RecoverPoint for VMs remote from vCenter

Hi Tom,

Is it possible to attach a topology diagram to this thread or you can send it to me, my contacts are below. I just want to make sure I fully understand the topology.

Typically, if the Plugin is not seeing the RPVM cluster, I would try to restart vsphere-client web service. Was there multiple install instances? If so, some parameters in vCenter might have to be cleaned up to as outlined in the Install Guide.

Thanks,

Zahid Fadli EMC2

Email: zahid.fadli@emc.com

Hi Tom,

Myself and Zahid work in the same CSE team.

I think your issue is a legacy issue relating to a previous install. You can refer and follow the Uninstall section in the RP4VMs Installation Guide.

Regards,

Rich

I'm not sure of the best way to do a topology diagram, but I'll try to explain it better:  We have 2 blade centers within the same building, but on opposite sides of the building.  Both with their own local storage.  I wish to deploy RP for VMs to replicate VMs from one center to the other (Strictly one-way).  These blade centers are managed from a geographically separate facility (blade centers are in Pennsylvania, managed from Michigan).  The vCenter, and consequently the RP plugin, are located in Michigan.

I have tried restarting the web client, I am fairly certain, after the deployment.  I have also tried this multiple times, so there is likely chaff leftover from a previous deployment.  Can you point to where in the Install Guilde it talks about what to remove/change?  I haven't seen anything like that yet.

Tom

Ok, I successfully uninstalled it.  Then I reinstalled it and now I see the cluster listed on the 'vRPA Clusters' list, and when I try and add Registered Datastores I see my vCenter listed, but when I try to actually add one, there are no 'Candidate Datastore Pools' listed.

Also, Unisphere for RecoverPoint is telling me that it can't see all the paths to the splitters?

Tom

Hi Tom,

Re the first issue you may need to wait a short time and/or refresh the Web Client. You could check whether the pool has been registered by CLI or from Unisphere for RP, although please note that Unipshere for is not officially supported with RP4VMs.

As for the second issue, does this error show in the RP4VMs Management plugin?

Regards,

Rich

Re: the first issue.  I have now waited over night and still don't see anything in the 'Candidate Datastore Pools' list.  I had waited probably 1.5 hours yesterday before I restarted the web client (within vSphere) for another issue.

Re: the second issue, yes, it does if I select 'More Details' from the Dashboard view.  It also says there are issues connecting to 'managed array VC_ ', which I am guessing is why I can't see any datastore pools, but I don't understand why it is reporting that.

Tom

Can you reboot your vRPAs.

Did you check that the pool was actually configured via Unisphere or via the CLI 'get_registered_resource_pools' command?

Register the datastore pool via CLI (register_resource_pool)  or via Unisphere and then see if it can be seen in the Web Client.

That let me register a datastore, and it shows in the web interface now,

but I still can't add one from the web interface.

I was also able to protect a VM as well.

Tom

On Thu, Feb 12, 2015 at 7:29 AM, forshr

Yes, I can, and have, restarted the vRPAs multiple times.  I have also restarted the vSphere web interface.  Still no 'Candidate datastore pools'.

Dc011_vRPA_Cluster> get_registered_resource_pools

Select registered storage. Use the space bar to scroll down through the list. Ty
pe 'q' to stop scrolling and make a selection

     Name                   Type     Serial Number       Splitter              
 
================================================================================
===================================

1.   VC_10.254.12.1         vCenter SBCEAB08E-6284-4DE0-8                      
 
Select: 1

Registered Storage:
  VC_10.254.12.1:
    Registered Resources Pools: None
Dc011_vRPA_Cluster>

As you can see, it isn't registered, because I haven't gotten any pools to show up to register yet.

Tom

Ok, I was wrong.  That let me 'protect' a VM, but it doesn't Enable it.  When I try to enable it within the Unisphere interface, it tells me it needs a replication set.

When I try to add another resourse pool to the cluster, I get "Error: Failed to connect to storage."

Now that I have the vRPAs split on multiple hosts again, those 2 hosts only see 1 vRPA each because the vmkernel for iSCSI doesn't seem to be passing traffic to the VM.

I continually see messages about not being able to communicate with my vCenter in both the vCenter Dashboard view and the Unisphere Dashboard view as well as from the CLI.

I have a 6Mbps WAN connection to the site where I am trying to run RecoverPoint (only replicating locally within that site) that, whenever I have the vRPAs running, I completely fill up with traffic to my vCenter, even with no replication configured at all.

I have spent literally days trying to get this to work to prove that it is the correct solution for our environment and am coming to the conclusion that it isn't.

Please, can you (or anyone) help resolve some of these issues instead of just asking for reboots and telling me to reinstall.

Tom

It seems to me that this is a configuration issue particularly where iSCSI networking/communication is concerned. Check out the discussion that was started on Feb 10th by KapilJha.

You may already have the Installation and Deployment Guide but I am attaching it anyway plus my Whitepaper for additional guidance. I am also attaching a couple of videos which may also assist you with the configuration.

As per Zahid's original response a topology diagram would be useful.

I'm working on getting my iSCSI networks cleaned up, but I need the following answered:

How much traffic flows to the vCenter?  When my vRPAs are running, I will saturate a 6Mbps WAN connection with NO replication configured at all.  Is this normal?  Will correct configuration stabilize this down?

Tom

Quite a lot of traffic flows between vCenter and the vRPAs. This should not affect the WAN connection although the WAN connection may be used as a control pathway between the vRPAs themselves as well as a replication pathway whether you're replicating locally or remotely.

Ok, so can you elaborate on this a little more?  How much traffic flows to vCenter?  Can I disable the use of vCenter at all or in part?  In my case, it is counter productive to syncronously replicate (or at least try to) over a 6Mbps WAN link from one side of the building to the other when there is a 1Gbps like between the servers on site, with 10Gbps capability.

Tom