PPDM: VM backup fails after VMware Tools removal on external proxy

Backup Job Errors

The backup job reports errors indicating the virtual machine cannot be found for the proxy IP.

BackupVmSessions-74f0b3f4-7ef9-418a-af4c-5e051a1e8114.log: 2026-04-10T03:54:46.344Z ERROR:  [8ad9e3bde8139848;a7bb45904a854306] Unable to find the virtual machine for vProxy "x.x.x.x".  Found no virtual machines with IP address "x.x.x.x".
BackupVmSessions-74f0b3f4-7ef9-418a-af4c-5e051a1e8114.log: 2026-04-10T03:54:46.344Z ERROR:  [8ad9e3bde8139848;a7bb45904a854306] Unable to find identity (MORef) of vProxy's virtual machine: Unable to find the virtual machine for vProxy "x.x.x.x".  Found no virtual machines with IP address "x.x.x.x".

Additional Indicator

Query from vCenter MOB FindByIp returns null.

Root Cause

The external proxy relies on VMware Tools to register its IP address with vCenter. When VMware Tools are removed, vCenter’s Managed Object Browser (MOB) FindByIp method cannot locate the virtual machine associated with the proxy IP address, resulting in null responses and backup failures.

• vCenter MOB FindByIp depends on VMware Tools for IP‑to‑VM mapping.
• Removal of VMware Tools breaks this mapping.

Restore the missing VMware Tools or replace the proxy.

1. Reinstall VMware Tools on the external proxy host.
2. Verify that the proxy regains its IP registration in vCenter.
3. If reinstalling is not possible, redeploy the external proxy appliance.
4. Run a test backup to confirm the issue is resolved.