Symptoms

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.

Cause

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.

Resolution

Restore the missing VMware Tools or replace the proxy. Reinstall VMware Tools on the external proxy host.Verify that the proxy regains its IP registration in vCenter.If reinstalling is not possible, redeploy the external proxy appliance.Run a test backup to confirm the issue is resolved. Caution: Ensure the proxy is powered on and network‑connected before reinstalling VMware Tools.

Support Cases