backupConfiguration A general system error occurred: Internal error

[nettech1]

Trying to back up a system config on a customized esxi host (HP) getting an error message

[root@esxi6:~] vim-cmd hostsvc/firmware/backup_config

(vmodl.fault.SystemError) {

   faultCause = (vmodl.MethodFault) null,

   reason = "Internal error",

   msg = "Received SOAP response fault from [<cs p:1f2b6468, TCP:localhost:80>]: backupConfiguration

A general system error occurred: Internal error"

}

[root@esxi6:~] uname -a

VMkernel esxi6.corp.local 6.0.0 #1 SMP Release build-6765062 Sep 29 2017 05:35:51 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 ESXi

Looks like someone else is having the same issue with a customized Dell image

ESXi Host configuration backup fails

Has anyone tried a solution offered by dell on an hp system?

VMware vSphere 6 on Dell EMC PowerEdge Servers Release Notes

Thanks

[daphnissov]

Do you get the same error if you run the PowerShell cmdlet Get-VMHostFirmware?

[Finikiez]

Hi!

Try restart management agents first.

services.sh restart

However be care if you have LACP configured. In this scenario your host can be unavailable by network for 1-2 seconds.

[nettech1]

Did you mean  get-vmhostfirmware -backupconfiguration -DestinationPath C:\  ?

PowerCLI C:\>  get-vmhostfirmware -BackupConfiguration -DestinationPath c:\temp

get-vmhostfirmware : 12/25/2017 10:55:15 AM      Get-VMHostFirmware              A general system error occurred: Internal error

At line:1 char:2

+  get-vmhostfirmware -BackupConfiguration -DestinationPath c:\temp

+  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [Get-VMHostFirmware], SystemError

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Client20_SystemManagementServiceImpl_BackupVmHostFirmware_ViError,VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Cmdlets.Commands.Host.GetVMHostFirmware

[daphnissov]

Check hostd.log and see what it says.

[msripada · Accepted solution]

Hello Nettech1,

Please check hostd.log and also look if scratch partition is configured. If downloads folder inside scratch is missing, create that folder and retry the command.

Thanks,

MS

[nettech1]

downloads folder was missing

hostd.log had the following error

ha-datacenter: Bootbank cannot be found at path '/usr/lib/vmware/hostd/docroot/downloads/5227065a-5cbd-51d2-11dd-cd9f57217d04/firmware-bac

esxi is installed on a 32GB microSD card

after creating the downloads folder I was able to create a backup config

Thanks

[daphnissov]

It must have gotten changed from /tmp which is non-persistent.

[Alex_Karpovski]

That works!!! I used ssh to create downloads directory on non persistent storage inside of /tmp/_osdatag_gtfveb for making backup of my ESXi7.0.2 before to rebuild it by using SSD boot option instead of USB