Using VMware’s MOB (Managed Object Browser) to troubleshoot snapshot creation

Start by identifying the Managed Object Reference-ID (MORef-ID) of the VM for which the snapshot will be created.

If the VM is being protected by Veeam Backup & Replication, navigate to the log directory on the Veeam Server (%programdata%\Veeam\Backup). Within that directory, find the folder that is named after the job that the VM is protected by. Within the job folder will be a log named Task.<vmname>.<Ref-ID>.log
 
If the Ref-ID starts with “vm-“ the job is connecting to the vCenter server.
If the Ref-ID is just a number, the job is connecting to a standalone host.
 

1. Using an web browser navigate to: https://<vc/host ip>/mob/?moid=<Ref-ID>
    
   Example for VC: https://abp-vc.abp.lab/mob/?moid=vm-688
   Example for host: https://esxi1.abp.lab/mob/?moid=26
   
   
2. Confirm that the name matches what is expected:
   
   
   
3. Click on “CreateSnapshot_Task”
   
   
   
4. In the window that pops up, fill in the form as shown in the example below.
   
   Note: If you are troubleshooting an issue where VMware Tools Quiescence was enable at the job level, enter a “yes” for the “quiesce” field. Otherwise leave both Boolean values set to false.
   
   
   
   
5. Click “Invoke Method” to send the create snapshot task.
    
   The snapshot creation task will then be processed. If the snapshot fails to create, it is advised to contact VMware Support to investigate further.
   
   
   
   
   If the snapshot creation is successful, remember to remove it.