If you’re managing a FortiADC device and rely on its auto backup feature to keep your configurations safe, you might have run into an issue we encountered after upgrading to firmware version 7.6.0. Here’s our story—and the solution that finally resolved it.
In October 2024, we upgraded our FortiADC to firmware version 7.6.0. Everything seemed fine at first, but soon after, we noticed that the automatic backup to our SFTP server was failing consistently. This wasn’t a one-off glitch—it persisted for months, leaving us without a reliable backup process.
To troubleshoot, we manually triggered a backup using the command line:
execute backup config-file scp username 123456 /backup-test 10.2.2.1Instead of success, we were greeted with an error:
“No such file or directory”
The command failed with a return code of -4515 (SCP transaction failed). Not exactly the result we were hoping for.
Initial Troubleshooting
We reached out to FortiADC support for help. After some back-and-forth, they confirmed there were no known bugs listed for version 7.6.0 related to this issue. Their first suggestion? Reinstall the SFTP server. We gave it a shot—double-checked configurations, verified credentials, and tested connectivity—but the problem persisted. The auto backup still refused to cooperate, and the manual command kept throwing the same error.
For a couple of months, we limped along, manually managing backups where possible, but it was clear this wasn’t a sustainable solution.
The Fix
Finally, after exhausting other options, Fortinet’s technical team suggested upgrading the firmware to version 7.6.1. We applied the update—and just like that, the issue vanished. The auto backup to the SFTP server started working flawlessly, and the manual command executed without errors. Problem solved.
Key Takeaways
- Affected Version: FortiADC V7.6.0
- Fixed Version: FortiADC V7.6.1
- Symptoms: Auto backup to SFTP fails; manual backup via SCP command returns error code -4515 (“SCP transaction failed”).
- Solution: Upgrade to V7.6.1.
While Fortinet didn’t officially document this as a bug in 7.6.0, our experience suggests it’s worth checking your firmware version if you’re facing similar backup issues. The upgrade to 7.6.1 was the silver bullet for us.
Have you encountered this issue on your FortiADC? Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear how you tackled it!