Generally Available: VMware Cloud Director Availability for Azure VMware solution with Run commands

Today we are announcing the general availability for VMware Cloud Director Availability, a Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) solution on Azure VMware Solution.

An added benefit is the simplicity it brings to the deployment. Customers can effortlessly deploy and configure VMware Cloud Director Availability in the Azure VMware Solution cloud site using Run commands, streamlining the process with full automation, and eliminating the need for manual intervention.

VMware Cloud Director Availability can be used to migrate and protect virtual machines, vApps and templates to and from Azure VMware Solution Cloud Director Service site. Azure VMware solution integrates with the classic Data Engine of VMware Cloud Director Availability. This Host-based replication engine not only supports migration but also caters to Disaster Recovery scenarios, making it a comprehensive solution for various use cases.

This blog delves into key aspects of VMware Cloud Director Availability integration with Azure VMware Solution and its role in enhancing disaster recovery and workload migration.

Architecture of VMware Cloud Director Availability in Azure VMware Solution

The VMware Cloud Director Availability installation in Azure VMware Solution cloud site consists of one Replication management appliance (Manager), one Tunnel Appliance, and two Replicator Appliances. You can deploy additional replicator virtual machines by using Run command for adding replicator.

• Replication Manager is responsible for communication with VMware Cloud Director, identifying resources like Organization Virtual Datacenter, storage policies, datastores, and networks. It also plays a pivotal role in determining eligible vApps/VMs and facilitating UI/API interfaces.
• Cloud Replicator is responsible for transferring replication data to/from ESXi hosts in the cloud. 
• Tunnel appliance serving as the single-entry point for managing traffic. It handles both data and management traffic and forwards it respectively to cloud replicators and manager.

The On-Premises Cloud Director Replication Appliance is deployed in the tenant's on-premises data center, this appliance establishes a pairing relation with VMware Cloud Director Availability in the cloud. It enables the protection and migration of VMs between on-premises and the cloud.

Below is an architecture diagram showing the On-Premises Cloud Director Replication Appliance paired with VMware Cloud Director Availability instance in Azure VMware Solution. For simplicity, two replicator appliance instances on the Azure VMware Solution site are depicted as a unified entity.

Figure showing VMware Cloud Director Availability appliances deployed in cloud and on-premises site.

Run commands for VMware Cloud Director Availability

Run commands in Azure VMware Solution let you perform operations that would normally require elevated privileges through a collection of PowerShell cmdlets.

In Azure VMware Solution, providers now have the capability to execute VMware Cloud director Run commands for various actions, including the installation or deletion of a VMware Cloud Director Availability instance, taking, and deleting appliance snapshots, repairing the Replicator Appliance or the vCenter Server Lookup service, and resetting passwords for the service account or the root user of the appliances. Run command empowers administrators to perform a range of administrative actions seamlessly within the VMware Cloud Director Availability instance in Azure VMware Solution.

To learn how to use each run command, see VMware Cloud Director Availability Run command glossary

How to Install and configure VMware Cloud Director Availability in Azure VMware Solution

In Azure VMware Solution, providers can deploy and configure VMware Cloud Director Availability using Run commands. This approach gives them a fully automated way to deploy and configure VMware Cloud Director Availability appliances in the cloud site.

Below are high-level steps of the installation:

1. Ensure you have met all the prerequisites as documented.
2. Login to your Azure portal and navigate to Azure private cloud.
3. Under Run command, navigate to run command package “VMware.VCDA.AVS” to deploy VMware Cloud Director Availability.
4. Initialize the VMware Cloud Director Availability cloud site by using the Run command “Initialize-AVSSite”.

• Wait for the command to complete successfully. You should see message “Operation completed successfully. “.
• Install VMware Cloud Director Availability appliances using “Install-VCDAAVS.”
• Fill all required parameters in the run command as shown in the example below.
• For detailed information on each of the parameters follow the Installation guide.
• Wait for Run command to complete successfully.

Upon successful completion of the Run command, VMware Cloud Director Availability is installed and configured in your Azure VMware Solution private cloud. This includes the setup of essential components such as the Replication Manager, Tunnel Appliance, and two Replicator Appliances.

It's as simple as this!

Next, you can login to VMware Cloud Director Availability appliances admin UI using SSO authentication with your ‘[email protected]’ credentials provided under VMware credentials in Azure portal.

To set up site pairing and start replications, access VMware Cloud Director Availability endpoint and using your Cloud Director Service credentials.

Conclusion

The integration of VMware Cloud Director Availability in Azure VMware Solution through Azure Run commands represents a significant leap forward in the automation of disaster recovery and workload migration solutions. By following the outlined steps and adhering to the prerequisites, enterprise customers can harness the full potential of VMware Cloud Director Availability, bringing a new level of simplicity and efficiency to their cloud strategies.

Learn more

• Deploy VMware Cloud Director Availability in Azure VMware Solution - Azure VMware Solution | Microsoft Learn
• VMware Cloud Director Availability™ in Azure VMware® Solution
• VMware Cloud Director Availability Run command glossary
• VMware Cloud Director Availability | Disaster Recovery & Migration | DRaaS
• VMware Cloud Director Availability documentation
• Concepts - Run Command in Azure VMware Solution (Preview) - Azure VMware Solution | Microsoft Learn

Author Bio

Rosy Dutt, a seasoned Senior Technical Program Manager within Microsoft's Azure VMware Solution product group, brings a wealth of expertise across enterprise, public cloud, and service provider domains. With a track record of driving digital innovation and mastering business complexities, she navigates the intricate landscape of enterprise and technology architectures. Holding double VCP certifications in data center virtualization and network virtualization, she excels as a Cloud Provider Specialist, demonstrating specialized proficiency in this domain.