Irlan Dos Santos

Posted on Dec 19

Using Terraformer to Import and Manage VMware Infrastructure with Terraform and AWS Backup Strategy

#terraform #aws #vmware

Organizations with hybrid cloud infrastructures often face challenges in managing on-premises resources and integrating them with cloud solutions for backup and recovery. This article outlines a strategy to use Terraformer for importing VMware infrastructure, manage it with the Terraform vSphere provider, and integrate AWS as a reliable backup and restore solution. This approach ensures efficient infrastructure management and disaster recovery capabilities.

Hybrid Infrastructure Overview

On-Premises Infrastructure

The local network infrastructure described consists of a dedicated VMware ESXi host with six virtual machines (VMs) configured to provide essential network and IT services for the company. Key components include:

Active Directory (AD) Server: Domain controller managing user authentication, DHCP, and DNS services.
Backup Server: Utilizing Veeam Backup & Replication for local and cloud-based backups.
File Server: Centralized storage for shared files and documents.
Terminal Server (TS): Hosts the ERP system for remote access by users.
Firebird Database Server: Supports the ERP system and accounting applications.
PFsense Firewall: Provides network security and VPN capabilities for remote access.

Cloud Integration via AWS

AWS serves as the cloud-based backup solution for redundancy and disaster recovery. The strategy involves storing Veeam backups in Amazon S3 and utilizing AWS Glacier for long-term archival.

Step 1: Use Terraformer to Import VMware Resources

1.1 Install and Configure Terraformer

Download Terraformer: Install Terraformer from its GitHub repository.
Set Environment Variables:

   export VSPHERE_USER="administrator@vsphere.local"
   export VSPHERE_PASSWORD="your_password"
   export VSPHERE_SERVER="vcenter.example.com"

1.2 Run Terraformer Import

Run the following command to import existing VMware resources:

terraformer import vsphere \
  --resources=vm,datastore,network \
  --connect=vcenter.example.com \
  --user=administrator@vsphere.local \
  --password=your_password \
  --path-output="./output"

--resources: Specifies the resources to import (e.g., VMs, datastores, networks).
--path-output: Directory to store generated Terraform configuration files.

1.3 Review Generated Files

Terraformer generates:

.tf Files: Represent the imported VMware infrastructure.
Terraform State File: Tracks the current state of imported resources.

Organize and modularize the configuration files as needed.

Step 2: Manage VMware Resources with Terraform vSphere Provider

2.1 Configure the vSphere Provider

Set up the Terraform vSphere provider in a provider.tf file:

provider "vsphere" {
  user           = "administrator@vsphere.local"
  password       = "your_password"
  server         = "vcenter.example.com"
  allow_unverified_ssl = true
}

2.2 Refine Imported Resources

Move the imported .tf files to your Terraform project directory and refine the configuration. For example, to manage a virtual machine:

resource "vsphere_virtual_machine" "ad_server" {
  name             = "AD-Server"
  resource_pool_id = "resgroup-123"
  datastore_id     = "datastore-456"

  num_cpus   = 2
  memory     = 4096
  guest_id   = "windows9_64Guest"

  network_interface {
    network_id   = "network-789"
    adapter_type = "vmxnet3"
  }

  disk {
    label            = "disk0"
    size             = 50
    eagerly_scrub    = false
    thin_provisioned = true
  }
}

2.3 Apply Changes

Run Terraform commands to apply the refined configuration:

terraform init
terraform plan
terraform apply

Step 3: Backup and Restore Strategy with AWS

3.1 Configure Veeam for AWS S3

Create an S3 Bucket: Use Terraform to create a bucket for storing backups:

   resource "aws_s3_bucket" "veeam_backup" {
  bucket = "veeam-backup-bucket"
  acl    = "private"

  # Define lifecycle rules for Intelligent-Tiering
  lifecycle_rule {
    id      = "intelligent-tiering"
    enabled = true

    # Transition to Intelligent-Tiering frequent access tier after creation (automatic)
    transition {
      days          = 0
      storage_class = "INTELLIGENT_TIERING"
    }

    # Transition to Intelligent-Tiering infrequent access tier after 30 days
    transition {
      days          = 30
      storage_class = "STANDARD_IA"
    }

    # Transition to Intelligent-Tiering archive access after 90 days
    transition {
      days          = 90
      storage_class = "GLACIER"
    }

    # Transition to deep archive access tier after 120 days
    transition {
      days          = 120
      storage_class = "DEEP_ARCHIVE"
    }   
   }
  }

  # Enable server-side encryption
  server_side_encryption_configuration {
    rule {
      apply_server_side_encryption_by_default {
        sse_algorithm = "AES256"
      }
    }
  }
}

Integrate with Veeam: Configure Veeam Backup & Replication to use the S3 bucket for offsite backups.

3.2 Regular Backup and Testing

Schedule daily backups to S3 with periodic testing of restore capabilities.
Implement incremental backups to optimize storage and bandwidth.

3.3 Monitor and Optimize

Use Amazon CloudWatch to monitor S3 bucket activity.
Optimize costs by reviewing storage lifecycle policies and access patterns.

Conclusion

By combining Terraformer, the Terraform vSphere provider, and AWS backup strategies, you can:

Simplify Management: Import and manage VMware resources declaratively.
Enhance Resilience: Leverage AWS for reliable offsite backups.
Streamline Operations: Automate infrastructure tasks for consistent and scalable management.

This hybrid approach ensures that your on-premises infrastructure is both robust and prepared for disaster recovery scenarios, delivering long-term operational efficiency.

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