HP Data Protector 6.20 and VMware Granular Recovery Help

[ChrisJones45]

Hi all,

I have two clients where we have upgraded to vSphere 4.1 Update, as well as HP Data Protector 6.20. Previously, VM backups were performed using VCB. Now with Data Protector 6.20's integration with the vStorage API, we are starting to get more and more clients requesting this.

One of the biggest requirements if the ability to recovery individual items from full VM backups. HP claim to have this covered with the VMware Granular Recovery Web Plug-In. After dealing with HP Tech Support for over a month, I've progressed from not being able to even install the Web Plug-In to vCenter, to finally having it installed but unable to be used.

We use AD Authentication for vCenter access, and also for access to the Data Protector Cell Manager. Whenever you open vCenter and go to Administration > HP Data Protector (Admin), we receive the following error:

You do not have Data Protector start restore right assigned, you cannot access this page. Contact Administrator for this matter.

HP Tech Support can only tell me that it works in their lab so it must be an issue at my end. GENIUS!

The various accounts we've tried accessing vCenter with are all configured with Admin rights in Data Protector, which grants access to everything.

Has anyone come across this error and/or found a solution?

Thanks,

Chris

[crbd]

Hi!

Have you created a special group in DP named GREVMware and assaigned the group "Start Restore" and added the user to that group?

When I did that. It's start working for me.

//CB

[ChrisJones45]

Thanks for the advice, but that didn't resolve it. I'm running a test now and might have it working.

Helps if I actually read the admin guide

I had to add the SYSTEM Account from the vCenter Server to the admin group in Data Protector. I've just added it and am running a test recovery now. Hopefully this works. I'll let you know.

[ChrisJones45]

Ok, so now this is just crazy.

I was able to request a restore of a VM through vCenter, and Data Protector recovered the VM to disk on the Cell Manager (it's the also the Mount Proxy).

In vCenter I can go to the HP Data Protector tab of the VM, and can see that the request is 100% completed. I then click on the Recover Files tab and got an error when I clicked on the restored disk. The error was that it could not access "(vmname).vmdk". Data Protector had recovered the VMDK to disk with "-000002.vmdk" on the end.

I tried renaming the VMDK, but then got an error that the plugin couldn't find (vmname)-000002.vmdk. CRAZY!

So, there were two VMDK files. The -flat one is obviously the real VMDK that holds the data (it was 50GB) and the other vmdk file was only 1KB.

I edited the smaller file in Wordpad and found the line:

parentFileName="(vmname).vmdk"

I changed this line to"

parentFileName="(vmname)-00002.vmdk"

Now when I select the restored disk I get the spinning wheel and "Please wait". On the Cell Manager, I can see process "vmwaregre-agent.exe" start using the CPU and chews up 2GB RAM. This takes about 30 mins. Then, in vCenter, I get "Connection Reset by Peer".

ARGH! This is driving me insane!!!!

[JockElder]

G'Day Chris 🙂

Do you have any further details on how you got this working?

Cheers,

Jock

[progressmaschin]

Hi!

try to set in Data Protector - Users - Admin - User "System" the Option "Client System" to "Any".

bye

thomas