Migrate VMware virtual machines with Veeam Backup & Replication (VBR) to Performance Cloud VMware (NSX-T)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Description
• Important Notes
• Step 1: Create a vApp
• Step 2: Create the network
• Step 3: Pre-Configure Edge Gateway - Firewall and NAT rules
  • Pre-Configure site-to-site VPN if required
• Step 4: VCC setup
• Step 5: Add service provider in Veeam
• Step 6: Configure Replication Job to Performance Cloud VMware (NSX-T)
• Step 7: Migrate to Performance Cloud VMware (NSX-T)
• Step 8: Remove the replication components 
  • Delete Replication Job to Performance Cloud VMware (NSX-T) and Failover Plan
  • Delete Service Provider

Description

This guide describes the steps to migrate existing VMs in VMware format from an on-premises environment to Performance Cloud VMware (NSX-T), using Veeam Backup & Replication (VBR) and Veeam Cloud Connect.
 

This guide assumes that Veeam Backup & Replication (VBR) is already in place and the Performance Cloud VMware (NSX-T) organization and virtual datacenter were created prior following these migration steps.

Important Notes

It is mandatory to follow all the steps in this guide. A failure to follow all the steps in this guide may result in unwanted deletion of virtual machines and loss of data.

Only Veeam Backup & Replication (VBR) v12.x and newer versions are supported.

Step 1: Create a vApp

Use this article to create a vApp in your virtual data center.

Step 2: Create the network

Use this article to create a routed network. (This will be the destination network of the replicated VMs in Veeam)

In this example, we decided to re-use the IP Scheme from our test on-premises setup (subnet 10.0.1.0/24 with the default gateway of 10.0.1.1/24)

Step 3: Pre-Configure Edge Gateway - Firewall and NAT rules

Use this article to pre-configure necessary firewall and NAT rules in your Edge Gateway

Pre-Configure site-to-site VPN if required

Site-to-site VPNs can be pre-configured if required. You can enable the tunnel once the migration has been completed. For more details, see the procedure on our support site.
Note: This step does not apply if you want to deploy a NVA (Network Virtual Appliance).  

Step 4: VCC setup

1. Contact us to obtain your Veeam Cloud Connect configuration needed for your migration.
   
   
2. Wait until you receive an email from the Sherweb team confirming that your new Veeam Cloud Connect tenant is linked to your Performance Cloud VMware account. (This can take up to two (2) business days) 

Step 5: Add service provider in Veeam

1. Log in to your on-premises Veeam Backup & Replication server and open the Veeam Backup & Replication Console.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Go to BACKUP INFRASTRUCTURE.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Right-click on Service Providers -> Add Service Provider
   
   
   
   
   
4. Enter the DNS name provided by the Sherweb team and click Next.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Click Add to add new credentials
   
   
   
   
   
6. Enter your Performance Cloud VMware portal credentials in this format: organization\username
   
   Note: the organization name is written in the Data Centers section in the Performance Cloud VMware portal. (Instructions to connect are also in the email sent by Sherweb)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Click Apply
   
   
   
   
   
8. Click Apply again.
   Click Next.
   
   
   
   
   
9. Click Finish.
   
   
   
   
   
10. Click Close.
    
    
    
    
    
11. You now have a new Service Provider.
    
    

Step 6: Configure Replication Job to Performance Cloud VMware (NSX-T)

1. While still in your Veeam console, go to HOME.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Right-click Jobs -> Replication -> Virtual machine -> VMware vSphere
   
   
   
   
   
3. Create a name and description for your job. Under Advanced controls, select Network remapping (for DR sites with different virtual networks)
   
   
   
   
   
4. Click Next.
     
5. Click Add, then add the virtual machines you want to migrate to Performance Cloud VMware (NSX-T).
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Click Next.
     
7. In Destination, select the following:
   • Host or cluster: choose Cloud host and select your Performance Cloud VMware (NSX-T) VDC
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
   • vApp: it will offer Cloud Connect by default. Click choose and select the vApp you initially created - since that vApp already contain the network you created
      
   • Storage policy: Premium SSD
     
     
     
     
     
8. Click Next.
    
9. Click Add to add a network mapping
   
   
   
   
   
10. Select your source on-premises network and the target network (the one you initially created in the procedure)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
11. Click Next.
     
12. Select an on-premises backup repository to hold replica metadata. Configure a suffix if required and choose restore points to keep. In this example, we kept the default 7 points and removed the suffix name so the replicated VM in Performance Cloud VMware (NSX-T) has the original name. Advanced settings can be configured if required, but for this example everything was left as default.
    
    
    
    
    
13. Click Next.
     
14. Leave the default settings unless you have a specific Proxy.
    
    
    
    
    
15. Click Next.
     
16. Configure the Enable application-aware processing option if needed and click Next.
    
    
    
    
    
17. Configure a schedule based on your requirement. Prior to the official migration to Performance Cloud VMware (NSX-T), we will do a last replication run to have the latest data. For this example, we chose to replicate every 6 hours as our test VMs do not have high data change rate.
    
    
    
    
    
18. Click Apply.
     
19. Check the box to run the job when I click Finish and click Finish. Otherwise, you can wait until the replication schedule starts the job automatically.
     
20. Make sure the replication job is successful.
    
    
    
    
    
21. Go to the Performance Cloud VMware portal and select your Virtual datacenter.
    
    
    
    
    
22. Go to Compute -> vApps.
    
    
    
    
    
23. Your vApp now contains your replicated virtual machines. Click Details.
    
    
    
    
    
24. You can see your virtual machines with the network already assigned.
    
    
    
    
    
25. You can also see your replicated virtual machines by going to Compute -> Virtual Machines.
    
    
    
    
    
26. The network is static – Manual assigned. Here’s an example of a VM.
    
    
    
    
    
27. Go back on your Veeam Backup & Replication Console
      
28. Go to HOME -> Replicas -> Ready.
    
    
    
    
    
29. At the top, click Failover Plan -> Cloud Connect (vCloud)
    
    
    
    
    
30. Enter a Name and Description for the Failover Plan.
    
    
    
    
    
31. Click Add VM.
    
    
    
    
    
32. Select your VMs and click Add.
    
    
    
    
    
33. Click Next.
    
    
    
    
    
34. Click Finish.
    
    
    
    
    
35. You now have a Failover plan that will be used for the official migration
    
    

Step 7: Migrate to Performance Cloud VMware (NSX-T)

Note: To avoid conflicts with the original on-premises Virtual Machines, we recommend turning them off prior to doing the last replication job. This will ensure that there is no more change rate between the last replication job and the failover.

1. Once you are ready to migrate, turn off the original on-premises virtual machine that you plan to migrate to Performance Cloud VMware (NSX-T).
    
2. Log in to your Veeam Backup & Replication Console.
    
3. Go to Home -> Replication and start a last replication job to have the latest data replicated into Performance Cloud VMware (NSX-T).
   
   
   
   
   
4. Wait until the replication job complete successfully.
    
5. Go to HOME -> Replicas -> Failover Plans.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Right-click on your Failover Plan and select Start.
   
   
   
   
   
7. Wait until the execution plan has completed successfully.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
8. You will now see your replicated VM active under Replicas -> Active (this can take a minute). Press F5 to refresh your Veeam Backup & Replication Console.
   
   
   
   
   
9. Log in to Performance Cloud VMware portal
     
10. Click on your Virtual Datacenter and go to Compute -> Virtual Machines.
     
11. You can see your VMs are up and running.
    
    
    
    
    
12. It is now time to perform your test to make sure that everything is working (DNAT rules, SNAT, VPN if required, etc).
    
    
    
    
    
13. Once you’ve confirmed that everything is correct, go back to your Veeam console in Replicas -> Active.
    
    
    
    
    Note: if you want to revert, right-click on your failover plan and select undo and click Yes to continue. 
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
14. Select your replicated virtual machine, right-click and select Permanent Failover.
    
    
    
    
    
15. Click Yes.
    
    
    
    
    
16. Wait until the permanent failover task completes.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
17. You should no longer see the virtual machine in the active Replicas.
    
    
    
    
    
18. Repeat steps 14 to 17 for the rest of virtual machines to permanently failover other virtual machines.
      
19. Once done, you should have no more active replicas.
    
    
    
    
    
20. If you have any public DNS to change for the Edge gateway external IP, this can be done now.

Step 8: Remove the replication components 

Delete Replication Job to Performance Cloud VMware (NSX-T) and Failover Plan

1. Log in to your Veeam Backup & Replication server and open Veeam Backup & Replication Console.
    
2. Go to HOME -> Jobs -> Replication.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Select the replication job you created for the migration, right-click and select Delete.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Click Yes
    
5. The replication job should no longer appear.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Go to HOME -> Replicas -> Failover Plans
   
   
   
   
   
7. Select the Failover Plan that you created for the migration, right-click and select Delete.
   
   
   
   
   
8. The Failover Plan should no longer appear.

Delete Service Provider

1. Log in to your Veeam Backup & Replication server and open Veeam Backup & Replication Console
    
2. Go to BACKUP INFRASTRUCTURE -> Service Providers
   
   
   
   
   
3. Right-click on the service provider you added for the migration and click Remove
   
   
   
   
   
4. Click Yes
   
   
   
   
   
5. The service provider should no longer appear.