Unable to configure Replication because another virtual machine already exists at the target site

Products

• VMware Live Recovery

Issue/Introduction

This is to clear the stale replication entries in the vSphere replication servers which can happen when trying to remove the replications and re-add.

Symptoms:

• Cannot configure replication because another virtual machine already exists at the target site.
  
  ERROR
Operation Failed
Unable to configure replication for virtual machine 'virtual machine' because group 'virtual machine' cannot be created. Another virtual machine 'virtual machine' that has the same instance UUID '50206a21-d177-e2ea-7085-############' already exists on protection site '(Protected Site)'.
  
  
• Orphaned replication remains on one site while deleted from the other.
• Replication entries remain at the ESX host level despite removal from vSphere replication UI.
  
  
• Similar error is thrown when trying to break a site pair, indicating appliance has active replications, even though UI does not show any replication job(s).

Environment

• VMware vSphere Replication 9.0.1, 9.0.2

• VMware Live Recovery 9.0.3, 9.0.4

• VCF Protection and Recovery 9.1

• Configuring replication using VCF Automation 9.1

Cause

An orphaned replication remains on one of the sites, preventing the configuration of a new replication for the same virtual machine due to a UUID conflict.

Resolution

 If the vSphere Replication Management server is not reinstalled, an orphaned replication exists in your environment. It can be forced stop the replication to delete orphaned entry.

1. Log in to the vSphere Client.
2. On the home page, click Site Recovery and click Open Site Recovery.
3. On the Site Recovery home page, select the site pair which contains the protected site, mentioned in the error message that you received.
4. Click the Replications tab and select a replication from Outgoing or Incoming.
5. Click the Remove icon and select Force stop replication(s). 

Alternatively, use the Managed Object Browser (MOB) of the vSphere Replication Management server to delete the replication.

Configuring Replication Fails Because Another Virtual Machine Has the Same Instance UUID

1. Navigate to https://vrms_address:8043/mob/?vmodl=1
   1. Where vrms_address is the IP address of the vSphere Replication Management server.
   2. Click the content value.
   3. Select the replicaManager or replicationManager value, depending on the type of replication you want to delete.
      1. For an outgoing replication, click replication-manager > getOutgoingReplications.
      2. For an incoming replication, click replica-manager > getIncomingReplications.
         
         Set the relevant start, count, sorters, and filter values.
         
         NOTE: Set the start value to 0 and delete the sorters and filter values, to invoke the first page of maximum 50 listed replications. For more than 50 replications, you can use paging and make additional calls for the next pages of replications or use the sorters and filter values.
   4. Click Invoke Method.
   5. Locate the replication and click the GID link under replication value.
   6. Invoke the destroy method to remove the replication.
      
      After removing replication -or- if unable to find replication using above steps check Source ESXI host to validate replication information is removed from VM

2. SSH into Source ESXI host and find VM identifier with vim-cmd vmsvc/getallvms

3. Validate VM replication status with vim-cmd hbrsvc/vmreplica.getState vmid

4. If Replica info exists for VM remove with vim-cmd hbrsvc/vmreplica.disable vmid

   Disabling Replication on VM from Source ESXI

If the vSphere Replication Management server on one of the sites was reinstalled or otherwise reset:

1. Reinstall the vSphere Replication Management server at the other site or reset its database.
2.  Connect the sites and register any additional vSphere Replication server appliances.
3. Remove any temporary hbr* files left over from the target datastore folders.
4. Configure all replications, reusing the existing replica .vmdk files as replication seeds.

Additional Information

FAQ: Site Recovery Manager & vSphere Replication Redeployment Guidelines

Impact/Risks: VM replications cannot be configured.