NVP vProxy: VM backups fail when using hot add "vProxy is not available for datastore"

Summary: NetWorker VMware Protection (NVP) backups fail when using the hot add transport method, stating "vProxy is not available for datastore." The vProxy is on an ESXi host with VMware datastore access to the Virtual Machines (VM). The error is occurring because the vProxy is returning its "shortname" when `hostname` is used. ...

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Symptoms

NetWorker VMware Protection (NVP) backups are failing when the vProxy is configured to use "hot add" only.
The backup fails, stating that there is no vProxy available for the VMware datastore:
vProxy is not available for datastore

The vProxy is powered on and reports as Enabled under Devices->VMware Proxies.
The vProxy is deployed on a VMware ESXi host that has access to the failed VM's VMware datastore:
esxi host
datastores
If the vProxy is configured to use Network Block Device (NBD) backups, the backups complete successfully.

Cause

When the vProxy VM was deployed, the vProxy's shortname was provided instead of its Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) in the OVA deployment. 

The hostname command on the vProxy returns shortname instead of FQDN

nsr-vproxy02:~ # hostname
nsr-vproxy02

hostnamectl returns:

nsr-vproxy02:~ # hostnamectl
   Static hostname: nsr-vproxy02.amer.lan
Transient hostname: nsr-vproxy02

 

Resolution

vProxy 4.3.0.x and older:

1. Delete the vProxy from NetWorker.
2. Redeploy the vProxy and specify the vProxy's FQDN in the Customize template window:

vProxy deployment template

3. Register the newly deployed vProxy with NetWorker.

vProxy 4.4.0.x and newer 

1. Open an SSH session to the vProxy and log in as admin.
2. Switch to root: 

sudo su -

3. Update the /etc/hostname file to specify the vProxies FQDN instead of its shortname.
4. Ensure that the /etc/hosts file contains the vProxies FQDN and shortname:

nsr-vproxy02:~ # cat /etc/hosts
127.0.0.1  localhost.localdom localhost
192.168.9.152     nsr-vproxy02.amer.lan     nsr-vproxy02

5. Reboot the vProxy and repeat steps 1 and 2 once the vProxy comes back online.
6. Set the vProxy's transient hostname to the Domain Name System (DNS) resolvable FQDN:

hostnamectl set-hostname --transient vProxy_FQDN

7. Verify that the hostname command returns the vProxy's FQDN instead of shortname. hostnamctl should return the vProxies FQDN:

nsr-vproxy02:~ # hostnamectl
   Static hostname: nsr-vproxy02.amer.lan
         Icon name: computer-vm
           Chassis: vm
        Machine ID: 6256d6f0fc6486601577a662606516fc
           Boot ID: 90261c06d0c04dfebea826556a8faac4
    Virtualization: vmware
  Operating System: SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5
       CPE OS Name: cpe:/o:suse:sles:12:sp5
            Kernel: Linux 4.12.14-122.183-default
      Architecture: x86-64

8. Ensure that the vProxy is set to use hot add only:

hotadd
NOTE: If the protection group contains VMs which do not support hot add, the maximum NBD sessions field must match the hot add sessions column. See the NetWorker VMware Integration Guide regarding VM configurations which do not support hot add.

9. Rerun NetWorker VMware Protection policies
 

Additional Information

If the hostname command returns the vProxy's FQDN, this KB is not applicable. See: NVP-vProxy: How to use health check tool ProxyHC on vProxy appliance.

Use the ProxyHC utility as detailed in the above KB. Use the following syntax to test hot add connectivity for a specified VM:

./ProxyHC hotadd

This tool checks for other potential issues resulting in hot add backup failure.

Affected Products

NetWorker

Products

NetWorker Family
Article Properties
Article Number: 000228167
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 04 Aug 2025
Version:  4
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