See if you can follow my train of thought here:

I'm trying to use Backup Exec to copy a vmdk file to tape. The VMDK file was copied off an ESXI server to a Linux Server running Samba. I used ftpput from ESXI to get it to the Linux Box and then a Samba share on the Linux Box so Backup Exec to read it off.

I do not have the backexec agent installed on the remote server I am trying to copy the file off.
I do not have a VMWare BE Agent

However I get :

"Click an exception below to locate it in the job log
Backup-
WARNING: "\\MYSERVER\myshare\ftproot\vmbackup\Windows 2008 x64\Windows 2008 x64-flat.vmdk" is a corrupt file.
This file cannot verify."

So I immediately think that the ftpput from esxi is suspect so I run md5sum on the esxi box and on the server that I copied the file to they match:
From ESXI
/vmfs/volumes/4c372586-c5be3670-5b7e-001d091edb9f/Windows 2008 x64 # md5sum Windows\ 2008\ x64-flat.vmdk
1ba7ec035c78d4b389c217db04807861 Windows 2008 x64-flat.vmdk

On MYSERVER
md5sum Windows\ 2008\ x64-flat.vmdk
1ba7ec035c78d4b389c217db04807861 Windows 2008 x64-flat.vmdk

However when I restore the 'corrupt' vmdk off tape to another box it is indeed different
$ md5sum.exe Windows\ 2008\ x64-flat.vmdk
2c450fdeb62a9d5ce0a9d4adb0667af3 *Windows 2008 x64-flat.vmdk

But if I copy the vmdk off the Samba share to another Windows box and again run md5sum it copies OK. So using windows file copy I can get the file unchanged

My guess is that backup exec is corrupting the file while attempting to copy it to tape.

But why can't Backup Exec just copy the file bit for bit without corrupting it? I've turned off AOFO and just about every other option that might be causing an issue. Still trying to get BE just to do a copy without it being smart. Hmmm.

I haven't as yet tried disabling my antivirus client on the backup exec server...

If I copy the vmdk to a local vmware server 2 install and run it up it's working so I doubt it's corrupt and the ESXI install will run before and after I have run the backup off it to the Linux FTP/Samba box.

Sigh.

Any ideas?