How do I connect to VMware vCenter?

Learn more about how to connect Bocada Cloud to vCenter to collect inventory data

Connecting Bocada Cloud to your vCenter inventory source requires the following steps:

1. Log into Bocada Cloud

• On the left navigation menu, click Connections, then +Add.  
• Click the VMware vCenter tile.
• You will be able to choose either a Windows-compatible or Linux-compatible agent.
• Name the Data Collection Agent which will appear in the Bocada Cloud UI.
• Follow the steps on each screen which are also explained below. 

2. Download and Install the Bocada Cloud Data Collection Agent

First, you will need to download and install the Bocada Cloud Data Collection Agent in the private network where the systems that use Veeam B&R are located. The agent will connect to those systems to collect data locally and send it to Bocada Cloud for reporting and monitoring.

Follow the prompts on the screen to: (1) give the agent a name, (2) download and install it,
(3-4) copy a unique Authentication key and paste it into the agent to register it, and then (5) test that the connection between the agent and Bocada Cloud is working correctly. 

3. Add Connection Details

After you have successfully installed the Bocada Cloud Data Collection agent, the next screen will ask you add a few details about the connection. 

• Data Collection Agent: this field will be pre-populated with the agent you just installed; however, you can select a different agent if you have more than one set up. 
• Organization: this field will be pre-populated with your main organization (Billing Entity); however, you can select a different organization if you have more than one set up. The data collected through this connection will be associated with the organization you select in the Bocada Cloud UI (reports, dashboard) and email notifications.
• Connection Name: give this connection a name which will display in the Bocada Cloud UI. 

3. Enter vCenter Details

Add configuration information for the inventory that the Bocada Cloud Data Collection Agent will connect to for data collection using the vSphere API.

• Hostname / IP address: enter the hostname or IP address for the vCenter server. 
• Username: enter the username of a user with read-only access to the vCenter server.
• Password: enter the password for the user entered above.
• Time zone: enter the time zone where the vCenter server resides. 

3. Test Connection 

Click the Next button to test the connection. 

If the connection is successful, you will be asked to select how many days in the past (up to the past 8 days) of backup data you want to collect to initially populate reports and your Dashboard. Then, your connector will run data collections every hour after that point.

If the connection is unsuccessful, you will be able to click the “Previous” button to edit your connection details and try again. 

4. Resource Audit Reporting

After Bocada Cloud collects the inventory resources from your vCenter, you will see them displayed in the Resource Audit report which identifies those that are protected (backed up), and those that are unprotected (not backed up). Learn more.