VMware backup fails with a 'You do not have access rights to this file' error. (4036465)

VMware backup fails with a 'You do not have access rights to this file' error.

Backups fail with Log and trace messages like these. 

1] Error   2014/04/02 20:43:38   566   Data Plugin   NVBUSERVER   TaskID 1u Failed to open virtual disk

Module/Thread   Id    Code Time Message
VDDK    :05528  141       0 194323 Remote connect done
VDDK    :05528   36       0 194338 Failed to open vmdk
VDDK    :05528  138       0 194338 VDDK error encountered: code 13
VDDK    :05528  139       0 194338 Retrieving error message text
VDDK    :05528   52       0 194338 VDDK error message is 'You do not have access rights to this file'

 

"You do not have access rights to this file" can happen for several reasons.

1. The user the plugin for VMware is configured to access VMware with does not have required permissions. 

2. In SAN mode backups it can mean that the SAN storage used for the datastores is not correctly configured to give direct read/write access to the NetVault Backup server that has the VMware plugin installed on it. 

3. It can be a DNS problem with the NetVault Backup server that has the VMware plugin installed on it resolving the ESXi servers names. 

4. It can be a firewall blocking communication between the NetVault Backup server with the VMware plugin installed and the ESXi server. 

You need to have the correct permissions for that user when configuring the VMware Plugin i.e. Administrator, as well as having the correct roles.
If you assign a non-administrator, then you also have to have the minimum set of roles set.
Further information is in the following KBA:

Minimum privileges for a netvault backup role on the vCenter server to be assigned to user (4047521)
https://support.quest.com/netvault/kb/4047521

You can run the backup in NBD mode instead of the SAN mode to see if backup now runs successfully.
This way you will be able to find out if the SAN setup is the problem.

Note: Verify that your NetVault Proxy meets the requirements outline in the VMWare Plugin Administrators Guide:

https://support.quest.com/technical-documents/netvault-backup-plug-in-for-vmware/10.0.1/user-guide/5#TOPIC-228777