NetApp Disaster Recovery prerequisites
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Before using NetApp Disaster Recovery, you should ensure that your environment meets the ONTAP storage, VMware vCenter cluster, and NetApp Console requirements.
Software versions
| Component | Minimum version |
|---|---|
ONTAP software |
ONTAP 9.10.0 or later |
VMware on-premises vCenter |
7.0u3 or later |
VMware Cloud for AWS |
Latest available version |
Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP |
Latest available version |
ONTAP storage prerequisites
These prerequisites apply to either ONTAP or Amazon FSX for NetApp ONTAP instances.
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Source and destination clusters must have a peer relationship.
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The SVM that will host the disaster recovery volumes must exist on the destination cluster.
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The source SVM and destination SVM must have a peer relationship.
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If deploying with Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP, the following prerequisite applies:
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An Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP instance to host VMware DR datastores must exist in your VPC. Refer to Amazon FSx for ONTAP documentation on how to get started.
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VMware vCenter clusters prerequisites
These prerequisites apply to both on-premises vCenter clusters and to VMware Cloud for AWS software-defined data center (SDDC).
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Review vCenter privileges required for NetApp Disaster Recovery.
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All VMware clusters that you want NetApp Disaster Recovery to manage use ONTAP volumes to host any VMs that you want to protect.
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All VMware datastores to be managed by NetApp Disaster Recovery must use one of the following protocols:
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NFS
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VMFS using the iSCSI or FC protocol
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VMware vSphere version 7.0 Update 3 (7.0v3) or later
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If you are using VMware Cloud SDDC, these prerequisites apply.
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In the VMware Cloud Console, use the service roles of Administrator and NSX Cloud Administrator. Also use the organization owner for the Organization role. Refer to Using VMware Cloud Foundations with AWS FSx for NetApp ONTAP documentation.
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Link the VMware Cloud SDDC with Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP instance. Refer to VMware Cloud on AWS integration with Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP deployment information.
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NetApp Console prerequisites
Get started with the NetApp Console
If you haven't already done so, sign up to the NetApp Console and create an organization.
Gather credentials for ONTAP and VMware
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Amazon FSx for ONTAP and AWS credentials must be added to the system within the NetApp Console project that will be used to manage NetApp Disaster Recovery.
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NetApp Disaster Recovery requires vCenter credentials. You enter the vCenter credentials when you're adding a site in NetApp Disaster Recovery.
For a list of vCenter privileges needed, refer to vCenter privileges needed for NetApp Disaster Recovery.
For instructions on how to add a site, refer to Add a site.
Create the NetApp Console agent
The Console agent is a software component that enables the Console to communicate with your ONTAP storage and VMware vCenter clusters. It is required for Disaster Recovery to function properly. The agent resides in your private network (either in an on-premises data center or in a cloud VPC) and communicates with your ONTAP storage instances and any additional server and application components. For Disaster Recovery, this is access to your managed vCenter clusters.
A Console agent must be set up in the NetApp Console. When you use the agent, it will include the appropriate capabilities for the Disaster Recovery service.
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NetApp Disaster Recovery works only with the standard mode agent deployment. See Getting started with the NetApp Console in standard mode.
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Ensure that both the source and destination vCenters use the same Console agent.
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Type of Console agent needed:
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On-premises to on-premises disaster recovery: Install the Console on-premises agent in the disaster recovery site. Using this method, a failure of the primary site doesn't prevent the service from restarting your virtual resources at the DR site. Refer to Install and set up the Console agent on premises.
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On-premises to AWS: Install the Console agent for AWS in your AWS VPC. Refer to Console agent installation options in AWS.
For on-premises to on-premises, use the on-premises Console agent. For on-premises to AWS, use the AWS Console agent, which has access to the source on-premises vCenter and the destination on-premises vCenter. -
The installed Console agent must be able to access any VMware cluster that NetApp Disaster Recovery will manage.
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All ONTAP arrays to be managed by NetApp Disaster Recovery must be added to any system within the NetApp Console project that will be used to manage NetApp Disaster Recovery.
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For information about setting up an intelligent proxy for NetApp Disaster Recovery, see Set up your infrastructure for NetApp Disaster Recovery.
Workload prerequisites
To ensure that application-consistency processes are successful, apply these prerequisites:
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Ensure that VMware tools (or Open VM tools) are running on the VMs that will be protected.
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For Windows VMs running Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle Database or both, the databases should have their VSS Writers enabled.
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Oracle databases that are running on a Linux operating system should have the operating system user authentication enabled for the Oracle database SYSDBA role.