ESXi 6 free Backup fails with SSL Exception: Unexpected EOF

After installing or upgrading to ESXi 6 free you may experience the following error message from VSquare Backup version 1.3 or older:

[2015-04-23 00:15:49.741 'App' 4888 error] SSLStreamImpl::DoClientHandshake ( 1965370) SSL_connect failed with Unexpected EOF

This seems to be a limitation in the VCB proxy tool currently used by VSquare to backup ESXi free virtual machines. To workaround the issue, you can do as follows:

• Modify server configuration to support HTTP
  This can be done following this VMware online document.


• Force VSquare Backup http mode for ESXi free backups
  This is done by simply enabling the relevant flag in the advanced section of the backupset dialog details.
  
  

After completing these two steps, all VCB backups should be executed by VSquare with no more errors.
This issue affects only free licensed ESXi. Standard ESXi are not backed up using VCB proxy and thus are not affected.
Only VSquare 1.3 or older is currently affected by this issue. Version 2.0+ do not use VCB to create ESXi free backups.