Migrate Aria Automation, VMware Identity Manager, Aria Suite Lifecycle to a new vCenter.
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Migrate Aria Automation, VMware Identity Manager, Aria Suite Lifecycle to a new vCenter.

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Article ID: 401323

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Updated On:

Products

VCF Operations/Automation (formerly VMware Aria Suite)

Issue/Introduction

  • Migrating Aria Automation, VMware Identity Manager, Aria Suite Lifecycle to a new vCenter.
  • Hostname and IP address are staying the same.

Environment

Aria Automation 8.x

VMware Identity Manager 3.3.x

Aria Suite Lifecycle 8.x

 

Resolution

The steps are as follows:

  • Powering off vRA and vIDM from LCM
  • Clone vIDM and vRA to the new vCenter, keeping the same name
  • Proceed to Part 1 to move the LCM appliance
  • Power back on all appliances on the new vCenter
    • vRA will require that you SSH to the primary node of the cluster and manually run /opt/scripts/deploy.sh
      • This is to initialize the environment so it is reachable during import in later steps
  • Delete the existing vRA, and then vIDM tiles from the environment section in LCM (delete from LCM only, not vCenter, we want to preserve the original appliances for now)
  • Create/Import environment for vIDM using the steps detailed in Part 2
  • Create/Import environment for vRA using the steps detailed in Part 3
  • Run inventory SYNC for vIDM
  • Run inventory SYNC for vRA

Part 1: VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle

Moving a VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle appliance from one vCenter to another can be accomplished using standard vSphere migration techniques or a Backup and Restore procedure.

If your vCenter servers are in the same Single Sign-On (SSO) domain or if you are using the Advanced Cross vCenter vMotion feature in the vSphere Client, you can move the powered-on appliance directly.

  1. Requirement: Ensure the source and destination networks are equivalent or accessible to maintain the appliance's IP connectivity.
  2. Execution: Right-click the appliance VM and select Migrate. Choose "Change both compute resource and storage" and select the destination vCenter and host.
  3. Post-Move: Once moved, log in to Aria Suite Lifecycle and navigate to Settings > Data Centers. Ensure the vCenter mapping for your data center reflects the new vCenter location if it was previously pinned to the old one.

Method 2: Power Off and Re-register (Requires Shared Storage or Export)

If you cannot use vMotion, you can manually move the VM files.

  1. Snapshot: Take a snapshot of the appliance before powering it off.
  2. Power Off: Shut down the appliance gracefully.
  3. Unregister: Right-click the VM in the source vCenter and select Remove from Inventory.
  4. Register: Log in to the destination vCenter, browse the datastore containing the VM files, right-click the .vmx file, and select Register VM.
  5. Network Mapping: Ensure the VM is attached to the correct port group on the new vCenter.
  6. Power On: Start the appliance.

Method 3: Backup and Restore (Cleanest for Environment Changes)

If the underlying infrastructure (network, IP, or DNS) is changing significantly, use the official backup and restore process.

  1. Back Up: Perform a full backup of the source Aria Suite Lifecycle instance using a supported tool (e.g., Veeam, NetBackup, or the internal file-based backup if configured).
  2. Deploy New: Deploy a fresh appliance of the exact same version in the destination vCenter using the OVA or Easy Installer.
  3. Restore: Use the restore procedure to apply the configuration and database from the source appliance to the new one.

Critical Warnings and Caveats

  • Irreversibility: If you unregister a VM without shared storage and don't have a backup, moving the files manually is risky. Always take a backup or snapshot before unregistering.
  • DNS & NTP: Ensure the destination vCenter can resolve the appliance's FQDN and that time synchronization (NTP) is consistent across the new host and appliance. Time drift will cause service startup failures.
  • Managed vCenters: If the vCenter you are moving from was also a managed endpoint (a "cloud provider" in Lifecycle Manager), you must update the vCenter credentials and connection details in the Lifecycle Operations > Datacenters section after the move to ensure Lifecycle Manager can still manage other products in that vCenter.

Part 2: globalenvironment

Mandatory Prerequisites

  • Unique Environment: Only one global environment can exist per Aria Suite Lifecycle instance.
  • Data Center: Ensure the data center hosting your Workspace ONE Access nodes is added to Aria Suite Lifecycle as a new/separate datacenter (do not add the new vCenter to an existing datacenter, create a new datacenter referencing the new vCenter).
  • FQDN: You must have the correct FQDN. If the instance is clustered, use the Load Balancer Hostname. If tenancy is enabled, use the Default Tenant Alias Hostname.

Import Procedure

  1. Create Environment: Log in to Aria Suite Lifecycle and click Create Environment.
  2. Environment Details:
    • Set the Environment Name to globalenvironment.
    • Select the correct Data Center.
  3. Product Selection:
    • Find the VMware Workspace ONE Access card.
    • Check the product box and select Import. Click Next.
  4. Product Details:
    • Enter the FQDN (Load Balancer or Tenant Alias if applicable).
    • Enter the Default Configuration Admin User name.
    • Provide the necessary passwords (System Admin, Admin, SSH, and Root).
  5. Submit: Click Next, review the summary, and click Submit.

Critical Warnings & Caveats

  • Cluster Consistency: If importing a cluster, ensure all nodes have the same root and SSH passwords. Password mismatches will cause the import to fail.
  • Tenant Alias: If you have enabled multiple tenants in Workspace ONE Access, you must use the Default Tenant Alias Hostname during the import process to ensure proper connectivity.
  • Post-Import Sync: You must perform an Inventory Sync immediately after the import completes. Without this, Aria Suite Lifecycle will not have an accurate record of the services and configuration state.
  • Certificates: Aria Suite Lifecycle will not automatically pull existing certificates into the Locker during an import. You must:
    1. Manually import the certificate into the Locker.
    2. Update the environment to associate the certificate.
    3. Note: Replacing or updating the globalenvironment certificate later requires a specific procedure in Lifecycle Manager to ensure trust is maintained across all other Suite products.

Part 3: VMware Aria Automation

Mandatory Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure the following conditions are met to avoid import failure:

  • Workspace ONE Access Match: The Workspace ONE Access (identity manager) instance managed by Aria Suite Lifecycle must match the one registered with your Aria Automation 8.18.1 environment.
  • Admin Consistency: Use the same configuration administrator user for both Workspace ONE Access and Aria Automation within the Lifecycle Manager settings.
  • Root Passwords: In multi-node Aria Automation clusters, all nodes must have the same root password. If they differ, the import request will fail.
  • Endpoints: Ensure the vCenter Server and Data Center where the Aria Automation nodes reside are already added to Aria Suite Lifecycle.

Step-by-Step Import Procedure

  1. Start Wizard: Log in to VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle as an Admin and navigate to Lifecycle Operations > Create Environment.
  2. Environment Settings:
    • Enter an Environment Name and select the appropriate Data Center.
    • On the product selection screen, locate the VMware Aria Automation card.
    • Check the product box and select the Import radio button.
  3. Product Details:
    • In the Version dropdown, select 8.18.1.
    • Enter the Primary Node Hostname (FQDN).
    • Provide the Primary Node root Password.
    • Select the vCenter Server where the nodes are deployed.
  4. Submit: Review the summary and click Submit. You can monitor the progress in the Requests tab.

Critical Post-Import Actions

  • Inventory Synchronization: Once the import task completes, you must immediately perform an Inventory Sync on the new environment. This ensures Lifecycle Manager correctly maps all components and certificates.
  • Certificate Management: Aria Suite Lifecycle cannot automatically pull the existing certificate into the Locker during an import. After the environment is imported and synced, you must manually import the product's certificate into the Locker and then update the environment to associate it.
  • Scale-Out Certificate Requirement: If you plan to scale out the imported environment later, you must have a valid certificate added to the environment's settings before the scale-out operation.
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