3.3 Managing the Forge VM with vSphere Client

Occasionally you might need to work directly with the Forge VM and perform maintenance tasks as described here or when you are advised to do so by PlateSpin Support. Use the vSphere Client software to access the Forge VM, including its OS interface and VM settings.

3.3.1 Downloading and Installing the vSphere Client Program

Download the client software from the appliance host, then install it on a Windows workstation external to PlateSpin Forge.

  1. Download the client software:

  2. Launch the downloaded installation program and follow the instructions to install the software.

3.3.2 Launching the vSphere Client

  1. Clicking Start > Programs > VMware > VMware vSphere | Virtual Infrastructure Client.

    The vSphere Client login window is displayed.

  2. Specify your administrator-level credentials and log in, ignoring any certificate warnings.

    The vSphere Client program opens.

3.3.3 Accessing the Forge VM

  1. Launch the vSphere Client, then log in with your administrator-level credentials.

  2. In the inventory panel at the left, locate and select the PlateSpin Forge VM item.

  3. At the top of the right panel, click the Console tab.

    The Client’s console area displays the Forge VM’s Windows interface.

Use the console to work with the Management VM the same way as you would work with Windows on a physical machine.

HINT:

  • To unlock the Management VM, click inside the console and press Ctrl+Alt+Insert.

  • To release the cursor for working outside the vSphere Client program, press Ctrl+Alt.

3.3.4 Starting and Shutting Down the Forge VM

Occasionally you might need to shut down and then restart the Forge VM, such as when you relocate the appliance.

To shut down the Forge VM:

  1. Use the vSphere Client to access the Forge VM host.

  2. Open the VM console for the Forge VM.

  3. In the VM Console, use the standard Windows procedure to shut down the VM. (Select Start > Shut Down.)

    Wait for the VM to shut down gracefully.

To start or restart the Forge VM:

  1. Use the vSphere Client to access the Forge VM host.

  2. In the inventory panel at the left, right-click the PlateSpin Forge VM item and select Power on.

3.3.5 Managing Snapshots of the Forge VM on the Appliance Host

Occasionally you might need to take a point-in-time snapshot of your management VM, such as when you upgrade Forge software or when you carry out troubleshooting tasks. You might also need to remove snapshots (recovery points) to free storage space.

To manage snapshots of the Forge VM:

  1. Launch the vSphere Client, then log in to the appliance host with administrator-level credentials.

  2. In the inventory panel at the left, right-click the PlateSpin Forge VM item and select Snapshot > Take Snapshot.

  3. Type a name and a description for the snapshot, then click OK.

To revert the Forge VM to a previous state:

  1. Launch the vSphere Client, then log in to the appliance host with administrator-level credentials.

  2. In the inventory panel at the left, right-click the PlateSpin Forge VM item and select Snapshot > Snapshot Manager.

  3. In the tree representation of the VM states, select a snapshot, then click Go to.

To remove snapshots that represent recovery points:

  1. Launch the vSphere Client, then log in to the appliance host with administrator-level credentials.

  2. In the inventory panel at the left, right-click the PlateSpin Forge VM item and select Snapshot > Snapshot Manager.

  3. In the tree representation of the VM states, select a snapshot, then click Remove.

3.3.6 Manually Importing VMs into the Appliance Host’s Datastore

You might want to manually import VMs into the Appliance host’s datastore when you want your failover workload to be created differentially. See Initial Replication Method (Full and Incremental).

  1. At the production site, create a VM from your production workload (for example, by using PlateSpin Migrate) and copy the VM files from the ESX host’s datastore to portable media, such as a portable hard drive or a USB flash drive. Use the Datastore Browser of the client software to browse and locate the files.

  2. At the disaster recovery site, attach the media to a workstation that has network access to Forge and has the vSphere Client program installed.

    See Downloading and Installing the vSphere Client Program.

  3. Use the vSphere Client’s Datastore Browser to access the Forge datastore (Storage1) and upload the VM files from the temporary media. Use the uploaded VM to register it with the appliance host (right-click > Add to Inventory).

  4. Refresh the PlateSpin Forge inventory. In the PlateSpin Forge Web Interface, click Settings > Containers, then click the Refresh icon next to the appliance host.

3.3.7 Guidelines for Applying Security Updates to the Forge VM

  1. During a maintenance window, access the Forge VM by using the VMware vSphere Client program.

  2. From within the Forge VM’s Windows interface, check for security updates from Microsoft.

  3. Use the PlateSpin Forge Web Interface to put PlateSpin Forge into maintenance mode by pausing all replication schedules and ensuring that any incomplete replications are complete.

  4. Take a snapshot of the Forge VM. See Managing Snapshots of the Forge VM on the Appliance Host.

  5. Download and install the required security patches. When the installation finishes, reboot the Forge VM.

  6. Use the PlateSpin Forge Web Interface to resume replications paused in Step 3 and verify that replications are working properly.

  7. Remove the snapshot of the Forge VM that you took in Step 4. See Managing Snapshots of the Forge VM on the Appliance Host.