Agent for VMWare Infrastructure (AVVI) backup fails with error 0xe0001201 - For this operation, the Backup Exec Virtual File Filter (VFF) driver must be installed on the media server

SGMON debug log displays the information as shown below:

BENGINE:  [01/01/10 12:53:42] [2700]     GET_DRV_INF: bsize = 1024

BENGINE:  [01/01/10 12:53:42] [2700]     GET_DRV_INF: preferredBlockSize = 1024

BENGINE:  [01/01/10 12:53:42] [2700]     PDI Backup to disk [E:\b2d folders]. Starting phase 1...

BENGINE:  [01/01/10 12:53:42] [2700]     ValidatePDILocation: Validating PDI location: [E:\b2d folders]. Temp path: [C:\TEMP]

BENGINE:  [01/01/10 12:53:42] [2700]     ValidatePDILocation: Error. VFF reg key not found.

BEREMOTE: [01/01/10 12:53:42] [1424]     @@@@@@@MyCloseSocket called with sockfd = 1624(0x658) retval = 0

BENGINE:  [01/01/10 12:53:42] [2700]     NDMPAgentConnector::EndConnection(): Data Server = Test-Server

BEREMOTE: [01/01/10 12:53:42] [1424]     FreeFormatEnv( cur_fmt=0 )

BEREMOTE: [01/01/10 12:53:42] [1424]     FreeFormatEnv( cur_fmt=0 )

Error 2 :  [ Found in 2012 ]

Final error: 0xe0001201 - For this operation, the Backup Exec Virtual File Filter (VFF) driver must be installed on the Backup Exec server.  The VFF driver is installed when you install any of the following Backup Exec agents or options:

Exchange Agent
Active Directory Recover Option
VMware Virtual Infrastructure Agent
Microsoft Virtual Server Agent
Final error category: Resource Errors

For additional information regarding this error refer to link V-79-57344-4609

This error can occur if Backup Exec was installed in evaluation mode without explicitly installing the Agent for VMWare Infrastructure (AVVI).

To resolve this issue, rerun the Backup Exec installation and choose the Agent for VMWare Virtual Infrastructure (AVVI) (a license key will be required).

After the Agent for VMWare Virtual Infrastructure has been installed, please verify if the  Virtual File Filter (VFF) Driver has been  installed on the Backup Exec server as part of any Agent/Option that supports the GRT feature by trying the steps mentioned below:

1. Open DOS prompt

2. Run the command FLTMC  to check for the file called VirtFile.

3. If the Virtual File Filter (VFF) Driver has been successfully installed on the Backup Exec server, the output will be as shown below:

 

4. Reboot the Backup Exec Media Server.

5. Re-run the previously failing operation.

If the remote server (Virtual Machine) is an Exchange server, also run FLTMC in the command line there to see if it is showing. For application level GRT backup, Backup Exec remote agent (RAWS) should be installed on Exchange server (VM). Installing RAWS will install the filter driver (VFF) automatically. If in case, running the above command does not show filter drive, simply uninstall RAWS from Exchange server (VM) and push install it again.