Backup and Restore Resource Pool Configurations

When DRS is disabled on a cluster, it removes all the resource pools that are part of the cluster and the resource pool hierarchy and affinity rules are not re-established when DRS is turned back on. 

Now if you really want to disable DRS (for any maintenance activity) and want to save yourself from the pain of re-creating resource pools and configuring share/limits etc, you can take backup of resource pools and and restore it later post completing the maintenance and enabling DRS again.

In my lab I created a resource pool named “RP-Edge” and placed one VM in this resource pool.

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When you disable DRS on a cluster, vSphere gives you an opportunity to save the resource pool tree in a file which can be used later to restore the resource pool hierarchy.

Just click on yes on the warning window presented.

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save the file on your local PC.

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At this point, the resource pool is gone and the Win-DR-Test VM is out of the resource pool.

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Restoring Resource Pool Tree

Turn ON DRS and right click on cluster and choose Restore Resource Pool Tree.

Note that a resource tree can only be restored to the cluster it came from. Also restoring resource pool tree is only feasible via vSphere Web Client. 

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Browse to the path where you have saved the snapshot file and hit OK.

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The moment resource pool is restored, the Win-DR-Test VM was back at where it was previously. 

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There is only one caveat with this. When a resource pool is restored, its MOID gets change.

Important Note: If you are disabling DRS on a cluster which is part of the vCenter associated with vCloud Director, then engage VMware technical support team for restoring the resource pool config.

Additional Reading

VMware KB-2032893

I hope you find this post informational. Feel free to share this on social media if it is worth sharing. Be sociable 🙂

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