Part 1. DRaaS – Install SRM for VMware Cloud on AWS

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I’ve been requested to write a multi-part blog about setting up, configuring, and executing Site Recovery Manager to VMware Cloud on AWS. This is part one of a three part series. I hope this helps anyone out there who is considering DR as a Service to the VMC on Amazon Web Services. Please keep an eye out for articles on configuring DRaaS and executing a failover/failback of a production environment.

I always like to start on the VMC side. This provides us the ability to focus on the onprem side while SRM deploys in the VMC. While SRM is being deployed and configured on VMC, we can focus on the onprem site.

Step 1. Activate VMware Site Recovery at the VMC
Log in to the VMC Console at https://vmc.vmware.com.
Click on your SDDC, and then click Add-Ons.

Install VR appliance 8.1 on Prem
On the home page, select Hosts and Clusters.
Right-click a host and select Deploy OVF template.
Provide the location of the OVF file from which to deploy the vSphere Replication appliance, and click Next.
Walk through wizard to configure VR appliance
Log into VR appliance: The URL for the VAMI is https://vr-appliance-address:5480
On the VR tab, click Configuration.
In the LookupService Address text box, enter the IP address or domain name of the server where the lookup service runs.
Enter the credentials of a user with administrator privileges to vCenter Single Sign-On.
Initially, only the user administrator@vsphere.local has these privileges.
Click Save and Restart Service.

Accept-the-EULA Installing and Configuring VMware vSphere Replication 8.1 in vSphere 6.7


Install SRM 8.1 on Prem
Download the VMware-srm-8.1.0-9569154 file and execute on a windows VM

A simple to use wizard will present itself.
I always prefer to use the embedded database option
Provide the FQDN or IP of the Platform Service Controller
Provide SSO username and password
**I personally recommend making a new SRM_User account, this will allow you to know when SRM specifically is executing an action.
Enter the vCenter FQDN or IP
Once you reboot the SRM VM and the onprem side is configured it is time to go back to the SDDC tab

VMware-vCenter-Site-Recovery-Manager-Copyright-information Installing VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager SRM 8.1

Agree-to-the-EULA-during-Site-Recovery-Manager-installation Installing VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager SRM 8.1
Review-the-prerequisites-for-installing-Site-Recovery-Manager Installing VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager SRM 8.1

Generating-a-server-certificate-for-Site-Recovery-Manager Installing VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager SRM 8.1
Choosing-the-database-configuration-during-SRM-installation Installing VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager SRM 8.1

After-choosing-configuration-parameters-beginning-the-actual-installation-of-SRM Installing VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager SRM 8.1
VMware-vCenter-Site-Recovery-Manager-installation-completes-successfully Installing VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager SRM 8.1

Update firewall rules for traffic

Log into SRM console and configure


Site details
· First site = OnPrem vCenter
o Second site
§ PSC Host Name = vcenter/sddc-##-###-###-###.vmc.vmware.com PSC port 443
§ User name = cloudadmin@vmc.local
vCenter server and services
Select VMC vCenter as it is the site you want to pair
Select SRM and vSphere Replication as the following services you want to pair
Then finish.
Log into SRM console

Congratulations you are now ready to start configuring SRM between the two sites.

Open the console and it should look something like this:

I hope everyone found this article useful. Next I will cover folder mappings, network mappings, and setting up replication with protection groups tied into a recovery plan.

One comment

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