to use a different account (With more elevated rights)
Please make sure that Both the vRanger computer and the ESX hosts resolve the DNS name of your repository server to the same IP address

Ultimately you can check if the ESX host can connect to the repository:

1.SSH to the ESX host as root

2.Run the command 'mkdir /mnt/backup'

3.Run the command 'esxcfg-firewall -e smbClient'

·For ESX3.5 or lower run the command 'mount -t smbfs //<repositoryservernameorIP>/<share> /mnt/backup -o username=<useraccount>

·For ESX4 run the command 'mount -t cifs //<repositoryservernameorIP>/<share> /mnt/backup -o username=<useraccount>

(the <useraccount> is the account used for the vRanger services)
 

4.If you are unable to mount the share on the ESX host, then you will need to adjust the share and NTFS permissions until it is successful.

5.If mount is successful, run the command 'touch /mnt/backup/testfile'

·If you are unable to touch, then you will need to adjust the share (Full Control) and NTFS permissions (minimum Change/Modify)
 

·If touch is successful, then the ESX host should be able to perform a backup to the repository.
 

6.run the command 'umount /mnt/backup'