This guide walks through deploying and configuring the vCloud Availability (vCAV) client appliance in your on-premises vSphere environment.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure you have:
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Subscribed to the DRaaS Service: Contact your manager to activate the service and obtain the necessary attachment point address.
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Network Prepared: Verify your Edge Gateway is correctly configured with the required networks and SNAT rules.
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Downloaded the Appliance: Download the OVA file from the VMware Customer Connect portal (requires registration):
Download VMware vCloud Availability Appliance
Step 1: Deploy the OVA Template
Deploy the downloaded OVA file into your on-premises vCenter using the standard deployment workflow.
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Provide a Name and select a Folder/Cluster for the appliance.
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Select a Resource (host/cluster) for deployment.
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Review Details and accept the EULA.
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Select a Storage destination and a Network for management.
Step 2: Configure the Appliance
During OVA deployment, you will be prompted to configure the initial template settings:
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Root Password: Set a strong temporary password for the
root
user. (You will be forced to change this upon first login). -
NTP Server: Enter the address of your organization's NTP server for time synchronization.
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Network Settings: Configure the IP address, subnet mask, gateway, and DNS for the appliance.
Complete the deployment and power on the virtual machine.
Step 3: Initial Setup via Web Console
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Note the IP address assigned to the VM from the vSphere console.
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Open a web browser and navigate to the admin portal:
https://<appliance_ip_address>/ui/admin
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Log in with the username
root
and the temporary password you set during deployment. You will be prompted to set a new password. -
Click Run initial setup wizard to begin configuration.
Step 4: Connect to vCenter and the Cloud
In the setup wizard, provide the following information:
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Lookup Service Connection:
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Address: The URL of your local vCenter Server SSO (Lookup Service).
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Credentials: The username and password for a vCenter Single Sign-On administrator account.
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Certificate: Accept the vCenter SSL certificate when prompted.
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2. Public API Endpoint:
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Address:
https://vcav-m14.cloud4y.ru:443/
(Provided by your manager)
3. Organization Credentials:
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Admin:
user_name@name_tenant
(Your vCloud Director organization administrator account) -
Password: The password for the above account.
4. Cloud Access:
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Enable
Allow Access from Cloud
. This permits vCloud Director administrators to access your on-premises vCenter for migration tasks. This can be enabled or disabled as needed for security.
5. Local Placement (Optional):
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If you enable
Configure local placement now
, you can pre-define where VMs migrated from the cloud to your on-premises vCenter will be placed.
6. Click Finish to complete the initial client installation.
Step 5: Initiate Migration
Once configured, you can start migrations from within your vCloud Director portal.
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In vCloud Director, navigate to More > vCloud Availability (M14).
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Choose Migration Direction:
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From On-Prem: To migrate from your local vCenter to the public vCloud.
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To On-Prem: To migrate from the public vCloud back to your local vCenter.
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