PowerProtect: Windows VM backups complete with exceptions due to snapshot quiescing error

• PowerProtect Data Manager VM Direct Engine is protecting a vSphere environment.
• Protection Policy options:
  • Exclude swap files from backup
  • Enable guest file system quiescing
• Backup job completes with exceptions and displays: 

Warnings occurred during snapshot creation. Non-quiesced snapshot was used, quiesced snapshot was unsuccessful. Unable to create quiesced snapshot: An error occurred while quiescing the virtual machine. See the virtual machine's event log for details.

PowerProtect is sending a VMware Application Programming Interface (API) request to perform a VM snapshot during the backup. When the Protection Policy is configured with the "Enable guest file system quiescing" option, the VM VMware Tools are requesting a quiesce of the Guest OS file system. The VMware Tools were unable to create the quiesce of the VM, so it reverts to a nonquiesced snapshot for the backup. The quiesce of the Guest OS is a function of VMware Tools, and the PowerProtect solution depends on the proper functionality.

Perform the following checks and actions:

1. Update VMware Tools

   • Ensure VMware Tools version is 10.1.0 or higher. Use the latest version supported by your vSphere environment.

2. Verify VMware Snapshot Provider Service

   • Confirm the service is installed on the Windows VM.
   • If missing, reinstall VMware Tools.
   • Temporarily disable antivirus software during installation if it interferes.

3. Linux VMs

   • Check /etc/vmware-tools/tools.conf for:

     enableSyncDriver = true
     

   • Restart VMware Tools:

     systemctl restart vmtoolsd.service
     

4. Modify Protection Policy

   • Remove Enable guest file system quiescing to create crash-consistent snapshots instead of application-consistent snapshots.

5. Escalation

   • Contact VMware Support for persistent VMware Tools issues related to quiescing.

The Windows virtual machine SQL Server application-aware solution requires system quiescing. Review the Microsoft Application Agent and VM Direct agent software requirements in the PowerProtect Data Manager Virtual Machine User Guide.