Configure Azure Site Recovery Configuration Server for VMware Replication
In the previous post, we took a look at how to Replicate On-Premises VMware VMs to Azure with Azure Site Recovery. Azure Site Recovery provides a powerful way to interact with your VMware environment and replicate virtual machines to the Azure cloud with little configuration or complexity. I like how Microsoft has provided the appliance as an OVA download to quickly get the Azure Site Recovery configuration server up and running with the customizations and setup needed to configure Azure Site Recovery. We looked at deploying the OVA and some of the initial requirements and considerations. In this post, we will look at how to configure Azure Site Recovery Configuration Server for VMware Replication.
Prerequisites for Azure Site Recovery Configuration for VMware
Before beginning the configuration process of your Azure Site Recovery Configuration Server, there are some steps you need to complete before moving forward with setting up Azure Site Recovery. Microsoft provides tutorials and walk throughs on how to accomplish these. You need to:
- Make sure you have setup your Azure environment for the on-premises VMware disaster recovery to Azure.
- Configure your on-premises VMware environment for disaster recovery to Azure.
Configure Azure Site Recovery Configuration Server for VMware Replication
Let’s look at the process where it picks up after the deployment of the OVA appliance and finishing out setting up the Azure Site Recovery Configuration Server.
The OVA appliance deployment, will deploy a Windows Server 2016 server with fairly beefy hardware specs so be advised from a resources standpoint.
Once you boot the Windows Server appliance, you will see the initial configuration of the Windows Server 2016 image begin with the customized settings for getting Azure Site Recovery up and running. First, enter the computer name.
The wizard will then check connectivity to the Internet.
You will be prompted to login to Microsoft Azure with your Azure credentials.
Next, you will see the “connected to Microsoft Azure” with your credentials. The server configuration will finalize this initial setup.
The configuration of Azure Site Recovery specifics now launches. The initial phase of the setup wizard is related to prerequisites. The first part of the configuration has to do with network connectivity and allows you to configure your NICs and port for connectivity and replication traffic. The default port is 9443.
Connectivity and NICs are configured. Ready to move forward.
I had let the Microsoft Azure session timeout. So needed to sign back in.
After signing back into Microsoft Azure, you will need to choose your subscription, Resource group, and finally the Recovery Services vault for use with Azure Site Recovery.
Interestingly, Microsoft here prompts you to install MySQL third-party software instead of SQL Server Express, etc. Click to accept the third-party license agreement and then click the Download and Install button. MySQL will download and install.
Installation of MySQL completes successfully.
The next phase is validating all prerequisites needed to complete setup.
Now, we get into the vSphere specific configuration that allows Azure Site Recovery to connect to your VMware vSphere environment and have hooks into the vSphere layer for VMs, etc. Click the Add vCenter Server/vSphere ESXi server to add your vCenter or ESXi host.
Here, I am configuring the connection to the vCenter Server which is preferred.
***Note*** – Above I am using the SSO Admin for simplicity, however, it is preferred you setup a specific user account with only the permissions needed in the vSphere environment. This includes the following permissions to note.
| Task | Role/Permissions | Details |
|---|---|---|
| VM discovery | At least a read-only user Data Center object –> Propagate to Child Object, role=Read-only | User assigned at datacenter level, and has access to all the objects in the datacenter. To restrict access, assign the No access role with the Propagate to child object, to the child objects (vSphere hosts, datastores, VMs and networks). |
| Full replication, failover, failback | Create a role (Azure_Site_Recovery) with the required permissions, and then assign the role to a VMware user or group Data Center object –> Propagate to Child Object, role=Azure_Site_Recovery Datastore -> Allocate space, browse datastore, low-level file operations, remove file, update virtual machine files Network -> Network assign Resource -> Assign VM to resource pool, migrate powered off VM, migrate powered on VM Tasks -> Create task, update task Virtual machine -> Configuration Virtual machine -> Interact -> answer question, device connection, configure CD media, configure floppy media, power off, power on, VMware tools install Virtual machine -> Inventory -> Create, register, unregister Virtual machine -> Provisioning -> Allow virtual machine download, allow virtual machine files upload Virtual machine -> Snapshots -> Remove snapshots | User assigned at datacenter level, and has access to all the objects in the datacenter. To restrict access, assign the No access role with the Propagate to child object, to the child objects (vSphere hosts, datastores, VMs and networks). |
The connection to VMware vSphere vCenter Server is made. We are ready to move forward.
Next, Azure Site Recovery configuration wizard will prompt you to Add virtual machine credentials. This is to install the Azure Site Recovery Mobility Service on virtual and physical servers that you want to protect. Alternatively, you can check the box not to provide the virtual machine credentials and do this manually.
Both the vSphere credentials and the virtual machine credentials configuration is complete. We are now ready to Finalize configuration.
Once you click the Finalize configuration button, the server will finish writing the changes and finalizing the settings.
At this point, we are now ready to start creating our replication policies in Azure.
Wrapping Up
Azure Site Recovery for VMware provides a great way to quickly stand up an Azure Site Recovery appliance. After deploying the OVA, the initial configuration wizard helps you enter in the remaining configuration needed. In the next part, we will take a look at actually creating the replication policy and getting an initial replication seed of a virtual machine from the on-premises VMware vSphere environment.
