VMware Site Recovery Manager 8.2 is in GA with sereval interesting improvements and new features.

First VMware Site Recovery Manager 8.2 adds compatibility with VMware vSphere 6.7 Update 2.

But also, finally, there is a new virtual appliance deployment option, in order to implement this service and simplify the management and increas the security using (as happen on most VMware’s virtual appliance) the VMware Photon OS.

For more information on the appliance, see this blog post.

Note that if you still prefer the Windows based solution, there is still a SRM 8.2 version for Windows.

You can simply choose the EXE file if you need the Windows based solution or the ISO file if you want use the new appliance based solution:

Anyway it’s an impressive improvement and a great move to make the implementation of SDDC much easier, including the entire lifecycle management.

Of course this means that all the different Storage Replication Adapters (SRAs) must be re-adapted from Windows based to Linux based, because the SRA components must be intalled inside the SRM appliance. Of course, this apply only if you need to implement a storage array based replication.

In the SRA download section you have already two different versions of SRAs, for example for Dell EMC XtremIO SRA:

• Version: 1.10.266 OS: Windows – For the SRM Windows based
• Version: 2.0.0-8 OS: Photon – For the SRM appliance

Pure Storage has realized a great blog post on how manage SRA (and also on how install SRM appliance).

There are also other improvements, like:

• Enhancements to the Site Recovery Manager HTML-5 User Interface:
  • VMware Site Recovery Manager 8.2 Configuration Import/Export Tool is now available in Site Recovery Manager User Interface.
  • With Site Recovery Manager 8.2, you can change the color schemes in the Site Recovery Manager HTML-5 User Interface to display the interface in a dark theme.
  • Ability to display capacity information in the Protection Groups Datastores tab.
  • Ability to provide in-product feedback with the Site Recovery User Interface.
• Enhancements to Site Recovery Manager public API. Site Recovery Manager 8.2 introduces new methods in the product’s Public API:
  • Listing Array Managers information
  • Listing replicated RDMs
    For information about Site Recovery Manager public APIs and more extensive product automation, see Site Recovery Manager API Developer’s Guide.

VMware Site Recovery Manager 8.2 is compatible with vSphere 6.0 Update 3, vSphere 6.5, vSphere 6.5 Update 1, vSphere 6.5 Update 2, vSphere 6.7, vSphere 6.7 Update 1, vSphere 6.7 Update 2, and supports ESXi versions that vCenter Server 6.7 supports. For the current list of supported compatible storage arrays and SRAs, see the Site Recovery Manager Storage Partner Compatibility Guide.

For more information see: What’s New in Site Recovery Manager 8.2.

Also there is a new vRealize Operations Management Pack for Site Recovery Manager 8.2. For information about the management pack, see the VMware vRealize Operations Management Pack for Site Recovery Manager 8.2 Release Notes.

Andrea Mauro

Virtualization, Cloud and Storage Architect. Tech Field delegate. VMUG IT Co-Founder and board member. VMware VMTN Moderator and vExpert 2010-24. Dell TechCenter Rockstar 2014-15. Microsoft MVP 2014-16. Veeam Vanguard 2015-23. Nutanix NTC 2014-20. Several certifications including: VCDX-DCV, VCP-DCV/DT/Cloud, VCAP-DCA/DCD/CIA/CID/DTA/DTD, MCSA, MCSE, MCITP, CCA, NPP.