I recently went through the Veeam Recovery Orchestrator Essentials course in Veeam University Pro and I will post some of my impressions on the course and about why recovery orchestration is essential to any data resilience plan.
When I was growing up, my dad used to take me to see the symphony and I always thought the conductor had the easiest job in the whole symphony. He just waved his baton during the whole concert! But then I realized that it only looks easy because of all the preparation done before the concert. All the hours, days, weeks of preparation and practice made the performance look easy.
It’s exactly the same way with recovery orchestration. As my friend Scott says in his post about Disaster Recovery at 4AM, no one wants to be doing the planning and thinking at the time of DR. If things can be planned and tested beforehand, at the time of DR, you look as calm as the conductor of a symphony.
Today I’m going to post an overview of the course. In other posts in the next few days, I’ll go over some more of my impressions as well as some reasons why this course should be on your radar.
Introduction and Course Overview
- Introduces Veeam Recovery Orchestrator essentials, key questions, rules, goals, and terminology.
- Explains course structure, engagement, and deployment scenarios.
- Emphasizes benefits like automation, error reduction, and compliance.
Components, Compatibility, and Architecture
- Details VRO components: server, web UI, agents, databases, and integrations.
- Lists hardware/software requirements, OS, CPU, RAM, storage, and supported environments.
- Highlights compatibility with VMware, storage, Azure, and backup solutions.
Roles, Permissions, and Deployment
- Defines roles: Administrator, Plan Author, Plan Operator.
- Describes user account management, access control, and scope permissions.
- Advises on installation best practices, avoiding conflicts, and deployment locations.
Resources, Documentation, and Pre-requisites
- Outlines pre-requisites: existing Veeam infrastructure, jobs, storage, and network setup.
- Provides resources: guides, forums, help center, and glossary.
- Emphasizes infrastructure connectivity and data collection.
Installation and Initial Configuration
- Guides through installing VRO using ISO, with accompanying labs.
- Covers initial setup, admin role assignment, dashboard overview, and security.
- Demonstrates configuring infrastructure, recovery locations, and data collection.
Recovery Locations and Virtual Labs
- Explains types of recovery locations: VMware, storage, Azure.
- Details vSphere tags, inventory, and data collection for location setup.
- Describes virtual labs for testing recovery plans in isolated environments.
Recovery Plans, Scenarios, and Grouping
- Covers creating, testing, and executing recovery plans.
- Discusses common scenarios: site loss, mass VM recovery, ransomware.
- Emphasizes application grouping, dependencies, and ensuring consistent recovery.
Integration, Monitoring, and Troubleshooting
- Details integration with Veeam Backup & Replication.
- Highlights monitoring, testing, and troubleshooting common issues.
- Provides tips for performance optimization and time-saving strategies.
Real-World Usage and Customization
- Shares case studies demonstrating DR time reduction and automation.
- Discusses plan customization, scripting, reporting, and email notifications.
- Emphasizes continuous testing, documentation, and extending capabilities.
Conclusion and Additional Resources
- Summarizes key learnings, resources, and community support.
- Reinforces deployment success and best practices for Veeam Recovery Orchestrator.
