SureBackup - VMware tools question

[vmtech123]

Hello

I have my SureBackup / VeeamLab networking configured and everything is pingable. The issue is it takes about 30 minutes for the DC status to change from starting and the heartbeat/ping to show Success

I can almost instantly PING and RDP into my DC with the MASQ address.

After much googling and searching, I tested enabling the VMware tools "Allow service to interact with desktop" It didn't seem to make much difference. However, after stopping and starting VMware tools I get success almost immediately.

Odd how it will work after 30 minutes, but a manual restart of tools makes it so much faster.

Thanks

[Andreas Neufert]

Not sure 100% without logs guessing is the only way.

If you restore a DC or start it in SureBackup, then we start it in restore mode. The VM boots multiples times. If you touch the console with the mouse/keyboard or login remotely with RDP, this process get´s interupted.
Maybe this is your issue that the restore process does not complete in the first place because of manual interuption?

Other thing that I saw is that the domain services take a long time to come up. This is usually the case if the local DNS setting points to a non reachable DNS server.
Somtimes customer target always other DNS server first before the local one. All later started service will be delayed.

[vmtech123]

The last thing I see before a VERY long wait in the logs is [SureBackup] [DC1] [PowerOnVm] [StableIp] Waiting for IP-address to reset during 2100 second(s)

Then just a bunch of [Soap] GetShortVirtualMachineInfo, vmRef 'vm-######'

[vmtech123]

I figured I'd update this.

Turned out i forgot to check Application aware... LAB comes up great now.

Now the only issue is trying to connect to these vm's..... We can't rdp to IP here, only hostname. hostname won't match or DNS... unless I do everything from the VMware console i'm sortof at a loss

[Andreas Neufert]

Why you can´t use IP here?
Do you use DHCP?
Can you please explain a bit?

[vmtech123]

Sure... I can ping the MASQ which translates to the VM. LAB is working fine.

I can RDP in using a local admin account. I should have specified that.

I can't log in using domain credentials. We can only RDP via hostname and not by IP. (something about Kerberos and security).

I was just wondering if anyone else had a similar setup and how they achieved this.. My only options at this point are use local accounts on VM's, VMware Console, or perhaps a jump box, but I still think I'd have issues using domain accounts.

Other than the RDP issue, the lab is working and all VM's in it can ping each other, and I can ping the MASQ addresses.

[Andreas Neufert]

Hi now I am a bit confused.
You said you test with a domain controller. Domain controllers have only local users when you boot into recovery mode.
If this is your issue, then please do not interrupt the multiple boot processes (no console open, no RDP connection request) until the VM is fully started and stand at 99% in the SureBackup job. It can take a while depedning con configuration until the domain is in recovery mode.

If you say that you can not RDP into regular VMs, then maybe it is a configuration issue. You can put the backup of a domain controller (use the one with the main DNS IP address at best) and put him into an Application Group and select that application group in the SureBackup job. If you have multiple VMs in the application group, then put the DC on top of it. Select as well GC, DNS, Domain on the SureBackup tests for that VM (this will ensures correct timing).
When this VM is up and running and the next server boot, they should be able to login into the domain.

However when you use Windows Firewalls there could be some blockers as the network might be detected as new network. If this is the case then SureBackup shows you as well that in case of an emergency (new ESXi hosts, new network, new network gateway systems) that your disaster recovery would face the same issue. I would look at it as it looks like SureBackup is doing it´s intended job.

[PetrM]

Hello,

I think it's a good hint:

However, after stopping and starting VMware tools I get success almost immediately.

The status is changed to "Success" once an IP address is returned by VMware tools, see more info on this page under "Stabilization by IP". I believe in this case, IP is not available on the mounted VM for a long period of time. I guess this assumption can be easily validated by running PowerCLI script that queries VM IP while it is running in the Virtual Lab. Here is an example, I'd expect to see an empty string in the output. One more idea is to enable VMware Tools debug logs, create a new backup, examine logs on the mounted VM, however I recommend to confirm the instructions provided in this KB with VMware support before you can enable debug logging on the production VM.

In general, the best way would be to ask our support team to help you with troubleshooting. Please share a support case ID with us.

Thanks!