VDrO - Veeam Disaster Recovery Orchestrator Archivi — Pagina 2 di 3

29 Marzo 202116 Maggio 2021

VDrO v.4 – Setup a Plan from CDP Replica

In this article, I’m going to show you how to set up an orchestration plan using as a source a CDP replica Job.

This article will not cover how to create and run a CDP replica job from VBR console. If you need a guide please refer to the official guide.

There are four main parts:

Create a Business Category
Setup the Environment
Create an Orchestration Plan
Launch the Orchestration Plan

The first and the second topics will be described in this article. The third and the fourth ones in the next articles.

A. To create a business category for CDP replica, just open the Veeam ONE interface from the VAO server (picture 1).

In this example, the business category is called Ubuntu-CDP , the resource group is called CDP-Linux (Picture 2).

Picture 1

Picture 2

B. After opening the VAO web interface it’s necessary to follow the next four steps.

1. Add a Role and Scope (picture 3).

In my example, the scope is named Linux-CDP.

The plan Author/Operator is VBR.

Picture 3

2. Add or modify the Recovery Location (picture 4).

In my example, the recovery location is Verderio and has the Cluster-Verderio as Compute resource (Picture 5).

Pictures 6 and 7 show how to remap the Networking and how to set up the changing IP address rules.

Picture 4

Picture 5

Picture 6

Picture 7

Note1: The Re-IP feature is available just for Windows VMs (please have a look at the official documentation to get all detail (user guide). For Linux VMs it’s necessary creating a custom script.

3. Reporting

Pictures 8, 9, and 10 show how to assign the Linux-CDP scope to your custom reports.

Picture 8

Picture 9

Picture 10

4. Assign the plan Components

Picture 11

Picture 12 shows how to add the VM group called Ubuntu-CDP to the scope Linux-CDP.

Picture 12

Picture 13 shows how to add a recovery location, i.e. Verderio.

Picture 13

Picture 14 shows how to add the plan steps to the orchestration plan (In my example I included all the plan steps).

Picture 14

The next article shows how to create an Orchestration Plan and run it.

Suggestion: If you can’t wait and want to do it immediately, just read the previous articles 🙂

See you soon and take care.

26 Marzo 202126 Marzo 2021

Veeam Disaster Recovery Orchestator v.4 – How to Upgrade

Also Veeam Availability Orchestrator, commonly called VAO, changed its name with this new release.

The new name is Veeam Disaster Recovery Orchestrator (VDrO).

The main news of this version is the support of the technology of continuous data protection (CDP) introduced in VBR v.11.

Which are the main benefits allowed by this new feature?

New readiness checks now including RPO and SLA.
Recovery Point Object close to real-time.
Detailed reports to track and audit the Disaster Recovery plan of your company.

The next article will explain how to implement a DR plan using CDP.

Before doing the upgrade procedure please:

Perform backup of all existing databases (VAO, VBR, ONE)
Make sure there is enough space for the upgrade of the Microsoft SQL Server configuration database
Make sure there are no orchestration plans being tested or executed
Make sure there are no orchestration plans scheduled to run during the upgrade.
Read carefully the user guide.

Before proceeding please check that the VAO current version on the server is 3.0 (picture 1).

Picture 1

After downloading the ISO file from the Veeam website and mounting it (picture 2)

Picture 2

just select the “Setup” voice; the wizard immediately begins the upgrade (picture 3).

Picture 3

Please check that the previous version of VAO has been discovered. If so the upgrade button is available (picture 4).

Picture 4

The setup checks if Visual C++ 2019 Redistributable package is already installed. If not it will automatically be deployed. This procedure requires the server reboot (pictures 5 and 6).

Picture 5

Picture 6

After reboot is completed, relaunch the setup. The wizard will show which components will be automatically upgraded (picture 7).

picture 7

Now the wizard will ask for a valid license (picture 8) and will install the missing components (Pictures 9 and 10).

Picture 8

picture 9

picture 10

The next steps are about the Veeam Databases.
The wizard will ask to connect to them and update the VBR one if necessary (pictures 11 and 12).

Picture 11

Picture 12

The main point of the upgrade procedure is the certification step.
As shown in picture 13, the wizard will ask the VAO administrator which certificate to use. It can be a self-signed and autogenerated or an own certificate created from an external authority.
My suggestion is to ask your security specialist to know which is the best choice for your company.

Picture 13

Picture 14

Clicking on the install button it will complete the upgrade wizard as shown in pictures 15 & 16.

Picture 15

Picture 16

After upgrading please check the versions of VAO (4.0.0.2088), VBR (11.0.0.837), ONE (11.0.0.1379) now installed.

Just a note before ending the article: has already said, VAO (Veeam Availability Orchestrator) has changed its name to VDrO (Veeam Disaster Recovery Orchestrator).
The web pages of the product still show the old name. It will be updated in the next release.

That’s all for now guys. Take care

7 Agosto 202012 Gennaio 2023

VDrO-Baseline 1

August’s 2022 topic is VDrO (former VAO)

This topic needs an awfully long time to be rightly covered. For this reason, I wrote 5 articles.

The first two will explain the base concepts in front of technology. The others will cover how to set up VDrO for managing the Veeam Replica job, the Veeam Backup job, and the Netapp Storage Replica.

Here below all the direct links to the topic:

Baseline-2 – VBR-Replicas – Veeam Backup – Netapp integration

In these articles, I will not manage how to install VDO software; please refer to the deployment guide (VDrO Guides).

VDrO – Baseline-1:

One of the common requirements of big companies is to automatically manage Disaster Recovery.

Let’s see the decisional process of the IT Manager

These are the VDrO answers.

Let’s move to the VDrO console:

The first steps after logging in (picture 1) is to click on the administrator tab (Yellow on picture 2) and check the license file installed (picture 3)

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

Now I’m going to describe the structure of the software components.

VDrO Server: it shows where the VDrO Server has been installed (Picture 4)

Picture 4

The VDrO architecture is well-represented in picture 5 where three production sites replicate their data to a DR site.

Picture 5

Is it important to fill up the VDrO Server form? Yes, because VDrO creates automatically the DR- Plan documentation.

In my lab, I have just a production site and a DR site.

VDrO AGENTS: to control the activities of the Backup Server located in production sites, VDrO installs his own agent. The installation task is performed directly from the VDrO console (Picture 6).

Picture 6

vCENTER SERVERS: in my scenario, there are two vCenters; the first one in production and the second in DR site (Picture 7).

(Picture 7)

STORAGE SYSTEM: the most important VDrO news is the integration with storage replication technology. This version supports just Netapp. Picture 8 shows how to add the Storages to VDrO.

Picture 8

The last VDrO article will deal with how to set up and use this great technology.

RECOVERY LOCATION: it’s the place where the DR will be performed (Picture 9). It can be different locations in respect to where VDrO is installed.

Picture 9

In the next rows and pictures, I’ll show which info VDrO needs to work at its best.

In particular, I’m talking about the resources present in the recovery location. In this example the computer resources (Picture 10) and storage resources (picture 11).

Picture 10

Picture 11

The next 10 rows are very important to fix in mind.

How the VDrO can understand which resources are available? In other words, how can I assign resources to my Failover Plan?

The answer is VDrO uses massively tagging to all resources present at the VMware level.

Tagging means that resources can be added to VDRO

But …. is it possible to tag the resources?

Yes, It’s possible because inside VDrO there is the Veeam ONE Business-View component that can be freely used to tag resources.

To have more details about tagging please refer to the VDrO-guide.

One of the most common requests from the customers is to create automatic documentation about failover for both testing and procedures.

VDrO has already templates (in different languages that you can personalize at will) that are automatically filled up from software when you test or perform the Disaster Recovery.

In the next two pictures, it is shown how to set up an e-mail subscription (Picture 12) and configure the report Detail level (Picture 13).

Just remember to subscribe to the report to the right scope.

(Picture 12)

(Picture 13)

The next option is the reason why I fell in love with VDrO (Picture 14).

(Picture 14)

As you can see there is a big choice with DR plan steps. What does it mean?

Let’s see it with an easy example:

My DR plan requires switching on the Domain Controller (VM1) and afterward the SQL Application (VM2).

I want also to be sure that

a. the original VMs are switched off before starting the DR plan

b. when DR-plan is up and running, the SQL application has to answer port 1433.

What the VDrO can do for you?

With the pre-plan step, you can check the original VMs are switched off.

With a post-plan, you can check that the application answers correctly.

Another great point about plan steps is that you can choose if the actions have to be executed or skipped. In this way, it adds more flexibility to the solution.

(Picture 15)

Picture 16

It’s time to have a break. My next Article (VDrO – Baseline 2) will show scopes and plan components.

7 Agosto 202020 Dicembre 2021

VDrO-Baseline 2

Let’s continue the VDrO features description talking about scope (Picture 1).

Picture 1

The VDrO controls access to its functionality with the scopes.

A scope defines which operations users can perform.

Let’s back to my example, I created a SQL Production scope where only the users belonging to the SQL administrator group can manage and launch the DR process.

The plan components are probably the main VRrO attention point (Picture 2).

(Picture3)

From this menu, it’s possible to group as a single entity all objects you need to create a Disaster Recovery strategy.

I’m talking scope (first to select), VM (applications and services), recovery locations, plan steps, credentials, and jobs template.

To be clearer, it’s like creating a picnic basket and putting it inside different dishes.

Now you just have to lay the table.

How to do it? (Which dishes do I have to put into the basket?)

Just select scope (Picture 4), then from VM groups include the needed VMs source (Picture 5), from recovery locations, select the DR site (picture 6), and at the end select plan steps, credential, and Template Job.

Picture 4

Picture 5

Picture 6

The last point is the DataLabs assignment but I’m sure you can now include them on the right scopes.

Exit from the Administrator menu and move to the main menu to create the first Recovery Plan.

The wizard is very easy to be used:

Picture 7

Picture 8 shows how to select the Scope.

Picture 8

Picture 9 shows the detailed plan info and Picture 10 the plan type (next articles will deep how to set them up).

Picture 9

Picture 10

Pictures 11, 12, 13 show how it’s possibles to discover the VMs that belong to the group selecting VM group.

Picture 11

Picture 12

Picture 13

Picture 14 shows the control options for the DR plan. If something goes wrong the plan can be halted or not.

Picture 14

Picture 15 shows the steps, 16 the option to protect VMs switched on after the failover has been completed, 17 the RPO and RTO that the plan has to respect.

Picture 15

Picture 16

Picture 17

Picture 18 shows the template docs that will be used, while picture 19 shows a (for me) interesting mandatory check option.

Before doing any new activity the Readiness check analyzes that all components are correctly set up.

Picture 18

Picture 19

In my next article, I will cover two examples: DR-plan from Replica and DR-plan from backup. Keep in touch!

10 Agosto 202012 Gennaio 2023

VDrO – DR from Replicas

The first step by step guide how to set up a Disaster Recovery plan starting from a replica job.

Anyway, I suggest having a look at the previous articles before reading this one.

VDrO-Baseline 1 – VDrO-Baseline 2

In today’s example, I imagined implementing a DR-Orchestration for a company selling tickets. The two VMs that deliver the services are the Domain controller and SQL DB with installed the application needed.

The main points are:

Setting up replica job using VBR present into VDrO
Creating Tags
Adding the plan components to the scope
Creating a lab group
Configuring the Orchestration Plan
Testing

1. Setting up Replica Job

From the Veeam console, it’s quite easy to set up the Replica Job (From Picture 1 to 5).

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

Picture 4

Picture 5

Picture 6

2.Creating Tags

Veeam-One Business View is reachable from the Veeam Monitor console. To create the tagging just select add Category (Picture 7) from the resource you want to tag (in the picture are Virtual machines).

Picture 7

After folding it up with a name (Picture 8) in pictures 9, 10, 11, and 12 is shown how easy it is customizing the tag.

Picture 8

Picture 9

Picture 10

Picture 11

Picture 12

Picture 11 shows how to concatenate the conditions.

That means that it is possible to add different conditions selecting for every entry the logical operator “and – or”.

3. Adding the plan components to the scope

From the Administrator panel, through plan components, it is possible to select which VM groups can be added to the scope.

In our example, we are going to create a DR-strategy for SQL-Production scope (picture 14) using the VM Groups named SQL – Produzione (Picture 15). How to do it? Just clicking on the include button.

Picture 13

Picture 14

Picture 15

Now it’s time to repeat the same procedure for Recovery location (Picture 16), Plan steps (Picture 17), Credential (Picture 18), and Template jobs (Picture 19).

Picture 16

Picture 17

Picture 18

Picture 19

Now that we have finally added all components to the baskets. we need to create an Orchestration Plan for this specific service.

4. Creating a Lab group

From the main menu select Datalabs entry.

Now clicking on the add button, it’s possible to assign the tasks that will be performed during tests to the Datalab as shown in Picture 20,21,22.

Remember that the Datalab assignment has been already performed from the VDrO administrator page.

Picture 20

Picture 21

Picture 22

5. Configuring the Orchestration Plan

The configuration wizard has been already explained in my previous article (VDrO – Baseline2).

Please find hereafter a short summary.

If you set it up correctly you should see your VMs in the VMGroups (picture 27&28) as they belong to the scope set on step 2 (Picture 24).

Picture 23

Picture 24

Picture 25

Picture 26

Picture 27

Picture 28

Picture 29

6. Testing

There are two different tests performed by VDrO.

Readiness Check (Picture 30-31) is a low-impact method to confirm that the configuration of an orchestration plan matches the DR environment.

Datalab Test simulates the DR starting VMs, Applications, and Services into a different network. The data labs have to be set up from the VBR console (Picture 32-34).

Picture 30

Picture 31

Picture 32

Picture 33

Picture 34

All reports are available from the Reports menu (Picture 35).

Picture 35

Please find here two examples:

– Readiness check report example download

– Datalab Test example download

The next articles will talk about Backup and Replica Storage.

See you soon and take care

21 Agosto 202012 Gennaio 2023

VDrO – DR from Backup

Fourth article is about VDrO 3.0 and the second use case.

How to use a Backup Job to implement a DR scenario with VDrO.

In this article, I don’t cover the mandatory step related to the VMs tag.

If you need a guide please refer to my previous writes:

Baseline-1
Baseline-2

The main steps are:

Creating a Failover location where the VMs can be restarted
Setting up scope
Creating the orchestration plan

Let’s start!

1 . Creating the Failover location

Pictures 1 to 3 show how easier it is to set Names, computers, and storage resources.

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

Picture 4 shows the maximum storage % that can be used by the Restore task and picture 5 shows if the Instant VM recovery has to be enabled.

Picture 4

Picture 5

Picture 6 shows one of my favorites VDrO options.

Why? Because it allows VDrO to be implemented where the primary backup job has been copied to a second location.

To be clearer: the VBR backup copy job allows to copy backup data to the secondary site. If there are VMware hosts, it’s possible to create a DR site just restoring data from the backup copy job.

Picture 6

Picture 7 shows how to twin the production with DR networks (the previous step sets up the re-IP addressing just for windows VMs).

Picture 7

Picture 8 shows the GDPR option.

Picture 8

2. Setting up the scope

Pictures 9 to 12 show the main points:

To set up a scope, check up the VM Groups, select the Recovery Location, and which plan steps have to be added. (all details are available at Baseline articles).

Picture 9