Using VMware Aria Automation (formerly vRealize Automation) for VMware

Users of the version 8.x VMware Aria Automation (formerly vRealize Automation) portal can perform the following actions:

• Add newly provisioned virtual machines (VMs) to a VM group (also called subclient) using a vRealize design.

• Back up VMs.

• Back up a VM group.

• Recover full VMs in place.

• Recover files.

• Send logs.

From the Aria Automation portal, you can select an active deployment from the Deployments tab, select a VM from the topology, and then choose an operation from the Actions menu.

Before You Begin

Deploy the Commvault VMware vRealize Plugin as described in Deploying the Commvault vRealize Plugin.

Performing Backup Operations

You can initiate backups in the following ways:

• Backup VM:

  1. From the Aria Automation portal, on the Deployments tab, in the VM section, click Actions > View Details.

     The Components tab appears.

  2. Beside the VM, click the Action button, and then click Backup VM.

  3. On the Request Information subtab, enter a description for the request.

  4. On the Step subtab, select the VM group for the virtual machine and then click Submit.

• Backup VM Group:

  1. From the Aria Automation portal, on the Deployments tab, in the VM section, click Actions > View Details.

     The Components tab appears.

  2. Beside the VM, click the Action button, and then click Backup VM Group.

  3. On the Request Information subtab, enter a description for the request.

  4. On the Step subtab, select a plan and VM group. You can also enter a group name to create a new VM group.

Performing Restore Operations

• Restore Full VM - in place:

  1. From the Aria Automation portal, on the Deployments tab, in the VM section, click Actions > View Details.

     The Components tab appears.

  2. Beside the VM, click the Action button, and then click Restore Full VM - in place.

     A dialog box for the request appears.

  3. On the Request Information subtab, enter a description for the request.

  4. On the Step subtab, select a time range and a backup job to be used for the restore.

     By default, the restore uses the latest backup.

     Note

     This operation overwrites the original VM.

• File Level Restore:

  1. From the Aria Automation portal, on the Deployments tab, in the VM section, click Actions > View Details.

     The Components tab appears.

  2. Beside the VM, click the Action button, and then click File Level Restore.

  3. On the Request Information subtab, enter a description for the request.

  4. On the Step subtab, click the VM Browse URL value.

  5. Log on to the Command Center and perform the restore.

     If necessary, click the VM Browse URL link again to browse the VM backup and restore files.

Monitoring Requests

From the Aria Automation portal, you can view the status of requests on the Deployments tab.

From Command Center, you can use the Jobs page to monitor jobs that run in response to requests from vRealize.

From CommCell Console, you can use the Job Controller to monitor jobs that run in response to requests from vRealize.

Sending Logs

You can request logs for a VM to provide information that can be used for troubleshooting by Commvault support.

To process a Send Logs request, the CommServe system must have an Internet connection.

1. From the Aria Automation portal, on the Deployments tab, in the VM section, click Actions > View Details.

   The Components tab appears.

2. Beside the VM, click the Action button, and then click Send Logs.

3. On the Request Information subtab, enter a description for the request.

4. Click Next.

5. On the Step subtab, provide the information needed to process the request:

   • Send client logs: To request logs for a client, select Yes and then, from the Client list, select the client.

     For example, you can select the client for the CommServe system, the client for a MediaAgent, or the virtualization client for a hypervisor.

     To troubleshoot any failures for backup operations or restore operations, select the virtualization client for the hypervisor.

   • Send logs for job ID: To request logs for a specific job, select Yes and then, in the Job ID box, enter the job ID.

     You can get the job ID from the Command Center Jobs page or the CommCell Console Job Controller.

     Notes

     If you select a client and also enter a job ID, the send logs request is processed using the job ID.

     If you do not select a client or enter a job ID, the request fails.

   • Email Address: Select the email address to receive the logs.

     You can also enter one or more email addresses, separated by commas, in the Additional email to notify box.

6. Click Submit.

When you submit the request, a Send Log Files job starts in the CommCell Console. When the job completes, the logs are sent to the specified email recipients.