NVP vProxy: How To Unregister/Re-Register a vProxy Appliance?

The NetWorker VMware Protection integration is configured with the vProxy Appliance.  The vProxy needs to be un-registered and re-registered against the NetWorker Server.

Method 1:

1. From the NetWorker Management Console (NMC) or NetWorker Web User Interface (NWUI), delete the vProxy resource. Deleting the vProxy from NetWorker should unregister it from the NetWorker server resource database (nsrdb). Deleting the vProxy from NetWorker does not delete the vProxy VM from VMware.

NMC: Devices->VMware Proxies
NWUI: Protection->VMware Proxies

2. Using the NMC or NWUI add the vProxy back. Re-adding the vProxy issues a new registration for the vProxy. 

Method 2:

In some instances the above method will not work, in which case the existing vProxy can be manually unregistered and reregistered using the NetWorker server's nsradmin command-line utility.

1. On the NetWorker server, open a Administrator/root command prompt
2. Enter: nsradmin
3. Enter: option hidden
4. Enter: visual
5. This opens a CLI utility that can be used to make changes to the nsrdb. You can use ESC, arrow keys, and ENTER to navigate and make changes.

Navigate to Select and hit Enter, use the arrow keys to highlight NSR VMware Proxy and hit Enter.

5. Use the Next/Prev options to select the vProxy host you need to unregister.
6. Use the arrow keys to select Edit and hit Enter.
7. Use the arrow keys to select Unregister and hit Enter, hit ESC and save changes.

9. Wait 30-60 seconds.
10. Use the arrow keys to select Register and hit Enter, hit ESC and save changes.

Logging:

   

vProxy will not register:

In some instances the vProxy will not register, this can occur for a number of causes. A common solution is to perform the following.

1. Delete the vProxy from the NetWorker Management Console (NMC) or NetWorker Web User Interface (NWUI)
2. Open an SSH session to the vProxy appliance and log in as admin.
3. Once logged in as admin, switch to root:

sudo su -

3. Rename the vProxyRegistry.dat:

mv /opt/emc/vproxy/runtime/state/vProxyRegistry.dat /opt/emc/vproxy/runtime/state/vProxyRegistry.dat_`date -I`

4. Confirm that the vProxy can reach port 9090 on the NetWorker server:

curl -v NETWORKER_SERVER_FQDN:9090

5. Reboot the vProxy VM:

reboot

6. Once the vProxy VM has confirm that you can connect to port 9090 on the vProxy from the NetWorker server:

nsrports -t VPROXY_FQDN -p 9090

In some instances, debug messaging may be required. The following KB provides information on enabling vrapid debugging on the vProxy appliance: NetWorker VMware Protection-vProxy: How to Enable Debug Logging
The vProxy's /opt/emc/vproxy/runtime/logs/vrapid/vrapid-engine.log contains information regarding vProxy registration operations.

vProxy admin user account is locked:

If vProxy will not register and root credentials are known, check to see if the admin user account is locked on the vProxy.

1. From vSphere, open a VMware Console session to the vProxy VM:

2. Log in as root.
3. Use pam_tally2 to reset the admin account:

pam_tally2 --user=admin --reset

4. If the current admin password is not known, you can change it using the Linux passwd command:

passwd admin

5. Use Method 1 from the Resolution field to remove the vProxy and add it back using the new password.

If the admin account continues to lock when no known SSH connections are being performed, check to see where the SSH session is coming from:

journalctl -u sshd | grep -w 'admin'

This command will show what systems are attempting (and failing) to login using the admin account:

Dec 06 09:23:36 nsr-vproxy02.amer.lan sshd[9407]: pam_unix(sshd:auth): authentication failure; logname= uid=0 euid=0 tty=ssh ruser= rhost=192.168.9.100  user=admin
Dec 06 09:23:38 nsr-vproxy02.amer.lan sshd[9407]: Failed password for admin from 192.168.9.100 port 54788 ssh2