Breaking vCenter Enhanced Linked Mode (ELM) with VMware Live Recovery (VLR)

Products

• VMware Site Recovery Manager
• VMware Live Recovery

Issue/Introduction

When utilizing VMware Live Recovery (VLR) across multiple sites, administrators may need to break the Enhanced Linked Mode (ELM) between vCenter Servers. Executing this procedure ensures that each vCenter Server instance exclusively displays its respective VLR site pair information without overlapping data

Environment

• VMware vCenter Server 8.x
• VMware Live Recovery 9.x
• Protection and Recovery

Resolution

Follow the steps below to safely break vCenter ELM when running with Site Recovery Manager (SRM) and vSphere Replication (VR).

1.Snapshot the Environment

• Take offline snapshots of the vCenter Server appliances in linked mode.
  
  
• Take snapshots of the SRM and VR virtual machines on both the source and destination sites.

2. Remove VLR Appliance Service Registrations

Execute the following steps on one of the vCenter Servers engaged in linked mode. 

• Output the list of all registered lookup services to a temporary file.
  
                /usr/lib/vmware-lookupsvc/tools/lstool.py list --url http://localhost:7090/lookupservice/sdk > /tmp/psc_services.txt --no-check-cert
  
      This will output the list of all registered lookup services to the file /tmp/psc_services.txt.
  
  
• Search the output file for the following keywords and record the corresponding Service IDs
  
  
• Unregister the lookup service registrations and extension: To unregister the lookup service registrations and the extension from the vCenter MOB.
• Reach out to Broadcom Support for assistance

3.  Break vCenter ELM: 

Follow the official documentation to split the linked mode

• Refer KB # 370062 | Splitting Enhanced Linked Mode (ELM).
  
  Note: The following information/configuration is lost on the vCenter following a domain repoint and may need to be re-created:
  
  
  • • Custom local SSO user accounts
    • Global Permissions
    • Rejoin vCenter Server to Active Directory Domain, if needed
    • Re-register external plugins and solutions

4. Restart the DC and DR vCenter Appliance to clear any stale memory data for the SSO.

5. Reconfigure the SRM and VR on Source and Destination. 

Refer : Reconfigure the VMware Live Site Recovery Appliance

Refer : Reconfigure vSphere Replication Server Settings 

6. Reconnect Site Pair for SRM and VR : 

Log in to the vSphere Client, navigate to Site Recovery > Open Site Recovery, select the disconnected pair i.e. SRM, and click Reconnect > select SRM and proceed next.