How to install the VMware Data Recovery Appliance (vDR)

Once again John Simon has sent me some very thorough documentation from our recent engagement with VMware’s Data Recovery Appliance.  If you have seen some of John’s earlier documentation, you’ll know how detailed he gets with his screenshots. 🙂 After some initial bumps during implementation, vDR has been steadily backing up his environment like a champ.  Check out John’s doc below :

Prerequisites and assumptions:

– The user has the vSphere version 4 client and is attached to the new VCenter server.

– There is predetermined space on the SAN for backup storage.

– You have an open console to the vCenter server with the ISO connected to the CD drive with the Data Recovery install.

– The Data Recovery ISO is exported to a directory where you can access the files from the CD.

– An available routed IP accessible to the ESX servers.

– Access to DNS.

– A service account with full admin rights to servers and vCenter to use as the backup account.

– Network Share where backups will be written.

  1. Select an IP to use for you virtual data recovery appliance that is on a VLAN that is accessible to your ESX hosts.
  2. Open DNS administrator from Administrative Tools:
  3. Select new host A record:
  4. Enter the name of the Virtual Data Recovery appliance and the IP chosen and click the Add Host button. Then Close DNS manager and return the vSphere Client:
  5. Run the option from the splash screen to install Data Recovery:
     VMware Data Recovery
  6. Click Next to continue:
    Data Recovery
  7. Click Next again:
    clip_image008
  8. Check the circle to agree to the license terms and click Next to continue:
    clip_image009
  9. Click Next again:
    clip_image010
  10. Verify installation is complete and click Close:
    clip_image011
  11. Launch the vSphere Client:
    VMware vSpere Client
  12. Login with full admin credentials:
  13. Click on the VMware Data Recovery icon under Solutions and Applications from the Home screen: vSphere Home  Screeen
  14. Click on File – Deploy OVF Template:
    Deploy OVF Template
  15. Select the Deploy from file option and click Browse:
    clip_image019
  16. In our example the file is in e:isodatarecoverydatarecoveryvmwaredatarecovery-ovf, browse to the file, highlight and click open: clip_image020
  17. Verify Information and click Next:
    Verify
  18. Verify information and click Next:
    clip_image024
  19. Name the appliance and select the folder in which it will be installed (for our example the name will be VDRAPP01 and the Folder will be Virtual Appliances): image
  20. Select LUN to install appliance to (for our example CX4-LUN7) and click Next to continue:
    Choose your SAN storage LUN
  21. Select the cluster to install the appliance to (for our example New York Production): 
    image
  22. Select default network and VLAN and click next to continue (for our example 10.0.x.x network is chosen): 
    image
  23. Review information and click Finish to begin the install: 
  24. Verify deployment is successful and click Close:
    clip_image035
  25. Click on Home to return to the Home screen then choose hosts and clusters:
    clip_image037
    VMwARE vSphere Client
  26. Locate the virtual appliance and power it on through the console. When prompted click on Configure Network: clip_image041
    This screen can also display DHCP networking information if your segment has DHCP on it.  
  27. Answer No to the first prompt to use DHCP:
    clip_image043
  28. Enter the IP Address X.X.X.X : 
  29. Enter Netmask X.X.X.X : 
  30. Enter Gateway X.X.X.X : 
  31. Enter Primary and Secondary DNS X.X.X.X : 
  32. When prompted for a proxy server answer NO: 
  33. Review information and enter Y for Yes to accept:
  34. Be careful not to change the default TimeZone.  We have experienced weird issues attributed to this.
  35. Restart the appliance and verify it boots then close the console:
    image

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