Our Vcentre server has been deleted!

[Neddc]

I have accidentaly deleted the LUN containing the vmdk files for our Vcentre server and it gets worse this site is a DR site for currently 3 others and we are about to take on 1 more.

Once you've stopped smirking read on to find out that the system was never backup in any way.

Is there a way to create a new virtual machine and then install Vcentre and SRM without being able to access Virtual Center Client?

We are on Vsphere 4.1. in this group there are 2 host machines and one ISCSI SAN. We run 6 virtual servers handling local production systems.

[idle-jam]

SRM will required a vcenter to work. anyway reinstalling vcenter from fresh can be very fresh ..

[Troy_Clavell]

assuming the DB was also installed on the vCenter VM and you have no backup of the DB instance, then yes, your only option is to rebuild.

Lessons learned I guess... Make sure you backup your infrastructure.

[AndreTheGiant]

Welcome to the community.

You have to rebuild your cluster configuration and you have loose all performance history.

But host and VM configuration are saved.

Rebuild the vCenter and add the host again.

Andre

[rmcinern]

>> Is there a way to create a new virtual machine and then install Vcentre  and SRM without being able to access Virtual Center Client?

Point your vsphere client directly to one of your hosts and use that to create a new VM for the vCenter install.

[bulletprooffool]

hahahahaha (sorry . .couldn't resist )

you are still able to manage your ESX hosts by simply pointing the client that you have locally installed straight at any ESX host in your environment.

This means you'll be able to quickly build an OS and install the Virtual Center on the VM.

Once you have done this, simply add the ESX hosts to your VC and you'll be up and running.

You are lucky as your environment is small - so odds are that rebuilding your config will not be too big a task, but it really is going to be a tough lesson learnt.

Just out of intrerest's sake . . you say this was a DR site . . did any of the other sites have a seperate VC? If so, add your ESX hosts to one of the other VCs until you have built the new one?

Lessons to go:

• always have a backup
• always be very careful when working with storage

[bulletprooffool]

oh  . . by the way . . this is a GREAT time to speak to the man that hold's the purse strings . .to get them to invest in more DR budget so that you can prevent this type of problem in future (think replicated storage / backup solutions etc)

[taylorb]

The good news is that Virtual Center doesn't actually contain any virtual machine data, so you can't lose any VMs this way.   SO as was said, just point your Vsphere client directly at the IP for the management interface on your ESX host, build a new window VM and database, and reinstall Vcenter.   When you add your ESX hosts back to Vcenter, all the virtual machines will still be there.