Backing up the vCenter Appliance (VCSA) ensures rapid recovery of critical configuration data, including inventory, roles, and permissions. vCenter’s file-based backup stores only configuration data. It does not protect your VMs. When you choose SMB as the protocol, you may see errors about unsupported SMB. This article explains why and how to fix it.
Why vCenter backup SMB not supported?
1. VCSA defaults to SMBv1
Although vSphere 6.7 U2 added SMB and NFS for file-based backup in VAMI, VCSA’s Likewise-based client relies on SMBv1 for legacy compatibility.
2. SMBv1 is disabled by default
Windows Server 2016 and later disable SMBv1 to block exploits like EternalBlue. When SMBv1 is off, VCSA cannot negotiate, and VAMI shows Location type SMB not supported.
3. FIPS-mode bug in vCenter 7.0 U3
A known issue (Broadcom KB 318185) causes Path not exported by remote file system errors when FIPS mode is on; this is fixed in 7.0 U3c (Build 21477706).
Troubleshooting Table
| Error Message | Cause | Resolution |
| Location type SMB not supported | SMBv1 disabled on file server | Method 1 or Method 2 |
| Path not exported by remote file system | FIPS mode enabled in vCenter 7.0 U3 | Upgrade to 7.0 U3c (Method 3) |
| SMB handshake or authentication errors | SMBv2 not enabled on VCSA | Method 2 + check backup.log |
How to fix vCenter backup not supported issue?
Below are three methods; Method 1 is the quickest but least secure.
Method 1. Re-enable SMBv1 on Your File Server
Security Warning: SMBv1 lacks encryption and is vulnerable to exploits. Use only in isolated, low-risk environments.
1. On the SMB server, open PowerShell as admin.
2. Check current protocol status:
Get-SmbServerConfiguration | Select EnableSMB1Protocol, EnableSMB2Protocol
3. Enable SMBv1:
Set-SmbServerConfiguration -EnableSMB1Protocol $true
4. Restart the Netlogon service or reboot the server.
5. From the VCSA shell, confirm connectivity:
Test-NetConnection -ComputerName <SMB_Server> -Port 445
Method 2. Enable SMBv2 on the VCSA
1 SSH into VCSA and enable Bash shell:
shell.set --enabled true
2 Enter the appliance shell:
shell
3 Add or set the Smb2Enabled DWORD:
/opt/likewise/bin/lwregshell add_value '[HKEY_THIS_MACHINE\Services\lwio\Parameters\Drivers\rdr]' Smb2Enabled REG_DWORD 1
or, if it exists:
/opt/likewise/bin/lwregshell set_value '[HKEY_THIS_MACHINE\Services\lwio\Parameters\Drivers\rdr]' Smb2Enabled REG_DWORD 1
4 Restart Likewise:
/opt/likewise/bin/lwsm restart lwio
5 If backups still fail, check /var/log/vmware/applmgmt/backup.log for SMB handshake errors.
Method 3. Upgrade to vCenter 7.0 U3c
1. Download the 7.0 U3c ISO from VMware Customer Connect.
2. SSH into the appliance and stage the upgrade:
software-packages stage --iso --acceptEulas
3. Install and reboot:
software-packages install --staged
reboot
4. After upgrade, reconfigure the SMB backup in VAMI; FIPS blocking is removed in Build 21477706
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To back up your VMware vCenter Appliance VM:
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vCenter backup SMB not supported FAQs
Q1. Why does vCenter report “SMB not supported”?
VCSA defaults to SMBv1 and cannot connect when SMBv1 is disabled on the server.
Q2. Can I use SMBv3 for vCenter backups?
Yes—enable SMBv2 on the appliance (Methods 2/3) to negotiate up to SMBv3 if supported by your server.
Q3. How do I mitigate SMB security risks?
Require encryption and secure negotiate on the SMB server:
Set-SmbServerConfiguration -RequireSecureNegotiate $true
Or use NFS v4.1/Kerberos or HTTPS targets, isolate the backup network, and enforce firewall rules on TCP 445.
Conclusion
Resolving SMB backup issues in vCenter requires protocol adjustments or upgrades; for comprehensive VM protection, integrate configuration backups with image-based solutions tailored to your hypervisor environment.
