How to manage vSphere replication solution in cluster image manually

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

• The automatic installation of vSphere replication agent (vmware-hbr-agent) is disabled

on vSphere Replication appliance configuration file  /opt/vmware/hms/conf/hms-configuration.xml, hms-auto-install-hbragent-vib parameter is set to false

<hms-auto-install-hbragent-vib>false</hms-auto-install-hbragent-vib>

• You are unable to add vmware-hbr-agent in the cluster image configuration.

 

 

Environment

• VMware vCenter Server 8.x 

Resolution

• Configure cluster Remediation Settings with Parallel remediation. This will prevent the VMware-HBR-Agent update while replicated VMs are running on esxi host.

https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/vmware-cis/vsphere/vsphere/8-0/managing-host-and-cluster-lifecycle-8-0/configuring-vlcm-remediation-settings-1/configure-the-vlcm-remediation-settings.html

• Download /opt/vmware/hbr/vib/VMware-HBR-Agent-xxxxxxxx-depot.zip  from vSphere Replication appliance via WinSCP  

example:

• Import VMware-HBR-Agent-xxxxxxxx-depot.zip in Lifecycle Manager

https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/vmware-cis/vsphere/vsphere/8-0/managing-host-and-cluster-lifecycle-8-0/working-with-vsphere-lifecycle-manager-depots/updating-the-vlcm-depot.html

• From vCenter  / Developper Center / API explorer , select endpoint <vcenter_fqdn> select API : esx,  deploy settings/clusters/software/solutions/PUT

Enter the required parameters:

• • cluster: domain-c<number>

Notes: You only need to copy domain-c<number> part of the URL. For example: When you navigate to cluster in vSphere client, your URL will be similar to this: https://<fqdn-of-vCenter-server>/ui/app/cluster;nav=h/urn:vmomi:ClusterComputeResource:domain-c31:ce4a7b9f-768c-2222-3333-fe50bd6341c8/summary. You only need to copy domain-c31 to use in the steps below.

• • solution: VMware-HBR-Agent

• • request_body: (see example attached file request_body.json)

Notes:  You only need to copy xxxxxxxx which  is the vib version. As an example, for VMware-HBR-Agent-8.0.3-0.0.24143343-depot.zip, "xxxxxxxx"= "8.0.3-0.0.24143343". (see attached file request_body.json)

 

• Click "EXECUTE"

• Remediate cluster to install VMware-HBR-Agent

https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/vmware-cis/vsphere/vsphere/8-0/managing-host-and-cluster-lifecycle-8-0/using-images-to-install-and-update-esxi-hosts-and-clusters/remediating-a-cluster-or-a-standalone-host-against-a-single-image.html