Installing vRanger
• Managing repository replication
Before installing vRanger and EMC� Data Domain� Boost (DDBoost�), ensure that you read and understand the requirements and limitations of both products. The following topics summarize the system requirements for vRanger.
IMPORTANT: The following information is a summary. Before implementing vRanger, review the Quest vRanger Installation/Upgrade Guide.
For vRanger and DDBoost to integrate, you must use the following versions:
• At least one EMC� Data Domain� device running:
▪ Data Domain OS 5.7 — requires vRanger 7.5 or later
▪ Data Domain OS 6.0— requires vRanger 7.6.4 or later
▪ Data Domain OS 6.1— requires vRanger 7.6.4 or later
The minimum hardware requirements to run vRanger can vary widely based on several factors. Therefore, you should not do a large-scale implementation without first completing a scoping and sizing exercise.
The following describes the hardware recommendations for the vRanger physical machine:
The following describes the hardware recommendations for using vRanger in a VM:
Requirements for physical backup and restore
When backing up from and restoring to a physical server, vRanger uses a client run on that server to perform backup and restore operations. To process the backup workload effectively, the physical server must meet the following requirements:
Any combination equaling four cores of CPUs are recommended. Example one quad-core CPU; two dual-core CPUs.
Supported operating systems for installation
The following operating systems are supported for installation of vRanger.
Windows 10a Windows Server 2012 R2bd b. Windows 2008 R2 SP1 requires Windows Management Framework 3.0. Refer to Known Issue VR-177 in the vRanger Release Notes for more information. c.The Windows Storage Server edition is not supported as an installation platform for vRanger. d. Before installing vRanger on Windows Server 2012 R2, the updates listed in Additional required software must be installed.
In addition to a supported version of Windows� and a supported VMware� Infrastructure, you may need some additional software components, depending on your configuration.
• Microsoft� .NET Framework: vRanger requires the .NET Framework 4.5. The vRanger installer installs it if not detected.
• SQL Server: [Optional] vRanger utilizes two SQL Server� databases for application functionality. vRanger can install a local version of SQL Express 2014 SP3 or you can choose to install the vRanger databases on your own SQL instance.
• Windows PowerShell 3 or above.If you are installing vRanger on Windows 2008 R2 SP1, you will need to install Windows PowerShell 3 or above before installing vRanger
• vRanger virtual appliance (VA): The vRanger VA is a small, pre-packaged Linux� distribution that serves as a platform for vRanger operations away from the vRanger server. vRanger uses the VA for the following functions:
▪ Replication to and from VMware� ESXi� hosts.
▪ File-level restore (FLR) from Linux machines.
▪ Optionally for backups and restores.
• Updates for Windows Server 2012 R2: Before installing vRanger on Windows Server 2012 R2, ensure that the Windows updates listed below are installed:
Installing vRanger
The installation of vRanger has several options. Unless you have a valid reason not to, Quest recommends that you accept the defaults wherever possible. The installation follows this sequence:
1 Launch the installer, and accept the vRanger license.
The install process does not continue until the license is accepted.
2 Choose an installation directory.
3 Enter the credentials under which the vRanger services should run.
Use credentials that have local administrator privileges on the vRanger machine.
4 Select the vRanger database.
You may choose to install vRanger with a new instance of SQL Server� Express or on an existing SQL Server. You also need to configure DB credentials now.
For more information, see the Quest vRanger Installation/Upgrade Guide.
Configuring vRanger
vRanger requires some basic configuration before data protection can begin. The bulk of this configuration is driven by the Startup Wizard which starts the first time the application is opened. For more information, see the Quest vRanger Installation/Upgrade Guide.
The following topics describe the primary configurations you need to make.
• Adding vCenters or hosts: Before you can begin backups, you must add one or more VMware� vCenter� or ESXi� servers to the vRanger inventory. To add a vCenter, you must have credentials with Administrator access to the vCenter, along with root-level credentials for each host managed by the vCenter. vRanger provides the option to exclude hosts from the vRanger inventory, which also excludes them from licensing.
• Adding repositories: Repositories are where vRanger stores the savepoints created by each backup job. For the purposes of this integration, an EMC� Data Domain� Boost (DDBoost�) repository should be used.
The DDBoost server must be fully configured and running before adding it as a vRanger Repository. For procedures on how to add a DDBoost server as a repository, see Managing repository replication.
Adding an EMC Data Domain Boost (DD Boost) repository
The following process describes how to add an EMC� Data Domain� Boost (DD Boost�) repository. The following procedure assumes that:
• You have a properly configured Data Domain appliance that is accessible to the vRanger machine.
• DD Boost is licensed and enabled on the Data Domain device.
• You have designated a DD Boost User account.
NOTE: For information on setting up the preceding configurations, see your EMC Data Domain documentation.
To add an EMC Data Domain Boost Repository:
1 In the My Repositories pane, right-click anywhere, and click Add > EMC Data Domain Boost (DDB).
2 In the Add EMC Data Domain Boost Repository dialog box, complete the following fields:
▪ Repository Name: Enter a descriptive name for the repository.
▪ Description: [Optional] Enter a long-form description for the repository.
▪ DNS Name or IP: Enter the IP or FQDN for the Data Domain device.
▪ User name and Password: Enter the credentials for the account selected as the DD Boost User on the Data Domain device.
▪ Storage Unit: This field specifies the Storage Unit configured on the Data Domain device. Select one from the drop-down menu, or enter the name for a new Storage Unit and vRanger creates one for you.
The connection to the repository is tested and the repository is added to the My Repositories pane and the Repository Information dialog box.
vRanger checks the configured repository location for existing manifest data to identify existing savepoints.
4 If vRanger finds existing savepoints, click the applicable button:
▪ Import as Read-Only: To import all savepoint data into the vRanger database, but only for restores, click this button. You cannot back up data to this repository.
▪ Import: To import all savepoint data into the vRanger database, click this button. vRanger is able to use the repository for backups and restores. vRanger requires read and write access to the directory.
▪ Overwrite: To retain the savepoint data on the disk and not import it into vRanger, click this button. vRanger ignores the existence of the existing savepoint data and treats the repository as new.
Configuring repository replication
Replication is configured through the My Repositories pane of the vRanger interface. The following procedure assumes that:
• You have configured at least one DD Boost repository in vRanger.
• At least one other Data Domain device with DD Boost enabled is available in your environment to serve as the replication target. You do not have to add this device to vRanger.
• All devices used in replication have a Replicator license installed.
1 In the My Repositories pane, right-click the Data Domain Boost repository, and select Configure Replication.
2 In the Configure Replication dialog box, complete the following fields:
▪ Repository Name: Enter a descriptive name for the repository.
▪ Description: [Optional] Enter a long-form description for the repository.
▪ DNS Name or IP: Enter the IP or FQDN for the Data Domain device.
▪ DD Boost User name and Password: Enter the credentials for the account selected as the DD Boost User on the Data Domain device.
▪ Storage Unit: This field specifies the Storage Unit configured on the Data Domain device. Select one from the drop-down menu, or enter the name for a new Storage Unit and vRanger creates one for you.
The connection to the device is tested and the device is added as a repository is added to the My Repositories pane and the Repository Information dialog box.
After replication is configured for a repository, the Configure Replication option is disabled for that repository.
IMPORTANT: After a repository is configured for replication, you must select a synchronization method before replication occurs. For information on manual and automatic synchronization options, see Managing repository replication.
Editing a replication configuration
You may edit an existing replication configuration to update credentials or timeout values. You may also use the Edit Repository Details dialog box to view free space for the repository.
1 In the My Repositories pane, right-click the EMC Data Domain Boost repository, and select Edit Replication Configuration.
2 In the Edit EMC Data Domain Boost Repository dialog box, edit any of the following fields:
3 Alternatively, view the Free Space field for up-to-date information about this repository.
4 If you edited any of the fields, click Update.
NOTE: For information on disabling repository replication, see Disabling repository replication.
Removing an EMC DD Boost repository
The process for removing an EMC� Data Domain� Boost (DD Boost�) repository is the same as removing any other repository type, except that you also have the option of removing the storage unit used by the repository. There is a hard limit on the number storage units that can be configured on a Data Domain device, which makes removing unused storage units an important maintenance effort.
To remove a DD Boost repository:
1 In the My Repositories pane, right-click the applicable EMC Data Domain Boost repository, and select Remove.
The Remove Repository dialog box appears, showing the savepoints in the selected repository.
When removing a repository, you have the option of keeping the savepoints on disk or deleting them. To remove the storage unit associated with the repository, you need to remove the savepoints. If replication is configured for this repository, you are also given the option to delete the savepoints in the replicated repository.
2 Select Delete all savepoints in this repository.
CAUTION: This step deletes the savepoints from the repository disk, not just the vRanger database. Exercise caution when deleting savepoints.
3 To delete the savepoints in a replicated repository, select Delete all savepoints in replication repository.
5 When the Delete Savepoints dialog box appears, select Delete DD Boost storage unit, and click OK.
The savepoints are deleted, along with the storage unit associated with the repository.
Managing repository replication
vRanger supports repository replication. Repositories configured for replication can be synchronized in one of three ways:
• Automatically, after a successful backup task to that repository.
• As a separate job on a scheduled basis.
• Manually, using the Synchronize option.
Configuring a repository for automatic replication
When a managed repository is configured for savepoint replication, and a backup task completes successfully, each savepoint is also replicated to the replication repository.
To enable automatic savepoint replication:
1 From the Tools menu on the vRanger toolbar, select Options.
2 Under the Repositories node, select Replication.
TIP: You may also right-click the target repository in the My Repositories pane, and select Repository Replication Options.
3 Select Enable savepoint replication for a successful backup job task, and click Ok.
Scheduling repository synchronization
When using scheduled repository synchronization, savepoints are replicated to the replication repository according to a configured schedule.
NOTE: When scheduling repository synchronization, ensure that the synchronization activity does not occur at the same time as backup jobs using the synchronized repository.
To schedule a repository synchronization:
1 From the Tools menu on the vRanger toolbar, select Options.
2 Under the Repositories node, select Replication.
3 In the Repository Replication Configuration pane, find the Repository Name column, and select the applicable repository.
The repositories listed are the target repositories.
4 Select Schedule repository synchronization.
5 Configure the replication schedule as desired, using the following information as a guide.
a Start: In the drop-down list, select the time for the replication task to begin.
b Recurrence Pattern: Establish how often the changes should be synchronized. There are five options within this section:
▫ Daily: The daily option can be scheduled to synchronize the repository every weekday or every x number of days.
▫ Weekly: Repository synchronization can be configured to run on weekly intervals, from every week to every 99 weeks. The day of the week on which to run synchronization tasks can be configured.
▫ Monthly: The monthly option offers the following configurations:
x can be any value from 1 to 31. This value determines the day of the month on which the synchronization job occurs.
y can be any value from 1 to 99. This value determines the monthly interval — for example, every two months sets the job to run every other month.
- The [f] [d] of every [y] month(s):
f can be either: first, second, third, fourth or last.
d can be: weekday, weekend day, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, or Saturday.
y can be any value from 1 to 99. This value determines the monthly interval — for example, every two months sets the synchronization task to run every other month.
▫ Yearly: The yearly option offers the following configurations:
m is any month of the year. This value determines the month of the year in which the synchronization occurs.
x can be any value from 1 to 31. This value determines the day of the month on which the synchronization occurs.
f can be either: first, second, third, fourth, or last.
d can be: day, weekday, weekend day, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, or Saturday.
m is any month of the year. This value determines the month of the year in which the synchronization occurs.
▫ Interval: The interval option lets you select the number of days, hours, and minutes that should pass between synchronization jobs. The interval selected must be greater than or equal to five minutes.
6 Click OK to schedule the job.
Synchronizing a repository manually
1 In the My Repositories pane, right-click the source or replication repository, and select Synchronize.
2 When the confirmation prompt appears, click Yes.
Disabling repository replication
To disable repository replication:
▪ From the Tools menu on the vRanger toolbar, select Options. Under the Repositories node, select Replication.
▪ Right-click the replication repository, and select Repository Replication Options.
2 Clear the check box for Enable savepoint replication for a successful backup job task or Schedule repository synchronization, or both.
Replication is disabled as indicated by a red circle icon containing a white exclamation point.
Changing a replication repository to a primary repository
If your primary repository becomes corrupt or otherwise unavailable, you can quickly change your replication repository to a primary repository to continue backup and recovery operations.
To change a replication repository to a primary repository:
1 In the My Repositories pane, right-click the replication repository, and click Remove.
3 In the My Repositories pane, click Add.
4 Select the applicable repository type.
5 Complete the Add Repository dialog box, and click OK.
6 When vRanger detects that the repository being added contains savepoint data and displays the Warning: Existing Repository Found dialog box, click Import to reconfigure the repository as a primary repository.
We are on a quest to make your information technology work harder for you. That is why we build community-driven software solutions that help you spend less time on IT administration and more time on business innovation. We help you modernize your data center, get you to the cloud quicker and provide the expertise, security and accessibility you need to grow your data-driven business. Combined with Quest’s invitation to the global community to be a part of its innovation, and our firm commitment to ensuring customer satisfaction, we continue to deliver solutions that have a real impact on our customers today and leave a legacy we are proud of. We are challenging the status quo by transforming into a new software company. And as your partner, we work tirelessly to make sure your information technology is designed for you and by you. This is our mission, and we are in this together. Welcome to a new Quest. You are invited to Join the Innovation�.
Our brand, our vision. Together.
Our logo reflects our story: innovation, community and support. An important part of this story begins with the letter Q. It is a perfect circle, representing our commitment to technological precision and strength. The space in the Q itself symbolizes our need to add the missing piece — you — to the community, to the new Quest.
For sales or other inquiries, visit https://www.quest.com/company/contact-us.aspx or call +1-949-754-8000.
Technical support is available to Quest customers with a valid maintenance contract and customers who have trial versions. You can access the Quest Support Portal at https://support.quest.com.
The Support Portal provides self-help tools you can use to solve problems quickly and independently, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Support Portal enables you to:
• Submit and manage a Service Request.
• View Knowledge Base articles.
• Sign up for product notifications.
• Download software and technical documentation.
• Engage in community discussions.
We are on a quest to make your information technology work harder for you. That is why we build community-driven software solutions that help you spend less time on IT administration and more time on business innovation. We help you modernize your data center, get you to the cloud quicker and provide the expertise, security and accessibility you need to grow your data-driven business. Combined with Quest’s invitation to the global community to be a part of its innovation, and our firm commitment to ensuring customer satisfaction, we continue to deliver solutions that have a real impact on our customers today and leave a legacy we are proud of. We are challenging the status quo by transforming into a new software company. And as your partner, we work tirelessly to make sure your information technology is designed for you and by you. This is our mission, and we are in this together. Welcome to a new Quest. You are invited to Join the Innovation�.
Our brand, our vision. Together.
Our logo reflects our story: innovation, community and support. An important part of this story begins with the letter Q. It is a perfect circle, representing our commitment to technological precision and strength. The space in the Q itself symbolizes our need to add the missing piece — you — to the community, to the new Quest.
For sales or other inquiries, visit https://www.quest.com/company/contact-us.aspx or call +1-949-754-8000.
Technical support is available to Quest customers with a valid maintenance contract and customers who have trial versions. You can access the Quest Support Portal at https://support.quest.com.
The Support Portal provides self-help tools you can use to solve problems quickly and independently, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Support Portal enables you to:
• Submit and manage a Service Request.
• View Knowledge Base articles.
• Sign up for product notifications.
• Download software and technical documentation.
• Engage in community discussions.
We are on a quest to make your information technology work harder for you. That is why we build community-driven software solutions that help you spend less time on IT administration and more time on business innovation. We help you modernize your data center, get you to the cloud quicker and provide the expertise, security and accessibility you need to grow your data-driven business. Combined with Quest’s invitation to the global community to be a part of its innovation, and our firm commitment to ensuring customer satisfaction, we continue to deliver solutions that have a real impact on our customers today and leave a legacy we are proud of. We are challenging the status quo by transforming into a new software company. And as your partner, we work tirelessly to make sure your information technology is designed for you and by you. This is our mission, and we are in this together. Welcome to a new Quest. You are invited to Join the Innovation�.
Our brand, our vision. Together.
Our logo reflects our story: innovation, community and support. An important part of this story begins with the letter Q. It is a perfect circle, representing our commitment to technological precision and strength. The space in the Q itself symbolizes our need to add the missing piece — you — to the community, to the new Quest.
For sales or other inquiries, visit https://www.quest.com/company/contact-us.aspx or call +1-949-754-8000.
Technical support is available to Quest customers with a valid maintenance contract and customers who have trial versions. You can access the Quest Support Portal at https://support.quest.com.
The Support Portal provides self-help tools you can use to solve problems quickly and independently, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Support Portal enables you to:
• Submit and manage a Service Request.
• View Knowledge Base articles.
• Sign up for product notifications.
• Download software and technical documentation.
• Engage in community discussions.
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