VMware vRealize Orchestrator Plug-In for vSphere Replication 8.6 Release Notes

vSphere Replication 8.6 \| 11 OCT 2022 \| Build 20555483 \| Download vRealize Orchestrator Appliance 8.9 \| 09 AUG 2021 \| Build 20227501 VMware vRealize Orchestrator Plug-In for vSphere Replication 8.6 \| 11 OCT 2022 \| Build 20445713 \| Download Check for additions and updates to these release notes.

vSphere Replication 8.6 | 11 OCT 2022 | Build 20555483 | Download

vRealize Orchestrator Appliance 8.9 | 09 AUG 2021 | Build 20227501

VMware vRealize Orchestrator Plug-In for vSphere Replication 8.6 | 11 OCT 2022 | Build 20445713 | Download

Check for additions and updates to these release notes.

What's New

The VMware vRealize Orchestrator Plug-in for vSphere Replication 8.6 provides support for VMware vRealize Orchestrator 8.9.

Introduction to the VMware vRealize Orchestrator Plug-In for vSphere Replication 8.6

The VMware vRealize Orchestrator Plug-In for vSphere Replication allows VMware administrators to simplify the management of their vSphere Replication infrastructure by leveraging the robust workflow automation platform of vRealize Orchestrator. The vRealize Orchestrator Plug-In for vSphere Replication extends automation capabilities for certain vSphere Replication operations by including them in vRealize Orchestrator workflows.

The plug-in also delivers pre-built out-of-the-box building blocks and complete workflows that cover certain existing vSphere Replication actions.

The vRealize Orchestrator Plug-In for vSphere Replication 8.6 release runs with the latest version of VMware vRealize Orchestrator.

You can download the vRealize Orchestrator Plug-In for vSphere Replication 8.6 from the download page.

For information about creating workflows by using vRealize Orchestrator, see the vRealize Orchestrator documentation.

For more information on the supported workflows, see the Featured Workflows section.

For more information on the compatibility between the VMware vRealize Orchestrator Plug-In for vSphere Replication and vRealize Orchestrator Appliance, see the compatibility matrix.

Installation

The Orchestrator Plug-In for vSphere Replication software requires vRealize Orchestrator 8.9, and vSphere Replication 8.6. For information on installing vRealize Orchestrator, see the vRealize Orchestrator documentation. For information on installing vSphere Replication 8.6, see Installing and Setting Up vSphere Replication in the VMware vSphere Replication documentation.

The Orchestrator Plug-In for vSphere Replication software is distributed as Orchestrator application file. Install and configure the plug-in by using the Orchestrator configuration interface.

After you install the Orchestrator Plug-In for vSphere Replication, the plug-in automatically discovers the vSphere Replication instances on all vCenter Servers that are currently registered.

After you install the Orchestrator Plug-In for vSphere Replication, you find the vSphere Replication workflows in the vRealize Orchestrator UI:

Go to Library > Workflows
Search for the workflow by name or switch to tree view from the top right icon. In tree view you can find the workflows under Library > vSphere Replication folder.

Before you can run vSphere Replication workflows, which interact with remote sites, you must register the remote site, by running the corresponding workflow from Library > vSphere Replication > Remote Site Management > Register VC Site.

Note: The vRealize Orchestrator user, which is used to register the vCenter Server sites in vRealize Orchestrator must have the privilege Sessions.ValidateSession and the VRM Administrator role (or all the privileges of the VRM Administor role). The user must have the privileges on all vCenter Server instances in the vRealize Orchestrator inventory, otherwise the vRealize Orchestrator Plug-in for vSphere Replication does not populate the vSphere Replication inventory objects in vRealize Orchestrator.

Even if you want to configure replication to the same site, you must register it by selecting self pair in the Site field. Then, you must log in to the remote site by running the Login to VC Site workflow. You must run this workflow only once per vRealize Orchestrator user.

Note: vRealize Orchestrator communicates with the vSphere Replication appliance over port 8043.

Featured Workflows

The vRealize Orchestrator plug-in provides out-of-the-box workflows to help customers automate vSphere Replication operations. Below are some of the implemented workflows.

Remote Site Management workflows:
- Log in to a vCenter Server site
Configure Replication workflows:
- Reconfigure Replication
Pause Replication workflows
Resume Replication workflows
Stop Replication workflows
Replication Details Workflows
- Check Replication Status
- Get Replication Configuration
- Get Replication List

Caveats and Limitations

The vRealize Orchestrator Plug-In for vSphere Replication 8.6 supports vRealize Orchestrator 8.9.1 and 8.10 with certain limitations. For more information, see the Known Issues section.

Known Issues

New - The vSphere Replication sites are not visible or the Register vCenter Server Site workflow fails when using the plug-in with vRealize Orchestrator 8.9.1 and later

When you run the Register vCenter Server Site workflow, the workflow fails with a certificate error similar to: "Cannot use VC deployment for VC https://{VC_ADDRESS}:443/sdkcom.vmware.hms.o11n.exception.HmsException: Failed to authenticate to VC server. Caused by: com.vmware.vim.vmomi.client.exception.SslException: com.vmware.vim.vmomi.core.exception.CertificateValidationException: Server certificate chain is not trusted and thumbprint doesn't match".

Workaround:

Establish an SSH connection to the vRealize Orchestrator appliance.

To synchronize the local keystore with vRealize Orchestrator, run the following command:

vracli cluster exec -- bash -c 'base64 -d <<< "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" | bash -'

Note: You must run the command after the workflow fails, otherwise the certificate is not imported and would not be synchronized.

Re-run the Register vCenter Server Site workflow.

Known Issues from Previous Releases

General

General

The vSphere Replication site is not shown in the inventory view when a new vCenter instance has been added to vRealize Orchestrator.

Workaround: Restart the vRealize Orchestrator Server service.
You cannot select the same options twice for Disk format per disk, Storage profile per disk or Target datastore per disk, when running the Configure Replication or Reconfigure Replication workflows with the Per disk configuration option activated

When you run the Configure Replication or Reconfigure Replication workflows with the Per disk configuration option activated and you try to select options for the Disk format per disk, Storage profile per disk and Target datastore per disk arrays, you cannot select the same options twice and you get an error message.

Workaround 1: Use the Configure Replication or Reconfigure Replication workflows with the Per disk configuration options deactivated.

Workaround 2: Use the vRealize Orchestrator scripting objects.
Executing any of the unregister workflows from Library > vSphere Replication > Remote Site Management does not terminate the already established connection to the target site.

Workaround: Restart the vRealize Orchestrator Server service.
When registering vCloud Air as a Standalone Org or a Remote Cloud Site and "Ignore certificate warnings" is set to "No", the following warnings appear

1) Untrusted certificate, with certificate info:

Validity : [From : Apr 23, 2013 To : Apr 27, 2016]Organizational Unit :Public key : RSAFingerprint (MD5) : 80 C1 77 2F 78 16 01 EB 9A 4B 88 E5 A3 E3 C0 29Organization : VMware, Inc.Common Name (6 characters min) : *.vchs.vmware.comCountry : USSerial Number : 1B C3 C0 84Alternative names :[2, [2]*.vchs.vmware.com][2, [2]vchs.vmware.com]

2) Wrong site - saying that the certificate is issued to *.vchs.vmware.com

Workaround: Verify that the fingerprint is the same as the above, the validity is correct and continue with importing the certificate despite the warnings.
You might see an error in the vSphere Replication inventory of the vRealize Orchestrator after replacing a vSphere Replication management server certificate at the local site of a pair

If for some reason you change the certificate of the vSphere Replication management server at the local site of a replication pair, you might not be able to see the pair in the vSphere Replication inventory of the vRealize Orchestrator. You see an error similar to:

\Unable to execute 'fetchRelation' for type : Site : com.vmware.vim.vmomi.client.exception.SslException: com.vmware.vim.vmomi.core.exception.CertificateValidationException: Server certificate chain is not trusted and thumbprint doesn't match

Stale certificates in the vRealize Orchestrator inventory cause the issue.
Workaround:
1. Restart the vRealize Orchestrator server:
  1. Launch a console to the virtual machine on which the vRealize Orchestrator server is installed.
  2. Log in to the console as root.
  3. Run the command service vco-server restart to restart the vRealize Orchestrator server.
2. Restart the Orchestrator client. Wait for the validation to complete. You can monitor validation progress at this url pattern: https://{your vRealize Orchestrator server address}:8283/vco-controlcenter/config/#/control-app/validate
3. In case the vSphere Replication management server is in a pair with another vSphere Replication management server, you must reconnect the pair.
4. In the vRealize Orchestrator inventory, unregister the old server entries and register the new ones.