UPDATE...
We managed to come up with a solution that allows us to evaluate SnapCenter 4.x while retaining our existing VSC 6.2.1 backup procedures until we are ready to cut-over to SnapCenter 4.x.
Each day start, we do the following while we assess and evaluate SnapCenter:
- Make sure that you start with a fresh clean build of SnapCenter (reverted to a snapshot of a configured stand-alone virtual machine server) with a storage arrays already manually added
- Make sure that the SnapCenter plugin does not exist in vCenter, if it does, manually 1) remove it and then 2) uninstall the software
- Join SnapCenter Server to vCenter
- On the VSC virtual machine, we run the import tool for "backup_jobs" first followed by "backups"
- We stop the NetApp SnapManager for Virtual Infrastructure service on the VSC server instance
- We reboot the vCenter Server
We conduct our testing and evaluations of SnapCenter and SMVI once the vCenter server restarts.
Before end of day, we do the following to restore VSC production jobs:
- Remove the SnapManager plugin from vCenter using the MOB procedure
- Uninstall the SnapManager Software from vCenter
- On the VSC virtual machine, start the NetApp SnapManager for Virtual Infrastructure Service
- Reboot the vCenter Server
- Shutdown the SnapCenter Server; revert to previous snapshot
The end of day procedure restores our regular VSC so that our nightly backup jobs can run successfully.
This is our interim procedure while we assess and evaulate SnapCenter 4.x before we do the actual cut over.
Once we cut over, we also plan to upgrade the VSC 6.2.1 to 7.2.