RecoverPoint - Change RPA Installation Parameters-5.3 SP3

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Publication Date: June, 2022

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Contents
Preliminary Activity Tasks .......................................................................................................3
Read, understand, and perform these tasks.................................................................................................3
Change the RPA communication security level ..........................................................................................25
Modify the network topology .......................................................................................................................25
Installing the splitter with Boxmgmt CLI ......................................................................................................25
Install the splitter with the RecoverPoint for VMs VIB installer ...................................................................25
Install JAM ..................................................................................................................................................26
Add vRPAs to a vRPA cluster.....................................................................................................................28
Remove a vRPA from a vRPA cluster ........................................................................................................28
Replace a vRPA..........................................................................................................................................28
Change default passwords .........................................................................................................................29
Collect logs .................................................................................................................................................30

7 ............................................................................................................................................31
Deploying RecoverPoint for VMs in a VxRail™ environment .....................................................................32
Downloading from the VxRail Marketplace............................................................................................32
Preparing the network for VxRail ...........................................................................................................32
Create vRPAs for VxRail .......................................................................................................................33
Create and configure VMkernel ports for VxRail ...................................................................................33
Create a vRPA cluster for VxRail...........................................................................................................33
Adding VxRail appliances or nodes .......................................................................................................34
8 ............................................................................................................................................35
Troubleshooting vRPAs ..............................................................................................................................35
● vRPA is down .....................................................................................................................................35
vRPA is detached from the vRPA cluster ..............................................................................................36
vRPA cannot detect storage or splitter ..................................................................................................36

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Preliminary Activity Tasks
This section may contain tasks that you must complete before performing this procedure.

Read, understand, and perform these tasks


1. Table 1 lists tasks, cautions, warnings, notes, and/or knowledgebase (KB) solutions that you need to
be aware of before performing this activity. Read, understand, and when necessary perform any
tasks contained in this table and any tasks contained in any associated knowledgebase solution.

Table 1 List of cautions, warnings, notes, and/or KB solutions related to this activity

2. This is a link to the top trending service topics. These topics may or not be related to this activity.
This is merely a proactive attempt to make you aware of any KB articles that may be associated with
this product.

Note: There may not be any top trending service topics for this product at any given time.

RecoverPoint Top Service Topics

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RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines 5.3.3
Installation and Deployment Guide

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Introduction to RecoverPoint for VMs
RecoverPoint for VMs is a virtualized solution that provides data replication, protection, and recovery
within the VMware vSphere environment.
Definition of key terms and a system diagram help you to understand the
system operation. Topics:
• RecoverPoint for VMs system

RecoverPoint for VMs system


Key components of the RecoverPoint for VMs system are defined and illustrated.
Key system components that are involved in this installation include:
vRPA The virtual RecoverPoint Appliance is a data appliance that manages data replication. Create
the vRPAs you need by using the vSphere Client or vSphere Web Client from the vCenter
Server.
vRPA cluster A group of up to 8 vRPAs that work together to replicate and protect data. You will create the
vRPA clusters and connect them to the system by using the RecoverPoint for VMs Deployer
wizards.
RecoverPoint for The vSphere Client (HTML5) or vSphere Web Client (Flex) user interface for managing VM
VMs plugin replication. The Flex plugin is automatically installed after you create the vRPA cluster. The
HTML5 plugin is installed after the plugin server is deployed and configured.
RecoverPoint for A dedicated VM deployed from an OVA template that provides replication management over
VMs plugin one or more RecoverPoint for VMs systems that are hosted on the same vCenter Server. The
server plugin server provides a single endpoint for the vSphere HTML5 plugin (when running vSphere
6.7 U1 or later) and the REAPER API.
RecoverPoint for Proprietary software installed on every ESXi host in an ESX cluster that is involved in
VMs splitter RecoverPoint replication or running virtual RPAs. It intercepts every write for a protected VM and
sends a copy of the write to the assigned vRPA and then on to the designated storage
volume(s). The splitter is automatically installed on every ESXi hosts in the ESX cluster where
the vRPA cluster resides as part of the vRPA cluster deployment, or is automatically installed on
ESXi hosts as part of any additional ESX clusters that are registered to the vRPA cluster.
RecoverPoint for One or more connected vRPA clusters.
VMs system
RecoverPoint for VMs system provides a reference diagram that shows the vRPAs and vRPA clusters
within the RecoverPoint for VMs system, including the RecoverPoint for VMs Plugin Servers. The
diagram shows how these components interconnect within the VMware vSphere environment.

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Introduction to RecoverPoint for VMs

Figure 1. RecoverPoint for VMs system

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Introduction to RecoverPoint for VMs

2
Preparing to install RecoverPoint for VMs
Guidelines help you choose the number of vRPAs and vRPA clusters, vRPA performance profile, and
network adapter topology.
Preparing the VMware network and determining storage capacity sets the stage for a
successful installation. Topics:
• RecoverPoint for VMs networking example
• Planning your system
• Preparing the VMware environment
• Understanding the installation flow

RecoverPoint for VMs networking example


A reference diagram is a valuable tool for planning your RecoverPoint for VMs system. The diagram
shows an example of the network that interconnects key system components.
For clarity, Networking example shows the components and interconnections of only one site in a small
system. The IP addresses are for illustration purposes only.
The remaining sections of this chapter will help you to plan a system that meets your specific
requirements.

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Figure 2. Networking example

Planning your system


System limitations
Understanding system limitations facilitates the installation of the RecoverPoint for VMs system.
Successful operation of RecoverPoint for VMs depends on a persistent vSphere deployment.

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For a comprehensive and up-to-date list of system limitations, see the RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines
Release Notes.

Allocating IP addresses
Knowing how many IP addresses you need for the RecoverPoint for VMs system helps you to allocate
the IP addresses before the installation is scheduled.
The RecoverPoint for VMs system requires these IP addresses:
● Cluster management IP address for each vRPA cluster
● An IP address for each vRPA network adapter (see Choosing a network adapter topology) ● An IP
address for each VMkernel port
● An IP address for each plugin server
● An IP address for the NTP server (recommended)
● An IP address for the primary and secondary DNS servers (optional)
To allocate the necessary IP addresses for the RecoverPoint for VMs system, consult with the network
administrator.
Document these addresses in an installation data form or spreadsheet before you begin the installation.

Documenting the installation settings


Creating an inventory of the RecoverPoint for VMs system ensures that you have all the required settings
before the installation begins.
As you perform the required planning, create an installation data form or spreadsheet to record the
values that you type during the installation. See Installation data forms for examples.
Adhere to a consistent naming and numbering convention for the components of the RecoverPoint for
VMs system. For example, use the following format for each vRPA:
<vRPA_cluster_name>_vRPA-<n>, where n=1, 2, ... 8, and where there are between 1 and 5 uniquely
named clusters.

Choosing a vRPA topology


The first step in planning the RecoverPoint for VMs system is to determine how many vRPAs you need in
each vRPA cluster and how many vRPA clusters you need in the system.

How many vRPAs?


Determining the number of vRPAs in the system is based on protection requirements, existing storage
capacity, VMware infrastructure, and replication requirements such as high availability or product
evaluation.
For typical installations, two vRPAs per vRPA cluster is sufficient. Two vRPAs per vRPA cluster provide
the high availability that most production environments require.
For production environments that do not require high availability or for product evaluation in non-
production environments, a single vRPA per cluster is also possible.
To scale up and support higher throughput, you may non-disruptively add vRPAs (up to 8) to each vRPA
cluster.
All vRPA clusters in a system must have the same number of vRPAs.

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The actual number of vRPAs that you need for each vRPA cluster depends on the capabilities of your
storage, network, ESXi hosts, and the scale and performance requirements of your system.
For specific details and examples, refer to the RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines Scale and Performance
Guide.

How many vRPA clusters?


The number of vRPA clusters you need is based on protection requirements, or on whether you require
local or remote replication, or both.
For most installations, you will install two vRPA clusters in your RecoverPoint for VMs system.
For local replication, you need only one vRPA cluster. To support remote replication, two vRPA clusters
are required. The maximum number of vRPA clusters in a system is five.
A vRPA cluster is confined to a single ESXi cluster. All vRPAs in a vRPA cluster must be in the same
ESXi cluster, although an ESXi cluster can support multiple vRPA clusters.
A vRPA cluster protects VMs on the same or a different ESXi cluster. This capability requires
connections between the vRPA cluster and the ESXi hosts (see Preparing the network).
For specific details and examples, refer to the RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines Scale and Performance
Guide.

Choosing a vRPA performance profile


The vRPA performance profile defines the number of virtual CPUs, RAM, and VMDK capacity allocated
to each vRPA. You choose a performance profile depending on the number of protected VMs and
expected throughput.
For most installations, 2 CPUs and 8 GB RAM is sufficient.
The actual vRPA performance profile that you need depends on these factors:
● IOPS and throughput of protected VMs
● The number of VMs protected by the vRPA cluster
You can change the resource allocation later by using the vSphere Client or vSphere Web Client.
Decide which of these vRPA performance profiles you need:
● 2x virtual CPUs / 8 GB RAM
● 4x virtual CPUs / 8 GB RAM ● 8x virtual CPUs / 8 GB RAM
The vRPAs for all of these performance profiles support at least 256 VMs. For all profiles, each vRPA VM
has a 35 GB VMDK capacity.
This selection is made when you create vRPAs from the OVF wizard in the vSphere Client or Web Client.

NOTE: By default, all RAM is reserved and vCPU reservation is set to 3400MHz.
If required, you can add memory and CPU resources after initial OVA deployment. For each vRPA,
power off the vRPA, select Edit Settings for the vRPA VM, and add the needed resources.
For details and examples, refer to the RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines Scale and Performance Guide.

I/O throttling
I/O throttling is used to slow down storage reads that are part of any initialization process including the
initial full synchronization (full-sweep).

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I/O throttling mitigates the negative impact of initialization on production performance. As a result,
however, the initialization process may take longer than expected.
I/O throttling is initially enabled at 400 MBps.
You can use the config_io_throttling Sysmgmt CLI command to set the I/O throttling setting.
For more information on I/O throttling, see the RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines Scale and Performance
Guide and the RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines CLI Reference Guide.

Choosing a network adapter topology


RecoverPoint for VMs supports LAN, WAN, and data interfaces distributed across multiple network
adapters or combined into one. The choice depends on the requirements for high availability and
performance.
Combining multiple interfaces on one network adapter is recommended for small environments. The
advantage is a smaller network footprint and ease of installation and management.
Where high availability and performance are desired, you should separate the LAN and WAN interfaces
from the data interfaces (recommended for most installations). For even better performance, place each
network on a separate virtual switch.
When using multiple network adapters, each adapter should be assigned an IP on a different subnet.
Assigning adapter IPs on the same subnet can cause connectivity issues that result in packets being sent
through the wrong interface. If necessary, combine multiple adapters according to your preferred network
topology.
Decide which of these network adapter topologies you need:
One network WAN + LAN + Data combined
adapter Fewer IP addresses to create and manage
Not for high availability solutions
Two network WAN + LAN combined, Data separated
adapters (the Better performance, high availability
default and
recommended
configuration)
Two network LAN + Data combined, WAN separated
adapters Better performance, high availability
DHCP for LAN is not supported
Three network WAN, LAN, and Data separated
adapters Better performance, high availability
DHCP for LAN is not supported
Four network WAN and LAN separated, Data separated on two dedicated network adapters
adapters Compatible with previous releases
Best performance and high availability. Use different subnet masks for the two Data IP
addresses.
DHCP for LAN is not supported

NOTE: IPv6 is supported on vRPA LAN and WAN interfaces, but not on vRPA Data interfaces.
This selection is made when you run the Install a vRPA cluster wizard in the RecoverPoint for VMs
Deployer.
For high-availability deployments in which clients have redundant physical switches, route each data card
to a different virtual switch with a separate network adapter.

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For each network adapter, you have the option to assign a dynamic or static IP address.
When using Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP):
● Separating WAN and LAN interfaces on different network adapters is supported only when using static
IP addresses for the LAN interface
● Redundant, highly available DHCP servers in the network ensure that when a vRPA restarts, it
acquires an IP address

Preparing the VMware environment


Supported vSphere versions
For the most up-to-date information on supported VMware vCenter and vSphere versions, refer to the
Simple Support Matrix available online at https://www.dell.com/support.

Preparing the network


The RecoverPoint for VMs splitter communicates with the vRPAs through a VMKernel port. Setting up
separate VMkernel ports is the best practice for isolating splitter traffic from other network traffic. You
isolate the traffic by placing the vRPA data interface and a dedicated VMkernel port on a private
(separate) subnet. Avoid using the same subnet that is used also for high availability (vMotion) and hosts
(applications).
Depending on your existing network, you may not need to configure any additional VMkernel ports, or if
so, you can do so later from the RecoverPoint for VMs plug-in, even after you have protected VMs and
are ready to begin replication. RecoverPoint for VMs informs you after protection if there are possible
communication issues between vRPAs and splitters. When needed, RecoverPoint for VMs assists in
automatically creating VMkernel ports for all the ESXi hosts in the ESX cluster. The procedure is
described in the RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines HTML Plugin Administrator's Guide and the
RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines Flex Plugin Administrator's Guide.
Alternatively, you can configure VMkernel ports manually by following the procedure in Configure
VMkernel ports.
The number of VMkernel ports you need is based on the network adapter topology you previously
selected. If you decided to use four network adapters for the topology, create two VMkernel ports.
Otherwise, one VMkernel port is required.

Establishing vCenter-to-vRPA communication


During installation, the vCenter server communicates with the vRPAs over port 443 to acquire the
RecoverPoint for VMs plug-in. The ESXi clusters communicate over the network with the vRPA targets.

Steps
● Ensure that you open port 443 between the vCenter Server and the vRPAs in both directions, and port
7225 in the vCenter Server-to-vRPAs direction only.
● Ensure that ESXi clusters can communicate with their vRPA targets. Configure the ESXi firewall
profile to allow communication through the network.
● See the RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines Security Configuration Guide for more information.

Plugin server communication

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● Ensure that port 443 is open for bi-directional communication between the plugin server and the
vCenter Server. ● Ensure you open port 9443 for plugin server-to-vRPA communication.
See the RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines Security Configuration Guide for more information.

Preparing the storage


Determining the amount and types of storage you need requires careful planning, guidelines, and sizing
tools.
RecoverPoint for VMs replicates VMs on any type of storage that VMware supports including VMFS,
NFS, vSAN, and vVols. Ensure that all ESXi hosts in the cluster where the vRPAs reside share the
datastore for the repository VMDK.
RecoverPoint for VMs requires additional storage for journal VMDKs to store point-in-time history. This
storage is needed at local and remote sites. The amount of journal storage you need depends on site-
specific installation and replication requirements and requires careful planning. A general guideline is to
begin with a number that is 15–25% of the total protected VM capacity. If required, you may add
additional storage later. To size the system according to estimated workloads, contact your Dell
Technologies Account Team.
The total storage capacity that is required includes:
● Storage for production VMs at the production site
● Storage for replica VMs at the replica site
● Storage for journal VMDKs
● 35 GB for each vRPA in the RecoverPoint for VMs system
A persistent scratch location on the ESXi host is required for storing splitter configuration information.
The scratch location (/scratch/log) requires at least 500 MB of free storage space on a permanently
available persistent storage device.

NOTE: Each ESXi host should have its own dedicated datastore for the scratch directory.
For more details and examples, refer to the RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines Scale and Performance
Guide.
For additional guidelines and sizing tools, contact Customer Support.

NOTE: Shared virtual disks (VMDK/RDM) are not supported.

Secure boot considerations


RecoverPoint for VMs version 5.3 SP2 supports secure boot. If secure boot is enabled on your ESXi
hosts ensure that you install RecoverPoint for VMs 5.3 SP2 or later.

Understanding the installation flow


Understanding the stages of the installation work flow helps you to successfully install the RecoverPoint
for VMs system, so that your system is ready for protecting VMs.
Stages of the installation flow shows the major stages of the installation flow. Procedures in the
installation flow provides details of the required procedures for each stage of the installation flow.

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Figure 3. Stages of the installation flow

Table 1. Procedures in the installation flow


Stage of installation flow Sequence of procedures in the Interface
installation flow
Download installation package Download the installation package Online support site

Deploy vRPAs Deploy vRPAs vSphere Client, vSphere Web Client

Deploy plugin server Deploy the plugin server vSphere Client

Install vRPA clusters Install vRPA clusters RecoverPoint for VMs Deployer

Configure plugin server Configure the plugin server RecoverPoint for VMs Deployer

Connect vRPA clusters Connect vRPA clusters RecoverPoint for VMs Deployer
Use the RecoverPoint for VMs plugin for the vSphere Client (HTML5) or the vSphere Web Client (Flex) to
make final preparations for protecting VMs, including registering and licensing the system, and creating
any required VMkernel ports (Completing installation of the RecoverPoint for VMs system).

3
Installing the RecoverPoint for VMs system
Installing the RecoverPoint for VMs system involves deploying the vRPAs, installing the vRPA
clusters, and connecting the vRPA clusters together. In the RecoverPoint for VMs plugin for
vSphere Client (HTML), it also involves installing and configuring a plugin server.
Topics:
• Download the installation package
• Deploy vRPAs
• Deploy the plugin server

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• Install vRPA clusters
• Configure the plugin server
• Connect vRPA clusters
• Completing installation of the RecoverPoint for VMs system

Download the installation package


Download the installation software kit and uncompress the .zip file.

About this task


NOTE: Try & Buy customers can download the latest RecoverPoint for VMs trial version from
https:// www.delltechnologies.com/en-us/software-downloads/index.htm#collapse=0&tab0=1.

Steps
1. Browse to https://www.dell.com/support.
2. Perform a search in the Type a Product Name text box for RecoverPoint for Virtual

Machines. 3. Locate and download RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines <version>


Installation Kit.
Example of downloaded file:
RecoverPoint_for_Virtual_Machines_<version>_Installation_Kit_<md5_checksum>
.zip
4. Uncompress the .zip file.
The .zip file contains the OVA and ISO files that are needed for the installation.
In RecoverPoint for VMs 5.3.1 and later, the OVA and ISO files are protected by SRO and GPG
signatures, respectively. If you want to verify a signature, see Verifying signatures
5. (Recommended) Obtain documentation for RecoverPoint for VMs.
6. Continue to Deploy vRPAs.

Verifying signatures
Use the relevant procedure to verify a signature that is attached to an OVA or ISO file that you
downloaded from the RecoverPoint for VMs downloads page.

Verifying the SRO signature of an OVA file


During deployment, the OVA deployment wizard automatically verifies the signature that was applied to
the OVF package using the certification file provided by SRO.
You can verify the signature also manually in either of the following ways:
● Inspect the file, and compare with the signature.
● Run: ovftool --machineOutput file.ova | grep -A40 CertValidate

Verifying the GPG signature of an ISO file


Follow this procedure to verify the GPG signature on your ISO file:

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1. To import the Public Key, run:
bash-4.4# gpg --import pubkey.gpg
GPG acknowledges successful import of the Public Key.
2. To verify the signature, run:
bash-4.4# gpg --verify rp.iso.sig rp.iso
GPG confirms that the signature is good.

Deploy vRPAs
Deploy a standard OVA to create vRPAs for RecoverPoint for VMs.

Prerequisites
Ensure that you have completed:
● Preparations for installation.
● Installation data form or spreadsheet to facilitate entering requested information (recommended). See
Installation data forms.

Steps
1. In the vSphere Client (HTML5) or Web Client (Flex), right-click an ESX cluster, and select Deploy OVF
Template....
2. In the Select an OVF template screen, either enter a URL from which to download the OVF package
from the Internet, or choose a location from which to access the file locally.
3. In the Select name and folder screen, type a name for this vRPA and select a folder or data center.
If you type the name of an existing vRPA, you are not permitted to continue.
4. In the Select resource screen, specify the vRPA OVF package location.
5. In the Review details screen, review the general properties of the OVF template. To accept, click Next.
6. In the Accept License Agreements screen, if you accept the terms of the End-User License
Agreement, click Accept and Next.
7. In the Select configuration screen, select the desired vRPA performance profile.
8. If prompted to select a resource, in the Select a resource screen, select a cluster, host, or resource
pool.
9. In the Select storage screen, select a disk format, storage policy, and high-performance datastore
(best practice) to host the vRPA virtual machine files.
All ESXi hosts in the cluster where the vRPAs reside must share the datastore where the
repository VMDK resides. Do not deploy the vRPA on a local datastore.
10. In the Setup networks screen, select a destination network for the RecoverPoint Management
Network, and select an IP protocol.
11. In the Customize template screen, type these vRPA LAN settings: IP address, subnet mask, and
gateway.
Follow instructions on the screen for using DHCP or static IP addresses depending on the network
adapter topology.
12. The Ready to Complete screen summarizes all the selections. Select Power on after deployment. To
create the vRPA, click Finish.
The Deploying vRPA screen appears, showing the progress.
13. Power on the vRPA VM.
14. To create additional vRPAs, repeat this procedure.

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Results
When a vRPA is created, the vRPA Summary tab shows the vRPA package contents as specified. The
selected IP policy is implemented automatically when the vRPA is powered on.

Next steps
To enable redundancy in case an ESXi host or datastore fails, ensure that vRPAs do not share the same
ESXi host or datastore.
When you finish creating vRPAs:
● If you are running vSphere 6.7 Update 1, or later, continue to "Deploy the plugin server".
● Otherwise, continue to "Install vRPA clusters".

Deploy the plugin server


Deploy an OVA to create a RecoverPoint for VMs plugin server.

Prerequisites
Ensure that you:
● Have completed preparations for installation.
●Are running vSphere 6.7 Update 1 or later.
NOTE: In systems running vSphere versions earlier than 6.7 U1, you can use the plugin server
to leverage use of the REAPER API (even though it does not support use of the RecoverPoint
for VMs plugin for the vSphere Client).

Steps
1. Navigate to vCenter.

You are prompted to launch VSPHERE CLIENT (HTML5) or VSPHERE WEB CLIENT (FLEX)
2. Click VSPHERE CLIENT (HTML5) to launch the HTML5-based vSphere client.
3. In the vSphere Client, right-click the ESX cluster and select Deploy OVF Template. The Deploy OVF
Template screen opens.
4. In the Select an OVF template screen, select an OVF template for the RecoverPoint for VMs vSphere
plugin server from a remote URL or local file system.
5. In the Select a name and folder screen, specify a unique name for the plugin server, and select the
location of the virtual machine on which you want to deploy your plugin server.
6. In the Select a compute resource screen, select the destination compute resource for this operation.
7. In the Review details screen, review the general properties of the OVF template. To accept, click Next.
8. In the Select storage screen, select the storage for the configuration and disk files including the virtual
disk format and VM storage policy.
9. In the Select networks screen, select a destination network for each source network.
10. In the Customize template screen, customize the deployment properties of this software solution. a.
Select the time zone.
b. The network management default is DHCP. If you are managing your network using static IP
configuration, values for the gateway, netmask, and IP address are mandatory. Values for DNS
and and FQDN are optional, but entering a DNS address is recommended.
11. In the Ready to complete screen, review the details of the deployment and, when satisfied, click
FINISH to create the plugin server.
To track that the plugin server creation is successful, check for an OVF deployment in the Recent
Tasks window of the vSphere Client.

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12. Power on the plugin server VM.

Next steps
After installing a vRPA cluster, you should configure this plugin server with the vCenter on which the
vRPA cluster resides.
To create a plugin server for another vCenter, either at this site or a different site, repeat this procedure.

Install vRPA clusters


Follow the Install a vRPA cluster wizard to create one or more vRPA clusters for RecoverPoint for VMs.

Prerequisites
● If you have changed the default plugin server certificate and have not yet configured the plugin server,
perform Changing the plugin server certificate .
● If you have changed the default plugin server certificate and have already configured the plugin
server, perform Changing a registered plugin server certificate .
● Get the Installation data forms that you created when planning the system ready so that when you are
prompted to type data, you can consult them.

About this task


NOTE: During vRPA cluster installation, the RecoverPoint for VMs splitters and JAM VIBs are
automatically installed on all ESXi hosts that belong to ESXi clusters on which vRPAs are running.

Steps
1. In a web browser, type https://<LAN-ip-address> where <LAN-ip-address> is the LAN IP
address of vRPA 1 or vRPA 2 in the cluster you are installing. In the home page, click RecoverPoint
for VMs Deployer.
If you are using DHCP, obtain the LAN IP address from the vSphere Client or vSphere Web Client by
selecting the vRPA and clicking the Summary tab.
2. If prompted, type the login credentials for the admin user, and click Sign in. The RecoverPoint for VMs
Deployer home page appears.
3. Select the Install a vRPA cluster wizard.
4. On the Version Requirements page, the version requirements file is automatically downloaded and
validated to ensure that the system meets the requirements. If you have a .json configuration file
that you want to import, click the Settings icon and then click Import.
If version requirements verification is successful, click Next to continue. If issues are found, analyze
and fix blocking issues before continuing.
If the version requirements file fails to download, you are prompted to select one of these options:

● Retry downloading the up-to-date requirements from Dell Online Support ● Provide version
requirements file manually ● Do not check version requirements
NOTE: To obtain the version requirements file for offline installation, browse to
https://rplicense.emc.com/download.
This page provides an option to download or email the a-cca.xml file. If this option is not
available, open a Service Request with Customer Support Services (severity level 3). In the
request, ask for the latest version requirements file for the RecoverPoint for VMs Deployer. The
file is provided within one (1) business day and must be used within 30 days.

5. On the Installation Prerequisites page, type the requested information for the vCenter on which the
current vRPA is running, and then click Connect.

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If the SSL Certificate window appears, verify the vCenter's SSL certificate and click Confirm.
6. Review the Pre-installation Validation Results area. If validation errors are listed, fix them before
proceeding.
If an error can be automatically fixed, the Fix button appears in the Auto-Fix column.
7. On the Environment Settings page, define the required settings.
● Type a name for the vRPA cluster.
● To align with security best practices, replace the default admin user password with a new unique
password.
NOTE: The admin user (with the administrator role) is authorized with all access permissions
for managing your RecoverPoint for VMs system. Use the same admin password for all vRPA
clusters in a system, and all vRPA clusters under the same vCenter Server. The password for
the admin user serves also as the password for the root user across all vRPAs in the system.
●Type IP addresses for DNS and NTP servers.
8. On the vRPA Settings page:
a. Select the vRPAs for the vRPA cluster and click the Apply Selection button.
b. Select a repository volume from the list. All ESXi hosts in the cluster where the vRPAs reside must
share this volume.
9. On the Network Settings page, provide the requested settings for the vRPA cluster and its vRPAs.
● In the Network Adapters Configuration area, keep the default setting or click Edit to choose a
different network adapter topology.
● In the Network Mapping area, for each network adapter, select a value and whether to use DHCP.
Type a Cluster Management IP address.
● In the vRPA Settings area, type the requested IP addresses. If the network configuration requires
gateways to communicate with remote vRPA clusters, click Add to insert each gateway. For each
gateway that you add at the current cluster, add a gateway at the remote cluster.
● In the Advanced Settings area, change the MTU values only if required. MTU values must be
consistent across the communication interface from source to target. See KB article 484259 for
more information.
10. Click Install to initiate completion of the vRPA cluster installation.
You can follow progress of the installation on the Deployment progress page.
During successful installation:
● The Flex-based RecoverPoint for VMs vSphere plugin is installed automatically. Installation of the
plugin usually occurs immediately, but it might take some time for the vCenter to identify the plugin.
If you experience issues with the RecoverPoint for VMs plugin, log out and log in again to the
vSphere Web Client as described in "Troubleshooting the RecoverPoint for VMs plugin".
● The HTML5-based RecoverPoint for VMs vSphere plugin is installed after the plugin server is
deployed and configured (see Configure the plugin server).
● Splitters and Journal Access Modules (JAMs) are pushed to all ESXi hosts in the ESXi cluster
where the vRPAs are installed.
If installation fails:
● To identify the cause of failure, review the displayed error messages.
● To return to the step in the wizard where you can fix the problem, click Back. Fix the problem and
retry the installation.
● Alternatively, you can retry the operation that failed by clicking Retry the operation.
● If installation continues to fail, contact Customer Support.

Results
If you are running vCenter 6.7 U1, or later, and this is the first vRPA cluster installed on the vCenter, click
Proceed to configure plugin server now to configure your RecoverPoint for VMs plugin server for this
vCenter. If you don't configure the plugin server now, you can configure it later using the Configure plugin
server option in the RecoverPoint for VMs Deployer home screen.

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To enable multi-site replication, create additional vRPA clusters by repeating this procedure for each site.
To export a configuration file of the vRPA cluster settings, click the Settings icon (upper right), and then
click Export. This file provides a record of the vRPA cluster configuration for the major version you have
installed. You use it to restore the vRPA cluster settings after an installation failure (requiring the
installation to be repeated).
When all vRPA clusters are created, continue to "Connect the vRPA clusters".

Configure the plugin server


You can configure the RecoverPoint for VMs vSphere plugin server from the Configure plugin server
option on the
RecoverPoint for VMs Deployer home screen. Alternatively, after using the Deployer installation wizard to
successfully install a vRPA cluster on a vCenter, you can proceed directly to configure the plugin server
in the Deployer.

Prerequisites
● Ensure that the admin user credentials are the same for all vRPA clusters on the vCenter that you are
registering to the plugin server.
● If you want to use a certificate that has been altered, for example, one that has been signed by your
organization's internal certificate authority, see "Changing the plugin server certificate" in the
RecoverPoint for VMs Administrator's Guide.

About this task


Configure the plugin server for only one vRPA cluster that is hosted by the vCenter Server.

Steps
1. To start configuration of the RecoverPoint for VMs plugin server:
a. Select Configure plugin server on the Deployer home page.
b. Alternatively, immediately after successfully installing a vRPA cluster, click Proceed to Configure
plugin server.
2. Enter the IP address for the plugin server.

NOTE: Use an IPv4 address only.

3. Confirm the SSL certificate of the vCenter Server (remote host).


4. Click Configure

Results
● The plugin server installs the HTML-based RecoverPoint for VMs plugin on the vCenter Server.
Installation of the plugin usually occurs immediately, but it might take some time for the vCenter
Server to identify the plugin. It is recommended to log out from the vSphere Client, and then to log in
again. To access the plugin, navigate to RecoverPoint for VMs in the vSphere Client menu.
● The plugin server discovers and registers all vRPA clusters that are hosted by the vCenter Server and
have the same admin user password, including vRPA clusters that may be added later. As a result,
the plugin server knows how to direct API calls to the correct vRPA cluster.

Connect vRPA clusters

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To enable replication between any two vRPA clusters, use the Connect vRPA clusters wizard to establish
a connection between them.

Prerequisites
● Do not exceed the maximum number of five vRPA clusters per system.
● (Recommended) Create Installation data forms.
● Ensure the remote vRPA cluster is not:
0 in maintenance mode.
○ an existing, configured vRPA cluster.
○ previously connected to a vRPA cluster.
● Ensure the remote vRPA cluster does not:
0 have protected VMs, consistency groups, or group sets.
○ have user or journal volumes.
○ have a license other than a vCenter license.
● If required, add a gateway for communication between vRPA clusters; add a gateway at each vRPA
cluster before connecting the vRPA clusters.
● If you have changed the default plugin server certificate and have not yet configured the plugin server,
perform Changing the plugin server certificate .
● If you have changed the default plugin server certificate and have already configured the plugin
server, perform Changing a registered plugin server certificate .

NOTE: A remote vRPA cluster that meets these requirements is called a "clean" cluster.

About this task


In this procedure, the "current" cluster is defined as the vRPA cluster to which the Connect vRPA clusters
wizard is currently pointed. The "remote" cluster is the vRPA cluster at a remote site. This wizard helps
you to connect a remote vRPA cluster to the current vRPA cluster.

Steps
1. In a web browser, type https://<cluster_management-ip-address> for the vRPA cluster that
you want to connect.
2. In the RecoverPoint for VMs Deployer home page of the current cluster, select the Connect vRPA
clusters wizard.
3. On the Environment Settings page, type the requested information for the remote cluster. It is
important to enter the WAN IP of one of the remote vRPAs.
4. In the Current Cluster Settings area, review the list of gateways that are configured for this vRPA
cluster. If required, add one or more gateways on the current vRPA cluster. Remember that for each
additional gateway at the current cluster, you must add a gateway at the remote cluster.
5. On the Add Cluster Progress page, the remote cluster is connected to your RecoverPoint for VMs
system, and IP communication is enabled between the remote cluster and the current cluster.
NOTE: This does not enable communication between the remote cluster and any other
clusters in your system. To enable communication between the remote cluster and
additional clusters, follow the procedure in Enable communication between vRPA clusters.

6. Continue to the next section, "Register and license the system".

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Completing installation of the RecoverPoint for VMs
system
Installation is almost complete. Once you register and license your system, and create any VMkernel
ports that are needed, you will be able to begin protecting VMs.

Register and license the system


Use the RecoverPoint for VMs plug-in for the vSphere Client (HTML5) or vSphere Web Client (Flex) to
register and license your system. Registration and licensing enables support and provides important
product updates to keep your system running optimally.
If you are using the HTML5-based vSphere Client (running vSphere 6.7 U1, or later), adding a license
automatically enables support. Refer to the "Before you begin" section of the RecoverPoint for VMs
HTML5 Plugin Administrator's Guide.
If you are using the Flex-based vSphere Web Client (running any vSphere 6.7 or 6.5 version), refer to the
"Getting Started wizard" section of the RecoverPoint for VMs Flex Plugin Administrator's Guide.

Create VMkernel ports


Before protecting VMs, you may need to create VMkernel ports for the ESXi hosts in the cluster.
See "Creating VMware ports" section in the RecoverPoint for VMs HTML5 Plugin Administrator's
Guide.
NOTE: Use this procedure even If you are otherwise using the Flex-based vSphere Web Client.
There is one slight difference: In the first step of the procedure, select Administration > vRPA
Clusters > ESX Clusters, before clicking the Settings icon for an ESXi cluster.

Protect VMs
The RecoverPoint for VMs system is ready for operation. Use the RecoverPoint for VMs plugin (HTML5-
based or Flex-based) to begin protecting VMs. See the RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines
Administrator''s Guide for instructions on protecting VMs and monitoring the system.

4
Maintaining RecoverPoint for VMs
Maintaining the RecoverPoint for VMs system involves tasks such as collecting logs, modifying vRPA
cluster network settings and topology, and adding, removing, or replacing vRPAs.
The topics in this chapter provide procedures for system
maintenance. Topics:
• Register ESX clusters
• Add ESXi host to a cluster
• Configure VMkernel ports
• Enable communication between vRPA clusters
• Modify vRPA cluster network settings

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• Change the RPA communication security level
• Modify the network topology
• Installing the splitter with Boxmgmt CLI
• Install the splitter with the RecoverPoint for VMs VIB installer
• Install JAM
• Add vRPAs to a vRPA cluster
• Remove a vRPA from a vRPA cluster
• Replace a vRPA
• Change default passwords
• Collect logs

Register ESX clusters


By default, ESX clusters are registered automatically as part of the Protect VM procedure. Alternatively,
you can register ESX clusters manually, using the RecoverPoint for VMs plug-in to the vSphere Client or
vSphere Web Client.

Steps
1. Access the vSphere Client or Web Client.
In the vSphere Client, click System > ESX Clusters.
In the vSphere Web Client, click RecoverPoint for VMs Management > Administration > vRPA
Clusters, and select the ESXi Clusters tab.
2. Select the ESX cluster to be registered, and click Add. Verify that the connectivity status is OK. If there
are connectivity issues with the cluster, click Troubleshoot.

Add ESXi host to a cluster


Upon adding an ESXi host to an ESX cluster, the RecoverPoint for VMs splitter VIB is installed
automatically on the new ESXi host.
The RecoverPoint for VMs JAM VIB is also installed automatically on the new ESXi host, provided that
there are vRPA VMs running on the ESX cluster to which the ESXi host has been added.

Configure VMkernel ports


You can configure the VMKernel ports from the RecoverPoint for VMs plug-in UI, and they will be
automatically created for all the ESXi hosts in the ESXi cluster. Alternatively, you can use this procedure
to manually configure VMkernel ports.

Prerequisites
An ESXi must be registered (see Register ESX clusters) before you can configure VMkernel adapters on
it.

Steps
1. For each ESXi host, click Manage > Networking > VMkernel adapters.
2. Add the VMkernel adapters.
● Assign IP addresses that are on a routable subnet or on the same subnet as the vRPA data
interfaces.

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It is recommended also that the VMkernel and vRPA data ports be on the same L2 network.
● For a standard vSwitch, create a VMkernel port with the network label: RP-VM-Kernel-
Port-Group ● For a distributed vSwitch:
○ Create a VMkernel port on the relevant port group.
○ On the Ports tab of the Distributed Ports Group page, label each VMkernel port that is to be used
for splitter-tovRPA communication as RP-VM-Kernel-Port-Key.
The vRPA data IP addresses are assigned when deploying the vRPA cluster.

Enable communication between vRPA clusters


Use this procedure to enable communication between pairs of vRPA clusters in your system.

About this task


Use the Connect vRPA clusters wizard in the RecoverPoint for VMs Deployer to add a vRPA cluster to
your system, and to enable IP communication between that new cluster and one of the existing clusters.
For more information, see Connect vRPA clusters.
Use the following procedure to enable communication between additional pairs of clusters.

Steps
1. Use an SSH client to connect as admin user to a cluster management vRPA of one of the pair of
vRPA clusters between which you want to enable communication.
2. From the Boxmgmt CLI Main Menu, select Cluster operations > Configure connection types to other
clusters in the system > Configure cluster connection types.
3. Select the vRPA cluster with which you want to enable communication.

Results
Bi-directional IP communication is enabled between the designated pair of vRPA clusters.
Repeat this procedure for each pair of vRPA clusters for which you want to enable communication.

Modify vRPA cluster network settings


Use the Modify vRPA cluster network wizard to change network settings.

Prerequisites
To modify the network adapter topology, refer to Modify the network topology.

Steps
1. In a web browser, type https://<cluster_management-ip-address> for the vRPA cluster that
you want to modify.
2. In the home page, click RecoverPoint for VMs Deployer.
3. If prompted, type the login credentials for the admin user and click Sign in.
4. Under More actions, select Modify vRPA cluster network.
5. Make the desired changes to the Environment Settings page. If you have a .json configuration file
that you want to import, hover over the Settings icon and click Import.
6. Make the desired modifications changes to the Network Settings page.
Some settings cannot be modified.

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7. To apply the changes, click Modify. To export a configuration file of the vRPA cluster settings, click the
Settings icon (upper right), and then click Export. This file provides a record of the vRPA cluster
configuration.

Change the RPA communication security level


For information about the RPA communication security level, including a procedure for changing it, see
the RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines Security Configuration Guide.

Modify the network topology


Use this procedure to modify the existing network topology.

Steps
1. Pause transfer between the production and copies of the consistency groups for the vRPA cluster that
you are modifying.
2. From the vSphere Client or Web Client, add the vNIC on all vRPA VMs. Ensure that the type is
VMXNET3.
3. Use an SSH client to log in to the vRPA as the admin user.
a. Detach the vRPA from the vRPA cluster. From the Main menu, select Cluster operations > Detach
RPA from cluster.
b. From the Main menu, select Setup > Modify settings > Enter cluster details > Network Interface
and IPs Configuration.
c. Select the network topology that you want to use.
d. Attach the vRPA back to the cluster. From the Main menu, select Cluster operations > Attach RPA
to cluster.
4. Repeat step 3 for each vRPA in the vRPA cluster.
5. Start transfer between the production and copies of the consistency groups for the modified vRPA
cluster.

Installing the splitter with Boxmgmt CLI


Ensure that all vRPAs reside on ESXi hosts with a splitter installed. Splitters are installed automatically
during system installation. You can use this procedure to install splitters manually.

Steps
1. Use an SSH client to connect as admin user to a cluster management vRPA.
2. From the boxmgmt Main Menu, select Setup > Advanced options > Splitter actions > Upgrade Splitter.
3. Provide the vCenter Server credentials.
4. Let the system provide the vCenter certificate automatically and, if it's correct, approve the certificate.
5. Select one or more of the ESXi cluster(s) in this vCenter on which you want to deploy the splitters.

Install the splitter with the RecoverPoint for VMs VIB installer
During system installation, the RecoverPoint for VMs splitter VIB is installed on ESXi hosts automatically.
Use this procedure if you need to install the splitter VIB manually.

Prerequisites
Note the Secure boot considerations.

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About this task

NOTE: Do not erase the/scratch directory during installation.

Steps
1. To copy the splitter VIB, use an SSH client with secure copy protocol:
scp <vib name> <username>@<ESXi host IP>:/scratch
For example, run:
scp EMC_bootbank_RP-Splitter_RPESX-00.5.3.2.0.0.m.222.000.vib
root@10.10.10.10:/scratch
2. To install the splitter VIB in the ESXi host console:
● In RecoverPoint for VMs version 5.3 SP2 and later, run the command:
esxcli software vib install -v /<vib_full_path>

● In RecoverPoint for VMs versions prior to 5.3 SP2, run the command:
esxcli software vib install -v /<vib_full_path> --no-sig-check

If installation is successful, the following message appears:


Installation Result
Message: Operation finished
successfully. Reboot Required:
false
VIBs Installed: EMC_bootbank_RP-
Splitter_RPESX-<version>.vib VIBs
Removed: VIBs Skipped:
3. Confirm installation of the splitter VIB in the ESXi host console by using SSH to run the following
command:
esxcli software vib list

Results
The RecoverPoint for VMs splitter name is displayed at the top of the list.

Next steps
Repeat this procedure for every ESX on which you want to install the RecoverPoint for VMs splitter VIB.

Install JAM
During new installations of RecoverPoint for VMs (but not upgrades), the RecoverPoint for VMs Journal
Access Module (JAM) VIB is installed automatically on all ESXi hosts that belong to ESXi clusters on
which vRPAs are running. Use this procedure if you need to install the JAM VIB manually.

Prerequisites
Note the Secure boot considerations.

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About this task
In RecoverPoint for VMs versions prior to 5.3 SP2, there is only one JAM VIB. In RecoverPoint for VMs
5.3 SP2 and later versions, there is one JAM VIB for ESXi version 6.x hosts and another for ESXi version
7.x hosts.

NOTE: Do not erase the/scratch directory during installation.

Steps
1. To copy the JAM VIB, use an SSH client with secure copy protocol:
scp <vib name> <username>@<ESXi host IP>:/scratch
For example:
● On ESXi 6.x hosts, run:
scp EMC_bootbank_emcjiraf_5320.m.186-1OEM.650.1.17.4598673.vib
root@10.10.10.10:/ scratch

● On ESXi 7.x hosts, run:


scp EMC_bootbank_emcjiraf_5320.m.180-1OEM.700.1.0.15843807.vib
root@10.10.10.10:/ scratch

2. To install the JAM VIB in the ESXi host console:


● In RecoverPoint for VMs version 5.3 SP2 and later, run the command:
esxcli software vib install -v /<vib_full_path>

● In RecoverPoint for VMs versions prior to 5.3 SP2, run the command:
esxcli software vib install -v /<vib_full_path> --no-sig-check

If installation is successful, the following message appears:


Installation Result
Message: Operation finished
successfully. Reboot Required:
false
VIBs Installed:
EMC_bootbank_emcjiraf_<RP version><ESX
version>.vib VIBs Removed: VIBs
Skipped:
3. Confirm installation of the JAM VIB(s) in the ESXi host console by using SSH to run the following
command:
esxcli software vib list

Results
The RecoverPoint for VMs JAM installation name is displayed at the top of the list.

Next steps
Repeat this procedure for every ESX on which you want to install the RecoverPoint for VMs JAM VIB(s).

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Add vRPAs to a vRPA cluster
Use this procedure to add a vRPA to an existing vRPA cluster. A vRPA cluster can have up to 8 vRPAs,
and all vRPAs in a cluster must run the same RecoverPoint for VMs version.

Prerequisites
If you are not using the default vRPA web server certificate, ensure that your certificate is the same one
used for all vRPAs in the vRPA cluster.

Steps
1. In a web browser, type https://<cluster_management-ip-address> for the vRPA cluster to
which you want to add vRPAs.
2. In the home page, click RecoverPoint for VMs Deployer.
3. If prompted, type the login credentials for the admin user and click Sign in.
4. Under More actions, click Add vRPAs to vRPA cluster.
5. In the Add Prerequisites step, acknowledge that you have met the listed conditions by selecting the
checkbox.
6. In the Add vRPAs step, select one or more VMs/vRPAs to add to the cluster.
● New vRPAs must have the same RecoverPoint software ISO image as the existing vRPAs in the
cluster. ● A cluster can have a maximum of 8 vRPAs.
7. In the vRPA Cluster Settings and vRPA Settings sections, type required information for the vRPAs you
are adding.
8. In the Add vRPAs Progress step, on reaching 100%, click Finish to return to the Home Page. If adding
a vRPA fails:
● To identify the cause of failure, review the displayed error messages.
● To return to the step in the wizard where you can fix the problem, click Back. Fix the problem, and
then retry the installation wizard from that point.
● Alternatively, you can retry the operation that failed by clicking Retry the operation.
● If adding a vRPA continues to fail, contact Customer Support.

Remove a vRPA from a vRPA cluster


Use this procedure to remove a vRPA from a vRPA cluster. You cannot remove a vRPA if the cluster has
2 or fewer vRPAs.

Steps
1. In a web browser, type https://<cluster_management-ip-address> for the vRPA cluster from
which you want to remove a vRPA.
2. In the home page, click RecoverPoint for VMs Deployer.
3. If prompted, enter the login credentials for the admin user and click Sign in.
4. Under More actions, click Remove vRPA from vRPA cluster.
● The highest numbered vRPA (the last one added) will be removed.
● The consistency groups of the removed vRPA will be non-disruptively moved to a different vRPA.
● The preferred vRPA setting for those consistency groups will be automatically updated.

Replace a vRPA
Use this procedure and wizard to replace a vRPA with a different vRPA.

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Prerequisites
This wizard does not support replacing a vRPA within a vRPA cluster that has only one vRPA. If you
must replace a vRPA in a single-vRPA cluster, contact Customer Support.

About this task


Deploy the new, replacement vRPA with the same IP settings as the faulty vRPA you want to replace.
Ensure that the replacement vRPA is shut down. To shut down the replacement vRPA, login as admin
user and select Main Menu > Shutdown / Reboot operations > Shutdown RPA.

Steps
1. In a web browser, type https://<cluster_management-ip-address> for the vRPA cluster in
which you want to replace a vRPA.
2. In the home page, click RecoverPoint for VMs Deployer.
3. If prompted, type the login credentials for the admin user and click Sign in.
4. Under More actions, click Replace vRPA.
5. In the Prerequisites step, acknowledge that you have met the listed conditions by selecting the
checkbox.
6. In the Replace vRPA step, select the vRPA that you want to replace.
7. Select the vRPA you want to add as a replacement.
8. In the Replacement Progress step, on reaching 100% click Finish to return to the home page.
If replacing a vRPA fails:
● To identify the cause of failure, review the displayed error messages.
● To return to the step in the wizard where you can fix the problem, click Back. Fix the problem, and
then retry the installation wizard from that point.
● Alternatively, you can retry the operation that failed by clicking Retry the operation.
● If replacing a vRPA continues to fail, contact Customer Support.

Change default passwords


To align with security best practices, when installing a vRPA cluster, you must replace the default
password for the predefined admin user (admin) with a unique password.

About this task


The admin user password serves also as the password for the root user.
If you have upgraded your system from RecoverPoint for VMs 5.1.1.4, you could still be using the default
admin (and root) password. If so, run this procedure to change the admin password,

Steps
1. Create an SSH connection to the vRPA management IP address, using your RecoverPoint for Virtual
Machines admin username and password to log into the Boxmgmt CLI. Then select System
management CLI to open the Sysmgmt CLI.
Alternatively, if you have created a user with the sysmgmt role, use that user to log in directly to the
Sysmgmt CLI.

2. In the Sysmgmt CLI, run the set_password command to change the password for the current user,
or run the set_user command to change the password of another user, provided that your user/role
includes the security permission.

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NOTE: Keep passwords in a place where they are secure and available to you.

Collect logs
During deployment, collecting logs for the current vRPA cluster and its vRPAs provides information that
may be helpful in troubleshooting the installation.

About this task


Logs can be collected from one or more vRPAs in multiple vRPA clusters, as long as they all reside on a
vCenter Server registered with the plugin server, or a vCenter Server linked to a vCenter Server that is
registered with the plugin server.
NOTE: In RecoverPoint for VMs 5.3 SP2 and later versions, you can initiate the vRPA cluster log
collection process from within the RecoverPoint for VMs vSphere plugin. See "Collecting logs from
vRPA clusters" in the RecoverPoint for VMs Administrator's Guide for more information.

Steps
1. In a web browser, type https://<LAN-ip-address> where <LAN-ip-address> is the vRPA cluster
management IP address. In the vRPA cluster home page, click RecoverPoint for VMs Deployer.
2. If prompted, type the login credentials for the admin user and click Sign in.
3. Display the log collection settings in the RecoverPoint for VMs Deployer home page.
● In RecoverPoint for VMs 5.3 SP2 and later versions, in the upper-right corner, click Collect Logs.
● In RecoverPoint for VMs versions prior to 5.3 SP2, at the upper right of the home page, click the
Settings icon, and then click Collect Logs.
4. In the Collect Cluster Logs dialog box:

a. Enter a Start time and End time for log collection.


b. (Optional) To simultaneously collect logs from vRPAs in other vRPA clusters, expand the
Advanced section and add another vRPA <LAN-ip-address>.
c. Click Collect Logs.

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Results
Depending on the size of the environment, log collection may take several minutes to complete. When
the collection process is complete, a success message is displayed with the location (i.e. vRPA cluster)
containing the logs.

Next steps
1. In the success message, click the name of a vRPA cluster to open a browser window to the location of
the collected logs.
2. If prompted to, log into the vRPA cluster with your admin user credentials.
3. Click a vRPA log name to download the vRPA log.
The name of each vRPA log has a *.tar extension and it includes the
<clustername><vrpaname> and <vrpaip> for easy identification. The log collection date is
displayed under Last Modified.

Installing in VxRail environments


Installing RecoverPoint for VMs in VxRail environments is similar to a standard installation, but includes a
few specific requirements for preparing the network, configuring VMkernel ports, creating vRPAs and
vRPA clusters, and adding VxRail appliances or nodes.
The topics in this chapter provide procedures needed for installing RecoverPoint for VMs
with VxRail. Topics:
• Deploying RecoverPoint for VMs in a VxRail™ environment

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Deploying RecoverPoint for VMs in a VxRail™ environment
Follow specific guidelines when deploying RecoverPoint for VMs in a VxRail environment.

About this task


When deploying RecoverPoint for VMs on VxRail appliances, follow the guidelines in this chapter along
with the instructions that are listed in Preparing the network, Deploy vRPAs, and Install vRPA clusters.

Downloading from the VxRail Marketplace


Download the latest qualified RecoverPoint for VMs release.

About this task


Download the latest RecoverPoint for VMs release from the VxRail manager marketplace or
RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines download page.

Preparing the network for VxRail


Prepare the network for the VxRail environment by choosing a network adapter topology and defining the
required ports.

About this task


VxRail supports adding a PCIe NIC to the node in E, P, S, and V Series. VxRail initialization does not
impact the PCIe NIC. You can connect unused ports to the VxRail system vSphere Distributed switch.
Alternatively, you can create a vSphere Standard Switch (VSS)/vSphere Distributed switch and connect
the unused ports after initialization. The ports are available for uses such as RecoverPoint traffic. VxRail
G-Series 2x10G models have only 2x10G ports.
In VxRail 4.0 and later, vSphere Network I/O Control (NIOC) is enabled during initialization, and vSAN
traffic has the highest priority to consume the bandwidth in contention. If NIOC is enabled with the default
VxRail setting, you can use the vSAN port for other traffic.
The configuration described here uses the G-Series 2x10G model uplink configuration and VxRail system
vSphere Distributed switch default name ("VMware HCIA Distributed Switch") as an example. Choose a
vSwitch and uplink name according to the VxRail model and uplink configuration.
Prepare the required port groups on the VMware HCIA Distributed Switch.

Installing in VxRail environments

Steps
● Use the default configuration of two network adapters (WAN + LAN on one adapter and data on the
other) unless required to use a different network adapter topology. For this configuration, define two
port groups: RP_WAN+LAN and RP_DATA. ● If using a single network adapter, define one port
group: RP_ALL.
● If using four network adapters, define four port groups: RP_WAN, RP_LAN, RP_DATA1, RP_DATA2.

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Create vRPAs for VxRail
Use the OVA file and guidelines in this procedure to create vRPAs for VxRail environments.

About this task


When creating vRPAs:

Steps
1. In the Select storage screen, in the VM Storage Policy drop down, select VxRail-Virtual-SAN-
Datastore. The compatible VSAN datastore will be selected.
2. Deploy two vRPAs and configure VM-Host affinity rules to avoid running both vRPAs on the same
ESXi node (recommended).

Create and configure VMkernel ports for VxRail


Create and configure VMkernel ports for VxRail environments.

Steps
1. Create one or two VMkernel ports on each ESXi node by selecting an existing distributed vSwitch
“VMware HCIA Distributed
Switch.”
A single VMkernel port is required when using the default of two network adapters (WAN + LAN on
one network adapter and data on the other network adapter). This configuration is standard. Two
VMkernel ports are required when you are using two network adapters for data.
2. To select one network adapter (uplink) as active, override the NIC teaming policy. The other network
adapter should be marked as unused.
When using a single VMKernel port, assign uplink1 to the port.
When using two VMkernel ports:
● Assign uplink1 to one VMkernel port and uplink2 to the second VMkernel port.
● For uplink2, use traffic shaping to limit bandwidth to no more than 1Gb/s (if NIOC is enabled with
the default VxRail setting, traffic shaping is optional):
a. Locate the port group, right-click it, and select Edit Settings.
b. In the Edit Settings window, change traffic shaping for the port group:
Traffic shaping Field Value

Ingress Peak bandwidth (kb/s) 1048576

Burst size (KB) 102400

Egress Status Enabled

Average bandwidth (kb/s) 1048576

Peak bandwidth (kb/s) 1048576

Burst size (KB) 102400


Installing in VxRail environments

Create a vRPA cluster for VxRail


Use the Install a vRPA cluster wizard to create a vRPA cluster for the VxRail environment.

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About this task
When creating a vRPA cluster:

Steps
1. In the Environment Settings step, select the vSAN datastore from the table of available datastores.
2. In the Network Settings step of the wizard, specify the vRPA data network addresses (and not the
VMkernel port IP addresses that were created earlier).

Adding VxRail appliances or nodes


Adding a VxRail appliance or node requires verifying the node addition, configuring ESXi nodes,
registering the new ESXi clusters, and adjusting VM-host affinity rules.

About this task


After adding a VxRail appliance or a node to an existing appliance:

Steps
1. Verify that the nodes are added into the same vSAN cluster and under the same vCenter.
2. Configure each ESXi node with the required data network adapters for enabling splitter-to-vRPA
communication.
3. If you created a new ESXi cluster, register it within the vRPA cluster.
This action installs the RecoverPoint for VMs splitters on the new ESXi nodes.
4. Adjust VM-host affinity rules for the vRPAs to ensure that they are running on separate ESXi servers.

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Installing in VxRail environments

Troubleshooting RecoverPoint for VMs


installation
When the RecoverPoint for VMs installation is not successful, knowing how to troubleshoot the vRPAs,
splitters, RecoverPoint for VMs plug-in, and replication helps you to fix the problem. These
troubleshooting procedures use the vSphere Web Client.
Some commands that may be useful in troubleshooting can be run from the root user, including: ethtool,
kps.pl, ping6, uptime, date, ssh, telnet, arping32, switch utils (Dell EMC Customer Support only), netstat,
arp, ping, top, and su.
Topics:
• Troubleshooting vRPAs
• Troubleshooting splitters
• Troubleshooting the RecoverPoint for VMs plug-in
• Troubleshooting RecoverPoint for VMs replication
• ESXi UUID duplication

Troubleshooting vRPAs
This section describes how to troubleshoot these vRPA conditions:

● vRPA is down
● vRPA is detached from cluster

● vRPA does not see storage or splitter vRPA is down


If a vRPA is down (powered off), check for vRPA errors, vRPA cluster status, and conflicts in the vRPA
resource reservation. To investigate the root cause, collect and analyze logs. From the vSphere Web
Client, power on the vRPA.

Steps
1. Check the RecoverPoint for VMs dashboard for Error events indicating that the vRPA is not online.
2. Log in to a surviving vRPA and type the RecoverPoint admin username and password to log in to the
Boxmgmt CLI. Then select System management CLI to open the Sysmgmt CLI. Alternatively, if you
have created a user with the sysmgmt role, use that user to log in directly to the Sysmgmt CLI. To
check the cluster status, use the get_system_status Sysmgmt CLI command. Choose to retrieve
the status of all categories.
3. Confirm that the failed vRPA cannot be reached.
4. Check any conflicts in the vRPA resource reservation that might have led to the vRPA being powered
off. Resolve any issues before proceeding.
5. In the vSphere Web Client, right-click the vRPA that is down and select All vCenter Actions > Power >
Power On.
6. To ensure that the vRPA was powered on successfully, monitor the vRPA console in the vSphere
Web Client.
7. To investigate the root cause of the vRPA failure, collect logs.

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vRPA is detached from the vRPA cluster
If the vRPA is detached from the vRPA cluster, check for vRPA errors and cluster status.

Steps
1. Check the RecoverPoint for VMs dashboard for Error events indicating that the vRPA cannot access
storage or communicate with the splitters.
2. Create an SSH connection to a surviving vRPA, using your RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines admin
username and password to log into the Boxmgmt CLI. Then select System management CLI to open
the Sysmgmt CLI. Alternatively, if you have created a user with the sysmgmt role (RecoverPoint for
Virtual Machines 5.2.0.2 or later), use that user to log in directly to the Sysmgmt CLI. Use the
get_system_status Sysmgmt CLI command to check the cluster status. Choose to retrieve the
status of all categories.
3. Confirm that the detached vRPA cannot be reached from the surviving vRPA.
4. Log in to the Boxmgmt CLI of the detached vRPA using admin username and password, and select
Cluster operations > Attach RPA to Cluster. To ensure that the vRPA was powered on successfully,
monitor the vRPA console in the vSphere Web Client.
5. To investigate the root cause of the vRPA detachment from the cluster, collect logs.
6. If you are using a licensed version of RecoverPoint for VMs, contact Customer Support.

vRPA cannot detect storage or splitter


When a vRPA cannot detect the storage or the splitters, investigate the status of the vRPA and splitters.
Collect and analyze the logs.

Steps
1. Ensure the vRPA is online.
2. Ensure the vRPA is attached to the cluster.
3. Verify that the splitters are running:
a. Login to ESXi hosts.
b. Run: ps |grep kdriver
c. Ensure that splitter processes are running.
4. To investigate the root cause of why the vRPA went down, collect logs.
5. If you are using a licensed version of RecoverPoint for VMs, contact Customer Support.

Troubleshooting splitters
The section describes how to troubleshoot the splitter when it is not visible or is in error state.

Splitter is not visible or in error state


To determine why the splitter is not visible or in error, check splitter processes and investigate logs.

Steps
1. If possible, vMotion any protected VMs from ESXi hosts with splitters in error state continue or resume
replication.
2. Ensure that the splitter processes are running on the host you are troubleshooting:
a. Login to the ESXi host and use the following command: ps |grep kdriver

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b. If processes are not running, place the ESXi node in maintenance mode and restart.
3. To investigate the root cause of the splitter failure, collect logs.
4. If you are using a licensed version of RecoverPoint for VMs, contact Customer Support.

Troubleshooting the RecoverPoint for VMs plug-in


This section describes how to troubleshoot these conditions:
● vSphere Web client does not contain plug-in
● Plug-in does not see the vRPA cluster

vSphere Web client does not contain plug-in


About this task
Go through the following steps until the problem is resolved:

Steps
1. Log out of vSphere Web client and log back in. Check if the RecoverPoint for VMs plug-in is listed
under Inventories.
2. If the RecoverPoint for VMs plug-in is not listed, close all active vSphere Web client user sessions.
Then check if the RecoverPoint for VMs plug-in is listed under Inventories.
3. If the RecoverPoint for VMs plug-in is still not listed, restart the vCenter Web Client service.
4. If the plug-in is still not visible in the vSphere Web Client, validate the vCenter Credentials
configuration. You may need to reconfigure vCenter credentials. Consult Customer Support if
protected VMs exist.
5. If the plug-in is still not visible in the vSphere Web Client, collect logs to investigate the root cause of
why the plug-in is not visible.

Plug-in does not detect the vRPA cluster


About this task
Go through the following steps until the problem is resolved:

Steps
1. Log out of the vSphere Web Client and log back in.
2. Refresh the vSphere Web Client.
3. Log out all users from the vSphere Web Client.
4. Restart the vSphere Web Client.
5. Log in to the Managed Object Browser at https://<vSphere Web Client>/mob. Ensure the
vCenter credentials are configured correctly.
Access to the Managed Object Browser is disabled by default in vSphere 6.0 and later. For
instructions on how to enable access, refer to VMware KB2108405.
6. Restart vRPA1.
7. Restart vRPA2.
8. To investigate the root cause of the vRPA failure, collect logs.
9. If you are using a licensed version of RecoverPoint for VMs, contact Customer Support.

Changing the plugin server certificate


Use this procedure to change the plugin server certificate before the plugin server has been configured
using Deployment Manager.

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About this task
Use this procedure, for instance, if you want to use a certificate that has been signed by your
organization's internal certificate authority.
Steps
1. Connect to the plugin server with root permissions.
2. Create a backup of the existing certificate and key files:
/etc/nginx/ssl/rpcenter.cert
/etc/nginx/ssl/rpcenter.key
3. Disable the firewall on the plugin server.
Run the command /sbin/SuSEfirewall2 off
4. Upload the new certificate and key files to /etc/nginx/ssl.
5. Rename the new certificate file to rpcenter.cert and the new key file to rpcenter.key.
6. Reboot the plugin server VM.
7. In the RecoverPoint for VMs Deployer, click Configure plugin server home screen.
Enter the plugin server IP address in IPv4 format, confirm the new certificate, and click
Configure.
For more information, see the "Configure the plugin server" in the RecoverPoint for VMs Installation
and Deployment Guide.

Results
RecoverPoint for VMs is configured to use the new plugin server certificate.

N
e
x
t
st
e
p
s
N
O
T
E
:
Check that the certificate is the same across all vRPAs of the same cluster before adding the vRPA to
the cluster.
Log into vSphere Client from the relevant vCenter Server and check that the RecoverPoint for VMs
HTML5 plugin is displayed.

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Changing a registered plugin server certificate
Use this procedure to change the plugin server certificate after the plugin server has already been
configured using Deployment Manager.

About this task


Use this procedure, for instance, if you want to use a certificate that has been signed by your
organization's internal certificate authority.

Steps
1. Connect to the plugin server with root permissions.
2. Create a backup of the existing certificate and key files:
/etc/nginx/ssl/rpcenter.cert
/etc/nginx/ssl/rpcenter.key
3. Disable the firewall on the plugin server.
Run the command /sbin/SuSEfirewall2 off
4. Upload the new certificate and key files to /etc/nginx/ssl.
5. Rename the new certificate file to rpcenter.cert and the new key file to rpcenter.key.
6. Power off the plugin server VM.
7. Unregister the RecoverPoint for VMs HTML5 plugin from the relevant vCenter Server.
See "Unregistering the plugin from the Managed Object Browser" in the RecoverPoint for VMs
Installation and Deployment Guide.
8. Power on the plugin server VM.
9. Navigate to https://RPCIP/ui.
10. Click Authorize and enter the vCenter Server Credentials.
11. Navigate to DELETE /vcs/{vc-id} near the bottom of the Swagger page.
12. Select Try it Out, enter the vCenter Server serial number, and select Execute.
A 204 response is returned.
13. In the RecoverPoint for VMs Deployer, click Configure plugin server home screen.
Enter the plugin server IP address in IPv4 format, confirm the new certificate, and click
Configure.
For more information, see the "Configure the plugin server" in the RecoverPoint for VMs Installation
and Deployment Guide.

Results
RecoverPoint for VMs is configured to use the new plugin server certificate.

N
e
x
t
s
t
e
p
s

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N
O
T
E
:
Ensure the certificate is the same across all vRPAs of the same cluster before adding the vRPA to the
cluster.
Log into vSphere Client from the relevant vCenter Server and check that the RecoverPoint for VMs
HTML5 plugin is displayed.

Troubleshooting RecoverPoint for VMs replication


This section describes how to troubleshoot these conditions:
● Consistency group is in high-load transfer state or initialization
is not completing ● Consistency group is in error state

CG in high-load transfer state or initialization not completing


Steps
1. If consistency groups are not balanced across vRPAs, create an SSH connection to the vRPA
management IP address, and type the RecoverPoint admin username and password to log in to the
Boxmgmt CLI. Then select System management CLI to open the Sysmgmt CLI. Alternatively, if you
have created a user with the sysmgmt role (RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines 5.2.0.2 or later), use
that user to log in directly to the Sysmgmt CLI. Run the balance_load Sysmgmt CLI command and
change consistency group assignments. For more information about load balancing, see the
RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines Administrator’s Guide.
2. If the throughput required by a consistency group exceeds the availability on a single vRPA, review
the vRPA profile to see if additional resources can be added to meet higher IOPS requirements.
3. Enabling deduplication when WAN compression is also enabled may overload the vRPA and
consequently degrade replication performance. For more information, see the RecoverPoint for Virtual
Machines Scale and Performance Guide. a.It is recommended to enable WAN and journal
compression and disable deduplication.
b. If the consistency group contains more than one VM, consider moving VMs to dedicated
consistency groups and using group sets as needed.
c. Consider adding vRPAs (up to 8) to the vRPA cluster for additional resources.
d. Review ESXi resources to ensure that there is no contention.
4. I/O throttling is initially enabled at 400 MBps. If needed, create an SSH connection to the vRPA
management IP address, and type the RecoverPoint admin username and password to log in to the
Boxmgmt CLI. Then select System management CLI to open the Sysmgmt CLI. Alternatively, if you
have created a user with the sysmgmt role, use that user to log in directly to the Sysmgmt CLI. Run
the config_io_throttling command to slow down production storage reads during full sweep
process.

Consistency group is in Error state


Steps
1. Perform all of the procedures suggested for a consistency group in high-load state.

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2. If the consistency group is still in Error state, try the following:
a. Check if the image access buffer is full. If so, disable image access.
b. Resolve any WAN issues.
c. Check if the consistency group is in a permanent high-load state.
3. To investigate why the consistency group is in error state, collect logs.
4. If you are using a licensed version of RecoverPoint for VMs, contact Customer Support.

ESXi UUID duplication


In the VMware environment, each ESXi host is assigned a Universally Unique ID (UUID). RecoverPoint
for VMs uses these UUIDs to maintain the integrity of replicated copies and protect the ESXi hosts from
data corruption.
However, in some cases, a UUID might change with results that include:
● More than one ESXi host within a cluster reporting the same UUID.
● A single ESXi host reporting a different UUID after host restart (or similar operations). ● A single ESXi
host reporting a degenerated UUID with all 0's or F's.
These cases can occur when using hardware that is not certified by VMware because the UUID is based
on the BIOS UUID reported by the underlying server hardware. For more information about duplicate
UUIDs, see VMware Knowledgebase Article 2006865.
Duplicate or degenerated UUIDs can cause the following:
● The RecoverPoint cluster can experience reboot regulation (vRPAs restarting over and over again
until they detach from the cluster).
● The RecoverPoint consistency groups may not be able to recognize, connect to, or communicate with
the splitter on the affected ESXi hosts.
RecoverPoint for VMs replaces the use of VMware's ESXi host UUID and creates its own unique
identifier, which ensures that no duplicate or degenerated UUIDs exist in the system. The substitution
occurs only if the:
● vRPA cluster version supports this feature
● Splitter version supports this feature
For versions that do not support this feature, RecoverPoint for VMs displays a warning about the
condition.

A
RecoverPoint for VMs installation form
The installation form is a data sheet or spreadsheet that lists the site-specific values that you require to
successfully complete the installation.
To streamline the installation tasks, create the RecoverPoint for VMs installation form during the planning
phase.
Topics:
• Installation data forms

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Installation data forms
The best practice for successful installations is to collect and document required data before the
installation.
The forms that are provided in this section are examples of the types of information you should collect
before installation. You can create a planning spreadsheet that matches specific requirements (number
of vRPA clusters, network topology, and so forth).
You are directed to type the data from these forms (or similar data sheet) during the installation process.

Table 2. Example: vRPA cluster/site form


vRPA cluster vRPA cluster 1 vRPA cluster 2 vRPA cluster 3 vRPA cluster 4 vRPA cluster 5

Cluster/site name

Time zone

Local domain

Primary DNS
server (optional)
Secondary DNS
server (optional)
Primary NTP
server
(recommended)
Secondary
NTP server
(recommended)
Cluster
management IP
Management
default gateway
IP
Management
subnet mask IP
WAN default
gateway
WAN subnet
mask
SMTP (optional)

vCenter IP

vCenter
credentials
RecoverPoint for VMs installation form

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Table 2. Example: vRPA cluster/site form (continued)
vRPA cluster vRPA cluster 1 vRPA cluster 2 vRPA cluster 3 vRPA cluster 4 vRPA cluster 5

vCenter
credentials
Plugin server (per
vCenter Server)
VMkernel IP pool

ESXi 1

_Data1 IP

_Data2 IP

_Management IP

ESXi 2

_Data1 IP

_Data2 IP

_Management IP

Table 3. Example: vRPA IP form


vRPA vRPA IPs Site: Site: Site: Site: Site:
__________ __________ __________ __________ __________
LAN IP

WAN IP
vRPA_1
Data1 IP

Data2 IP

LAN IP

WAN IP
vRPA_2
Data1 IP

Data2 IP

LAN IP

vRPA_3 WAN IP

Data1 IP

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Data2 IP

LAN IP

WAN IP
vRPA_4
Data1 IP

Data2 IP

LAN IP

WAN IP
vRPA_5
Data1 IP

Data2 IP

LAN IP

vRPA_6 WAN IP

Data1 IP

RecoverPoint for VMs installation form

Table 3. Example: vRPA IP form (continued)


vRPA vRPA IPs Site: Site: Site: Site: Site:
__________ __________ __________ __________ __________
Data2 IP

LAN IP

WAN IP
vRPA_7
Data1 IP

Data2 IP

LAN IP

WAN IP
vRPA_8
Data1 IP

Data2 IP

Table 4. Example: Site map


Site Site1 (Prod) Site2 (Remote) Site2 (Remote) Site3 (Remote) Site3 (Remote)

Cluster Cluster1 Cluster2 Cluster3 Cluster4 Cluster5

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vCenter <name> <name> <name> <name> <name>
Server <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address>

Plugin <name> <name> <name> <name> <name>


server <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address>
(per
vCenter
Server)
ESXi 1 <name> <name> <name> <name> <name>
<ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address>

ESXi 2 <name> <name> <name> <name> <name>


<ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address>

vRPA 1 <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address>

vRPA 2 <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address>

Cluster <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address>


Mgmt
NIC1 IP <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address>
(WAN) RPA1 RPA1 RPA1 RPA1 RPA1
<ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address>
RPA2 RPA2 RPA2 RPA2 RPA2
Data 1 <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address>
RPA1 RPA1 RPA1 RPA1 RPA1
<ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address>
RPA2 RPA2 RPA2 RPA2 RPA2
Data 2 <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address>
RPA1 RPA1 RPA1 RPA1 RPA1
<ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address> <ip_address>
RPA2 RPA2 RPA2 RPA2 RPA2
RecoverPoint for VMs installation form

B
Support procedures for uninstalling vRPA
clusters
When the automated uninstaller tool is unavailable, you can manually uninstall a vRPA cluster by using
support procedures to guide you.
The topics in this Appendix provide procedures for use in manually uninstalling a vRPA cluster.
Topics:

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• Uninstalling a single vRPA cluster from a vCenter manually
• Uninstalling all vRPA clusters from a vCenter manually
• Unprotect VMs
• Remove ESX clusters from vRPA clusters
• Remove a vRPA from a vRPA cluster
• Detaching vRPAs
• Powering off vRPAs
• Deleting the repository folder
• Verifying that the configuration parameters are empty
• Removing custom tokens from the Managed Object Browser
• Unregistering the plugin from the Managed Object Browser
• Removing unused directories
• Uninstall the RecoverPoint for VMs splitters
• Uninstall JAM

Uninstalling a single vRPA cluster from a vCenter


manually
Perform this procedure to uninstall one vRPA cluster from a vCenter.

Prerequisites
Obtain the internal cluster name of the vRPA you are uninstalling by connecting to the vRPA Boxmgmt
CLI as the admin user, and selecting Main Menu > Setup > View Settings.

About this task


You must perform this procedure for each vRPA cluster you want to uninstall.
If removing the last vRPA cluster on the vCenter, use the procedure Uninstalling all vRPA clusters from a
vCenter manually instead of this one.

Steps
1. If the vRPA cluster is active:
a. Unprotect the virtual machines. For more information, see Unprotect VMs.
b. Remove all ESX clusters from the vRPA cluster. For more information, see Remove ESX clusters
from vRPA clusters. Repeat this step for all ESX clusters in the vRPA cluster.
2. If you are removing just one vRPA cluster from a system with at least two clusters, perform the
following procedure: Uninstall a vRPA cluster.
If the procedure Uninstall a vRPA cluster was successful, skip to step 6. If the procedure Uninstall a
vRPA cluster failed, continue with the next step.
3. Detach the vRPAs from the cluster. For more information, see Detaching vRPAs.
4. Power off the vRPAs. For more information, see Powering off vRPAs.
5. Remove the custom tokens that correspond to the RecoverPoint for VMs cluster ID. For more
information, see Removing custom tokens from the Managed Object Browser.
6. Delete from all datastores the repository folder of the cluster you are uninstalling. For more
information, see Deleting the repository folder.
7. Verify that the configuration parameters are empty. For more information, see Verifying that the
configuration parameters are empty.

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NOTE: Perform this step only if you encountered problems when unprotecting the VMs.
Performing this step requires downtime of the production VM.

8. Ensure that the vRPA virtual machines are powered off, and delete them.
9. If the ESX cluster you are removing is not registered to any other vRPA cluster, you can uninstall the
RecoverPoint for VMs splitter on that ESXi host. For more information, see Uninstall the RecoverPoint
for VMs splitters.

Uninstalling all vRPA clusters from a vCenter


manually
Perform this procedure to uninstall all vRPA clusters from a vCenter.

Prerequisites
Obtain the internal cluster name of the vRPA you are uninstalling by connecting to the vRPA Boxmgmt
CLI as the admin user, and selecting Main Menu > Setup > View Settings.

About this task


You must perform this procedure for each vRPA cluster you want to uninstall.

Steps
1. If the vRPA cluster is active:
a. Unprotect the virtual machines. For more information, see Unprotect VMs.
b. Remove all ESX clusters from the vRPA clusters. For more information, see Remove ESX clusters
from vRPA clusters. Repeat this step for all ESX clusters in all vRPA clusters.
2. If you are removing just one vRPA cluster from a system with at least two clusters, perform the
following procedure: Uninstall a vRPA cluster.
If the procedure Uninstall a vRPA cluster was successful, skip to step 6. If the procedure Uninstall a
vRPA cluster failed, continue with the next step.
3. Detach the vRPAs from the cluster. For more information, see Detaching vRPAs.
4. Power off the vRPAs. For more information, see Powering off vRPAs.
5. Remove the custom tokens that correspond to the RecoverPoint for VMs Internal cluster name. For
more information, see Removing custom tokens from the Managed Object Browser.
6. Delete from all datastores the repository folders of all clusters. For more information, see Deleting the
repository folder.
7. Verify that the configuration parameters are empty. For more information, see Verifying that the
configuration parameters are empty.
NOTE: Perform this step only if you encountered problems when unprotecting the VMs.
Performing this step requires downtime of the production VM.

8. Ensure that the vRPA virtual machines are powered off, and delete them.
9. Unregister the plug-in from the Managed Object Browser. For more information, see Unregistering the
plugin from the Managed Object Browser.
10. Uninstall the RecoverPoint for VMs splitter. For more information, see Uninstall the RecoverPoint for
VMs splitters.
11. Unregister the RecoverPoint extension from the Managed Object Browser. For more information, see
Unregistering the plugin from the Managed Object Browser.
12. Remove the RecoverPoint datastore element. Delete the RecoverPoint.flp file located in the
RecoverPoint folder.

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Unprotect VMs
To stop replication for a vRPA, unprotect the associated VM.

Steps
1. In the vSphere Web Client home page, click the RecoverPoint for VMs Management icon > Protection
tab. Click Virtual Machines.
Alternatively, in the vSphere Client home page, open the RecoverPoint for VMs menu, and click
Protection > Protected VMs.
2. Select the VM you wish to stop replicating. Click the Unprotect icon. Repeat for each protected VM.

Remove ESX clusters from vRPA clusters


Unregisters the ESX cluster of a production VM or copy VM, from a vRPA cluster.

Steps
1. Access the RecoverPoint for VMs plugin in your vSphere client.
● In the RecoverPoint for VMs HTML5 plugin:
a. Select System > ESX Clusters.
b. If you are replicating remotely, select the vRPA Cluster from which you want to unregister the
ESX cluster.
● In the RecoverPoint for VMs FLEX plugin:
a. Select Administration > vRPA Clusters, and select the ESXi Clusters tab.
b. Select the relevant vRPA cluster.
2. Click the Delete icon next to each ESX cluster to unregister that ESX cluster from the specified vRPA
cluster.

Results
The ESX cluster is unregistered from the specified vRPA cluster.

Remove a vRPA from a vRPA cluster


Use this procedure to remove a vRPA from a vRPA cluster. You cannot remove a vRPA if the cluster has
2 or fewer vRPAs.

Steps
1. In a web browser, type https://<cluster_management-ip-address> for the vRPA cluster from
which you want to remove a vRPA.
2. In the home page, click RecoverPoint for VMs Deployer.
3. If prompted, enter the login credentials for the admin user and click Sign in.
4. Under More actions, click Remove vRPA from vRPA cluster.
● The highest numbered vRPA (the last one added) will be removed.
● The consistency groups of the removed vRPA will be non-disruptively moved to a different vRPA.
● The preferred vRPA setting for those consistency groups will be automatically updated.

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Detaching vRPAs
Steps
1. Use an SSH client to connect to a vRPA and enter login credentials for the admin user.
2. From the Main Menu, select Cluster Operations > Detach from Cluster. Replication is paused.
3. Repeat this procedure on all vRPAs in all vRPA clusters in the system.

Powering off vRPAs


Steps
1. In the vSphere Client or vSphere Web Client, select VMs and Templates.
2. In the vSphere Client, select each vRPA, right-click and select Power > Power Off for each vRPA
that is powered on. In the vSphere Web Client, select each vRPA, right-click and select All vCenter
Actions > Power > Power Off for each vRPA that is powered on.

Deleting the repository folder


Steps
1. At the vSphere Web Client, select Home > Storage > Manage.
2. Select the datastore where the repository folder was created.
3. In the list of files displayed in the Files subtab, locate and open the RPvStorage folder.
4. Within the RPvStorage folder, delete all folders and/or files that include the Internal cluster name.

Verifying that the configuration parameters are


empty
About this task

NOTE: Performing this task requires downtime of the production VM.

Steps
1. At the vSphere Web Client, in Inventory, select Hosts and Clusters. Select a VM that was protected by
RecoverPoint for VMs. Power off the VM. Right-click and select Edit Settings...
2. In the Edit Settings dialog box, select the VM Options tab. Expand the Advanced column. In the
Configuration Parameters row, click Edit Configuration... to edit the advanced configuration
parameters.
3. In the Configuration Parameters window, ensure that all configuration parameters with "RecoverPoint"
or "esx_splitter" in the name have empty values.
The following parameters must not exist or have empty values:
● RecoverPoint RPA number
● RecoverPoint CGUID
● RecoverPoint Cluster ID
● esx_splitter.globalOptions
● esx_splitter.scsi0:1.options

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Removing custom tokens from the Managed Object
Browser
About this task
The custom tokens that correspond to the RecoverPoint for VMs cluster ID need to be removed from the
cluster(s) being reinstalled for all previously used vCenters.
NOTE: Access to the Managed Object Browser is disabled by default in vSphere 6.0. For
instructions on how to enable access, refer to VMware KB2108405.

Steps
1. In a web browser, enter the fully-qualified domain name (or IP address) of the vCenter Server system:
https://<hostname.yourcompany.com>/mob/?moid=CustomFieldsManager
2. Log in using your vCenter login credentials.
3. In the Methods table, select RemoveCustomFieldDef.
A new browser window opens with the void RemoveCustomFieldDef command displayed.
4. In the Parameters table, enter the value of a custom field listed in the Properties table that
corresponds to the Internal cluster name, RecoverPoint_TOKEN, for example,
config.RecoverPoint_TOKEN;3070371118132351610.
5. Click Invoke Method.
6. If you are reinstalling several clusters, repeat steps 3 through 5 for each custom field listed in the
Properties table that corresponds to the Internal cluster names.

Unregistering the plugin from the Managed Object


Browser
About this task
Unregister the RecoverPoint for VMs plugin from the Managed Object Browser at each vCenter Server
that contains ESXi clusters that are hosting vRPA clusters. Unregister the plugin while the vRPAs are
detached. Use this procedure also to unregister a RecoverPoint extension from the Managed Object
Browser.
NOTE: Access to the Managed Object Browser is disabled by default in vSphere 6.0. For
instructions on how to enable access, refer to VMware KB2108405.

Steps
1. In a web browser, enter the fully-qualified domain name (or IP address) of the ESXi or vCenter Server
system:
https://<hostname.yourcompany.com>/mob/?moid=ExtensionManager
2. Log in using your vCenter login credentials.
3. In the Methods table, select UnregisterExtension.
A new browser window opens with void UnregisterExtension command displayed.
4. In the Parameters table, enter com.dell.recoverpoint.vc.h5plugin (HTML5 value), or
com.emc.recoverpoint.vwc (FLEX value), and click Invoke Method.

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Removing unused directories
From the vCenter, remove RecoverPoint for VMs Flex plugin directories that are no longer being used.

Steps
1. Connect to the vCenter server (using a local network mapping or Remote Desktop Connection).
Delete the following folder:
● vCenter 6.5/6.7 and Windows vCenter:
C:\ProgramData\VMware\vCenterServer\cfg\vsphere-
client\vcpackages\vsphere-client-serenity\com.emc.recoverpoint.vwc-
<version>
● vCenter 6.5/6.7 and vCSA: /etc/vmware/vsphere-client/vc-packages/vsphere-
client-serenity/ com.emc.recoverpoint.vwc-<version>
2. Restart the vSphere Web Client. For instructions, refer to VMware KB1003895 (Windows), VMware
KB2109887 (Linux vCenter 6.x), or VMware KB2147152 (Linux - vCenter 6.5).

Uninstall the RecoverPoint for VMs splitters


Use the ESXCLI to uninstall the RecoverPoint for VMs splitters.

Steps
1. Use ESXCLI to obtain a list of all installed vSphere Installation Bundles (VIBs):
esxcli software vib list
2. Ensure that a bundle named RP-Splitter is installed.
3. On the ESXi host, enter maintenance mode:
esxcli system maintenanceMode set -e=true
NOTE: For VSAN environments, this command requires an additional switch (refer to the
vSphere documentation for the vSphere version that you are using).

4. To uninstall the splitter, type:


esxcli software vib remove -n "RP-Splitter"
NOTE: If you want to remove the JAM VIB also (while still in maintenance mode), run the
command:
esxcli software vib remove –n emcjiraf

5. On the ESXi host, exit maintenance mode:


esxcli system maintenanceMode set -e=false

Uninstall JAM
Use this procedure to uninstall the JAM VIB from an ESXi host.

Steps
1. On the ESXi host, vMotion all VMs to another ESXi host.
2. At the ESXCLI, enter maintenance mode. From the ESXi host console, use SSH to run the command:
esxcli system maintenanceMode set -e=true

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NOTE: For VSAN environments, this command requires an additional switch. Refer to the
vSphere documentation for the vSphere version that you are using.

3. To remove the old JAM installation, run the command:


esxcli software vib remove –n emcjiraf
NOTE: If you want to remove the splitter VIB also (while still in maintenance mode), run the
command:
esxcli software vib remove -n "RP-Splitter"

4. On the ESXi host, exit maintenance mode:


esxcli system maintenanceMode set -e=false

C
vSphere upgrades
You may be required to upgrade a vCenter or an ESXi host that is used in the RecoverPoint for VMs
system.
Information about these tasks helps you to successfully perform these
upgrades. Topics:
• Upgrading vCenter
• Upgrading an ESXi host

Upgrading vCenter
About this task
The vCenter upgrade is transparent to RecoverPoint for VMs provided that the upgrade process does not
cause a change in the vCenter UUID.
Use this procedure when you need to upgrade the vCenter within a RecoverPoint for VMs system.
During the upgrade:
● vRPA clusters cannot be managed from this vCenter. Ensure you have access to other vCenters.
● Data replication and recovery point objective (RPO) might be affected.
● vCenters in Enhanced Linked Mode might be impacted (one vCenter at a time).
●RecoverPoint for VMs plug-in should remain intact.
CAUTION: To avoid changing the vCenter UUID during the upgrade process, ensure that you select
the Use existing inventory option.

Steps
1. If you are upgrading to vCenter 6.5, follow the Best practices for upgrading to vCenter Server 6.5.
2. If you are upgrading to vCenter 6.7, follow the Best practices for upgrading to vCenter Server 6.7.
When upgrading to vCenter Server 6.7 U1, or later (from vCenter Server earlier than 6.7 U1), Deploy
the plugin server and Configure the plugin server for each vCenter.

Results

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The vCenter Server is upgraded to the specified version.

Next steps
If RecoverPoint for VMs is in an error state after you upgrade the vCenter, check if the vCenter UUID has
changed. If it has, contact Customer Support.

Upgrading an ESXi host


Perform this procedure on every ESXi host that belongs to an ESX cluster running vRPA VMs.

Prerequisites
Before upgrading to ESXi 7.0U2 or later, ensure your vRPA clusters and splitter and JAM VIBs are all
running RP4VMs 5.3 SP2 or later versions.

About this task

vSphere upgrades

Steps
1. At the ESXCLI, enter maintenance mode. From the ESXi host console, use SSH to run the following
command:
esxcli system maintenanceMode set -e=true
NOTE: For VSAN environments, this command requires an additional switch (refer to the
vSphere documentation for the vSphere version that you are using).
If you are upgrading from an ESX version prior to 7.0, remove the VM Storage Policy of any vRPA
VM, if it resides on the ESX host, by completing the following steps before putting ESX into
maintenance mode: a.Select the vRPA VM in vSphere, and click Edit > VM Storage Policies.

b. Write down and save the names of the VM Storage Policies applied to each VMDK. Some VMDKs
will have a RecoverPoint_JCD policy and some will have a Datastore Default policy.
c. Set all VM Storage Policies to Datastore Default.
After the upgrade of the ESX host completes, change the storage policy of the vRPA VM back to its
original configuration.
2. (Optional) If DRS is in automatic mode, vMotion is carried out automatically. If not, you must manually
use vMotion to move all VMs to a different ESXi host in the ESX cluster.
3. If you are upgrading from an ESX version prior to 7.0, Uninstall the RecoverPoint for VMs splitters and
Uninstall JAM.

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4. Follow the VMware instructions for ESXi upgrade.
Upgrading https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/6.7/vsphere-esxi-67-upgrade-guide.pdf
to 6.7

Upgrading https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/78205
to 7.0
5. Exit maintenance mode. From the ESXi host console, use SSH to run the following command:
esxcli system maintenanceMode set -e=false
The ESXi is updated with a new splitter and JAM VIBs.
6. (Optional) If DRS is not in automatic mode, use vMotion to manually move VMs to the upgraded ESXi
host.

Results
The ESXi is upgraded.

Next steps
1. Repeat this procedure on every ESXi that has secure boot disabled and belongs to an ESX cluster
hosting vRPAs.
2. Enable secure boot on every ESXi host in every ESX cluster hosting vRPAs.

vSphere upgrades

D
Installing on Nutanix
There are no special instructions for installing RecoverPoint for VMs on Nutanix.
Topics:
• Installing RecoverPoint for VMs on Nutanix

Installing RecoverPoint for VMs on Nutanix


Perform a normal installation when installing RecoverPoint for VMs on Nutanix.

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Prerequisites
RecoverPoint for VMs is supported by Nutanix AOS 4.7.5 or 5.0.2, or later. If necessary, upgrade your
Nutanix installation to one of those versions.

NOTE: You do not need to modify the Nutanix settings when installing RecoverPoint for VMs.

Installing on Nutanix

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