Creating a fenced network through a VMware restore job

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Through fenced networking, you can establish a safe environment to test your jobs without interfering with virtual machines that are used for production. Fenced networking can be used with jobs that are running in test mode and production mode.

Before you begin

Create and run a VMware Restore job. For instructions, see Restoring VMware data.

Procedure

To create a fenced network, complete the following steps:

  1. In the navigation panel, click Manage Protection > Virtualized Systems > VMware.
  2. In the Restore pane, review the available restore points of your VMware sources, including virtual machines, VM templates, datastores, folders, and vApps. Use the search function and filters to fine-tune your selection across specific recovery site types. Expand an entry in the Restore pane to view individual restore points by date.
  3. Select restore points and click the add to restore list icon the add to restore list icon to add the restore point to the Restore List. Click the remove icon the remove icon to remove items from the Restore List.
  4. Click Options to set the job definition options.
  5. Select Alternate ESX Host or Cluster, then select an alternate host or cluster from the vCenter list.
  6. Expand the Network Settings section. From the Production and Test fields, set virtual networks for production and test Restore job runs. Destination network settings for production and test environments should be different locations to create a fenced network, which keeps virtual machines used for testing from interfering with virtual machines used for production. The networks associated with Test and Production will be utilized when the restore job is run in the associated mode. The IP addresses of the target machine can be configured by using the following options:
    Use system defined subnets and IP addresses for VM guest OS on destination
    Select to allow your operating system to define the destination IP address. During a Test Mode restore, the destination virtual machine receives a new MAC address along with an associated NIC. Depending on your operating system, a new IP address can be assigned based on the original NIC of the virtual machine, or assigned through DHCP. During a Production Mode restore operation the MAC address does not change; therefore, the IP address should be retained.
    Use original subnets and IP addresses for VM guest OS on destination
    Select to restore to the original host or cluster using your predefined IP address configuration. During a restore, the destination virtual machine receives a new MAC address, but the IP address is retained.

    Set the network settings for a restore to an alternate or long distance ESX host or cluster:

    From the Production and Test fields, set virtual networks for production and test restore job runs. Destination network settings for production and test environments should be different locations to create a fenced network, which keeps virtual machines used for testing from interfering with virtual machines used for production. The networks associated with Test and Production will be utilized when the restore job is run in the associated mode.

    Set an IP address or subnet mask for virtual machines to be re-purposed for development/testing or disaster recovery use cases. Supported mapping types include IP to IP, IP to DHCP, and subnet to subnet. Virtual machines containing multiple NICs are supported.

    By default, the Use system defined subnets and IP addresses for VM guest OS on destination option is enabled. To use your predefined subnets and IP addresses, select Use original subnets and IP addresses for VM guest OS on destination.

    To create a new mapping configuration, select Add mappings for subnets and IP addresses for VM guest OS on destination, then click Add Mapping. Enter a subnet or IP address in the Source field. In the destination field, select DHCP to automatically select an IP and related configuration information if DHCP is available on the selected client. Select Static to enter a specific subnet or IP address, subnet mask, gateway, and DNS. Note that Subnet / IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Gateway are required fields. If a subnet is entered as a source, a subnet must also be entered as a destination.

    IP reconfiguration is skipped for virtual machines if a static IP is used but no suitable subnet mapping is found, or if the source machine is powered off and there is more than one associated NIC. In a Windows environment, if a virtual machine is DHCP only, then IP reconfiguration is skipped for that virtual machine. In a Linux environment all addresses are assumed to be static, and only IP mapping will be available.

    Destination Datastore
    Set the destination datastore for a restore to an alternate ESX host or cluster.
    VM Folder Destination
    Enter the VM folder path on the destination datastore. Note that the directory will be created if it does not exist. Use "/" as the root VM folder of the targeted datastore.
  7. Click Save to save the policy options.
  8. After the job is complete, select one of the following options from the Actions menu on the Jobs Sessions or Active Clones sections on the Restore pane:

    Cleanup

    Destroys the virtual machine and cleans up all associated resources. Since this is a temporary/testing virtual machine, all data is lost when the virtual machine is destroyed.

    Move to Production (vMotion)

    Migrates the virtual machine through vMotion to the Datastore and the Virtual Network defined as the "Production" Network.

    Clone (vMotion)

    Migrates the virtual machine through vMotion to the Datastore and Virtual Network defined as the "Test" network.