Usage Of VMware Virtual Development Kit during Azure Migrate Discovery phase for VMware

Question

Usage Of VMware Virtual Development Kit during Azure Migrate Discovery phase for VMware

Michael Churchill 0

One of the Pre-requisites for deploying the OVA appliance is the installation of VMware VDDK. Concerns have been raised with using this due to potential corruption of virtual disks. We are just using the discovery aspects to collect data against are VMware environment does the discovery phase make use of or need the VDDK or is this just a pre-requisite check

Michael Churchill 0 Reputation points

2023-06-23T10:44:52.8+00:00

But does the discovery process which makes use of these during discovery

For software inventory and Dependency information between servers is gathered by using VMware Tools installed on the server running vCenter Server. The appliance gathers the information from the server by using vSphere APIs.

But the documentation does not specifically state whether it uses the same method to do the server discovery or whether it makes use of the VDDK it fact the only reference in the migrate documentation states

VDDK (agentless migration - To use the appliance for agentless migration of servers, the VMware vSphere VDDK must be installed on the appliance server.

It does not specifically state what the appliance used the gateway and DRA agents for or how this interacts with VSphere outside saying it uses the vSphere API for aspect of the Data collections.

So it does not alleviate the concerns that this could cause data corruption on VM attached virtual disks
SadiqhAhmed-MSFT 49,331 Reputation points Microsoft Employee Moderator

2023-06-27T16:54:46.26+00:00

@Michael Churchill We understand your concerns here. The reason we added it as a hard check is because we want that the customers do not have to return to the appliance config manager on Day N to complete this prerequisite when it could be completed on Day 0 itself when onboarding the appliance.

Since the appliance can only be configured by an “Admin” on the server and server resides within the customer datacenter, we have not heard any customer concerns with downloading the VDDK Kit on the appliance in the past.
Michael Churchill 0 Reputation points

2023-06-28T06:59:46.7833333+00:00

It does not answer the question does the discovery process use the VDDK as part of the discovery and data collection process or is it only used as part of any migration process
SadiqhAhmed-MSFT 49,331 Reputation points Microsoft Employee Moderator

2023-07-03T12:09:49.33+00:00

@Michael Churchill VDDK is used only in migration scenarios and not used in discovery or assessment computations either.
SadiqhAhmed-MSFT 49,331 Reputation points Microsoft Employee Moderator

2023-07-05T09:06:22.2866667+00:00

@Michael Churchill Do you have any other questions for us?
Michael Churchill 0 Reputation points

2023-07-05T12:56:02.5633333+00:00

No it answer the question finally
SadiqhAhmed-MSFT 49,331 Reputation points Microsoft Employee Moderator

2023-07-06T06:35:27.1+00:00

@Michael Churchill Thanks for confirming. And, I really appreciate your patience through out the conversation on this discussion forum.

FYI: I have updated my post as answer to your question. If you think the response answers your question, Please do click "Accept Answer" and "Up-vote" the post.

Thanks!
SadiqhAhmed-MSFT 49,331 Reputation points Microsoft Employee Moderator

2023-07-07T12:36:51.4266667+00:00

@Michael Churchill Could you please take a moment to "Accept Answer" and "Up-vote" the post?

1 answer

Your answer

Michael Churchill 0 Reputation points

2023-06-23T10:44:52.8+00:00

But does the discovery process which makes use of these during discovery

For software inventory and Dependency information between servers is gathered by using VMware Tools installed on the server running vCenter Server. The appliance gathers the information from the server by using vSphere APIs.

But the documentation does not specifically state whether it uses the same method to do the server discovery or whether it makes use of the VDDK it fact the only reference in the migrate documentation states

VDDK (agentless migration - To use the appliance for agentless migration of servers, the VMware vSphere VDDK must be installed on the appliance server.

It does not specifically state what the appliance used the gateway and DRA agents for or how this interacts with VSphere outside saying it uses the vSphere API for aspect of the Data collections.

So it does not alleviate the concerns that this could cause data corruption on VM attached virtual disks
SadiqhAhmed-MSFT 49,331 Reputation points Microsoft Employee Moderator

2023-06-27T16:54:46.26+00:00

@Michael Churchill We understand your concerns here. The reason we added it as a hard check is because we want that the customers do not have to return to the appliance config manager on Day N to complete this prerequisite when it could be completed on Day 0 itself when onboarding the appliance.

Since the appliance can only be configured by an “Admin” on the server and server resides within the customer datacenter, we have not heard any customer concerns with downloading the VDDK Kit on the appliance in the past.
Michael Churchill 0 Reputation points

2023-06-28T06:59:46.7833333+00:00

It does not answer the question does the discovery process use the VDDK as part of the discovery and data collection process or is it only used as part of any migration process
SadiqhAhmed-MSFT 49,331 Reputation points Microsoft Employee Moderator

2023-07-03T12:09:49.33+00:00

@Michael Churchill VDDK is used only in migration scenarios and not used in discovery or assessment computations either.
SadiqhAhmed-MSFT 49,331 Reputation points Microsoft Employee Moderator

2023-07-05T09:06:22.2866667+00:00

@Michael Churchill Do you have any other questions for us?
Michael Churchill 0 Reputation points

2023-07-05T12:56:02.5633333+00:00

No it answer the question finally
SadiqhAhmed-MSFT 49,331 Reputation points Microsoft Employee Moderator

2023-07-06T06:35:27.1+00:00

@Michael Churchill Thanks for confirming. And, I really appreciate your patience through out the conversation on this discussion forum.

FYI: I have updated my post as answer to your question. If you think the response answers your question, Please do click "Accept Answer" and "Up-vote" the post.

Thanks!
SadiqhAhmed-MSFT 49,331 Reputation points Microsoft Employee Moderator

2023-07-07T12:36:51.4266667+00:00

@Michael Churchill Could you please take a moment to "Accept Answer" and "Up-vote" the post?

Answer 1

@Michael Churchill Thank you for reaching out to us on Microsoft Q&A platform. Happy to answer any question you may have!

I understand that you are trying to perform discovery of your VMware setup and would like to know if VDDK is needed or is this just a pre-requisite check. The VDDK installation is required in the VMware appliance as this appliance has the gateway and the DRA agents which requires this VDDK.

Hope this answers your question. Let us know if you have any other questions!

Update:
Does the discovery process use the VDDK as part of the discovery and data collection process or is it only used as part of any migration process?

VDDK is used only in migration scenarios and not used in discovery or assessment computations either.

If the response helped, do "Accept Answer" and up-vote it

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Usage Of VMware Virtual Development Kit during Azure Migrate Discovery phase for VMware

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