VMWare backup failed with 156, VIXAPI freeze (VMware snapshot) failed with -1: Unrecognized error

Problem

VMware backups failed with  Status 156.  The NetBackup Activity Monitor Job Details and the NetBackup backup host bpfis log report the following message:

VIXAPI freeze (VMware snapshot) failed with -1: Unrecognized error.

Using the vSphere Snapshot Manager to create a snapshot of the same virtual machine is successful.

Error Message

7/4/2014 16:36:19 - snapshot backup of client clientA using method VMware_v27/4/2014 16:36:25 - Info bpbrm(pid=57356) INF - vmwareLogger: VmPowerOp: SYM_VMC_ERROR:  SOAP_ERROR      7/4/2014 16:36:25 - Info bpbrm(pid=57356) INF - vmwareLogger: SOAP 1.1 fault: "":ServerFaultCode [no subcode]    7/4/2014 16:36:25 - Info bpbrm(pid=57356) INF - vmwareLogger: SetVmPowerStateAPI: Operation: enableChangeTracking failed      7/4/2014 16:36:25 - Info bpbrm(pid=57356) INF - vmwareLogger: SetVmPowerStateAPI: enableChangeTracking: Error: SYM_VMC_ERROR:  SOAP_ERROR    7/4/2014 16:36:28 - Info bpbrm(pid=57356) INF - vmwareLogger: CreateSnapshotExAPI: SYM_VMC_ERROR:  SOAP_ERROR      <cut>7/4/2014 16:38:38 - Info bpbrm(pid=57356) INF - vmwareLogger: CreateSnapshotExAPI: SYM_VMC_ERROR:  SOAP_ERROR      7/4/2014 16:38:51 - Critical bpbrm(pid=57356) from client clientA: FTL - VMware_freeze: VIXAPI freeze (VMware snapshot) failed with -1: Unrecognized error
7/4/2014 16:38:51 - Critical bpbrm(pid=57356) from client clientA: FTL - vfm_freeze: method: VMware_v2, type: FIM, function: VMware_v2_freeze 
7/4/2014 16:38:51 - Critical bpbrm(pid=57356) from client clientA: FTL -        
7/4/2014 16:38:51 - Critical bpbrm(pid=57356) from client clientA: FTL - vfm_freeze: method: VMware_v2, type: FIM, function: VMware_v2_freeze 
7/4/2014 16:38:51 - Critical bpbrm(pid=57356) from client clientA: FTL -        
7/4/2014 16:38:51 - Critical bpbrm(pid=57356) from client clientA: FTL - snapshot processing failed, status 156   
7/4/2014 16:38:51 - Critical bpbrm(pid=57356) from client clientA: FTL - snapshot creation failed, status 156   
7/4/2014 16:38:51 - Warning bpbrm(pid=57356) from client clientA: WRN - ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES is not frozen   

Cause

This message is encountered if the VMware ESX host currently hosting this virtual machine is missing the vStorage APIs license.  This license is required when performing snapshots and backups using the VMware VDDK/VADP interfaces.

 For example the following VMware licensing is missing the vStorage APIs feature:

Product Features:
    Up to 256 GB of memory
    Up to 4-way virtual SMP
 

While the following correctly shows the vStorage APIs feature:

Product Features:
    Up to 32-way virtual SMP
    vCenter agent for VMware host
    vStorage APIs
    VMsafe
    vSphere HA
    Hot-Pluggable virtual HW
    vMotion
    vSphere FT
    vSphere Data Recovery
    vShield Zones
    vSphere DRS
    Storage vMotion
    MPIO / Third-Party Multi-Pathing
    vSphere Distributed Switch
    Host profiles
 

Solution

Confirm this license is present on the ESX host by connecting to the vCenter Server or the ESX host using the VMware vSphere client.  For example if connecting to the vCenter server -

1.  Go to "Home -> Inventory -> Hosts and Clusters"

2.  Locate the ESX host currently hosting the failing virtual machine.

3.  Click on  the ESX host and select its "Configuration" tab.

4.  Under "Software" select "Licensed Features."

5.  Under "Product Features" check for the following entry"

vStorage APIs

If this feature is not listed it will need to be obtained from VMware and installed on each ESX host that will be hosting virtual machines being protected using the NetBackup for VMware agent.

Applies To

Netbackup with VMware backup.