With larger environments the Veeam VAO Agent is a convenient tool which allows to retrieve and synchronize data directly from the Veeam Backup Servers installed in multiple locations. The purpose for this synchronization is to help managing the information about the virtual infrastructure for the Veeam VAO Server running on the DR Site. This is for example the scenario with large distributed Enterprises which have their offices spreading into multiple locations. A similar scenario applies to RoBo configurations as well.
All different locations can use the DR Site as a central location where to send the VM Replicas and also test, validate and document the entire verification process. The Veeam Availability Orchestrator includes as well the option to fail over VMs from Production Sites should this be required.
Multiple separate Production sites (Headquarters and RoBo) can synchronize the data directly with the Availability Orchestrator by mean of the Veeam VAO Agents. The first one is automatically installed in the embedded Veeam VBR at the time of the Veeam VAO Server installation. Additional agents can be installed on stand-alone VBR Servers depending on requirements. Ideally, all Veeam VBRs managing different portions of the virtual infrastructure are good candidates for the Veeam VAO Agent. There might be situations where the VMware vSphere environment is stretched across different sites (by leveraging an inter-site link) so that the same VMware vCenter manages different vSphere Hosts in separate locations. Or each site can have its own VMware vCenter. The rule of thumb is to install the Veeam VAO Agent on each standalone Veeam VBR managing the Production portions of the virtual infrastructure.
The next part of the article shows the steps in more details on how to install the Veeam VAO Agents.
Veeam VAO Agent setup
From the Configuration page the Veeam VAO Agent section shows the installed agents and the option to add, remove and edit the existing ones. At least one is already installed during the first Veeam VAO Server install on the embedded Veeam VBR.
Next is to provide the FQDN Name or IP Address of the standalone Veeam VBR or Enterprise Manager where to push the Veeam VAO Agents.
When installing the VAO Agent it is possible to choose to retrieve the credentials from the Veeam Backup & Replication server. This is an important step as these credentials will be used to verify applications during fail over jobs.
Next the admin credentials to remotely access the Veeam VBR server. This account needs to have local admin rights or equivalent to install the VAO Agent. Optionally this account can also be used to run the Veeam VAO Agent windows service.
And a final screen to review the main settings before saving the Agent configuration.
A few moments later the VAO Agent is installed and runs the first synchronization retrieving all the necessary data and service credentials from the Veeam VBR. By controlling where the VAO Agents are installed this allows to create several scopes for replication, verification and fail-over scenarios.
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