Veeam Backup Validator issues, always get "The handle is invalid"

Hello, I am currently in a battle with VBV - Veeam Backup Validator

As has been my experience, the health check of an agent backup job is done by the machine running agent.
That, for some reason, the VBR itself cannot perform this function; even though the agent is managed by the VBR and the VBR has full access to the backup repositories.

As I run my veeam over tailscale, when my laptop is outside the home LAN, the health check takes many time longer than the backup job itself.

So I am try to come up with a workaround. using VBV, to offload the health check to a machine inside the LAN.

So far, very frustrating, I cannot seem to use /backup flag on a backup job that does not contain a VM.
I did tried to set /vmname to the name of machine running agent, but never worked.
Is that correct?

"C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and Replication\Backup\Veeam.Backup.Validator.exe" /backup:abp_theen10_falconer
Policy selected, provide one vmname you want to check.

So far, the workaround seems to be hardcoding the path of the actual backup file(s).

When I try to do that, it never works, I always get The handle is invalid and I cannot figure out what that error exactly means?

i had read the following docs, but no idea what a handle is?

https://forums.veeam.com/site-search?q=The+handle+is+invalid
https://community.veeam.com/discussion-boards-66/best-practices-synthetic-or-active-1744
https://community.veeam.com/blogs-and-podcasts-57/veeam-utilities-veeam-backup-validator-353
https://community.veeam.com/discussion-boards-66/which-one-better-to-verifying-backup-files-validator-tool-or-health-check-for-backup-files-2877
https://community.veeam.com/yara-and-script-library-67/how-to-atomate-schedule-veeam-backup-validator-exe-672

"c:\program files\veeam\backup and replication\backup\veeam.backup.validator.exe" /file:c:\data\veeam\abp_vserve2024-04-06t213156.vbk
Veeam Backup Validator Version 12.1.0.0
Copyright (C) 2006-2024 Veeam Software Group GmbH

Parameters:
    File:    c:\data\veeam\abp_vserve2024-04-06t213156.vbk
    Format: Html
    Report:
    Silence: no
    Skip:    no

Validating...

The handle is invalid.

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There might be something corrupted possibly in the VBK that the validator is trying to read. That is the only thing I can think of for this error.

I would suggest a Support ticket at this point to determine the why.

@Chris.Childerhose, thanks, but I am just a lowly community edition user and this is a very non-critical issue.

That is a good point, about a corrupted file but that is the whole point of using the validator, to find corruption.

i have tested on three different .vbk, local and network, and always the same exact error.

Now, this time the .vbk does not exist and no complaints about that, but same as before, complaint about this magical, mysterious invalid handle.

"c:\program files\veeam\backup and replication\backup\veeam.backup.validator.exe" /file:dummy.vbk
Veeam Backup Validator Version 12.1.0.0
Copyright (C) 2006-2024 Veeam Software Group GmbH

Parameters:
    File:    dummy.vbk
    Format: Html
    Report:
    Silence: no
    Skip:    no

Validating...

The handle is invalid.

@Chris.Childerhose, thanks, but I am just a lowly community edition user and this is a very non-critical issue.

That is a good point, about a corrupted file but that is the whole point of using the validator, to find corruption.

i have tested on three different .vbk, local and network, and always the same exact error.

Now, this time the .vbk does not exist and no complaints about that, but same as before, complaint about this magical, mysterious invalid handle.

"c:\program files\veeam\backup and replication\backup\veeam.backup.validator.exe" /file:dummy.vbk
Veeam Backup Validator Version 12.1.0.0
Copyright (C) 2006-2024 Veeam Software Group GmbH

Parameters:
    File:    dummy.vbk
    Format: Html
    Report:
    Silence: no
    Skip:    no

Validating...

The handle is invalid.

What version of Veeam are you running? 12.1.x? Maybe try upgrading to 12.2 and see if that helps. Also run an active full backup on a job or one VM, then try to validate the VBK file then.

@Chris.Childerhose, thanks, i updated to 12.2, did a full backup.

Not complaining, but just pointing out that, yet once again, this shows agent is a second class citizen in the veeam world.
That performing a manual full backup, veeam will not do a health check.

So in truth, I have no idea is the backup is not corrupted.
Luckily, this is not the issue at all, no matter what valid command i run, always the same ‘Handle is not valid’

This output is on .vbk for a full backup of a vm.
Tho, no difference if i specify the .vbm.

:: confirm the fullpath, username and password are correct
net use \\192.168.62.233\vbj_user01-Virtual-Machine_agent_vserver03_01 /user:"administrator" "redacted"
The command completed successfully.
dir /b "\\192.168.62.233\vbj_user01-Virtual-Machine_agent_vserver03_01\user01-Virtual-Machine agent_vserver03_01.e5dD2024-08-31T105657_87CD.vbk"
user01-Virtual-Machine agent_vserver03_01.e5dD2024-08-31T105657_87CD.vbk

"c:\program files\veeam\backup and replication\backup\veeam.backup.validator.exe" /file:"\\192.168.62.233\vbj_user01-Virtual-Machine_agent_vserver03_01\user01-Virtual-Machine agent_vserver03_01.e5dD2024-08-31T105657_87CD.vbk" /username:"administrator" /password:"redacted"
Veeam Backup Validator Version 12.2.0.0
Copyright (C) 2006-2024 Veeam Software Group GmbH

Parameters:
    File:     \\192.168.62.233\vbj_user01-Virtual-Machine_agent_vserver03_01\user01-Virtual-Machine agent_vserver03_01.e5dD2024-08-31T105657_87CD.vbk
    Format:   Html
    Password: ******
    Report:
    Silence: no
    Skip:     no
    Username: administrator

Validating...

The handle is invalid.

Well again it was just a suggestion as we are not support on this community. I would suggest a support case even being CE version to get answers as there won't be much else here unfortunately.

Hi! Hava you solve this problem? I just encounterd same problem, when I use SSH to connect the veeam Server, executed the cmd of validatetor.exe to validate backup files, got the “The handle is invalid.” error，found no solutions in Google.

Please reply me if you got some solutions for this.

Have you checked if the Linux firewall or SSH settings might be blocking the execution of validator? You could try disabling the firewall temporarily and ensuring SSH permissions are correctly set.

@yummylee, my testing was local on windows server.

so, not a linux issue, not a firewall issue, not a ssh issue.

in the end, i found no solution.

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