Testing Orchestration Plans

Before you run an orchestration plan, you can use an isolated VAO DataLab to test the entire plan, including verification of VM backups, replicas and applications. All changes made to VMs during a lab session will be discarded as soon as the testing process is over.

VAO DataLabs are based on Veeam Backup & Replication virtual labs. While a Veeam Backup & Replication virtual lab is an appliance VM that creates an isolated network, VAO adds the capability to easily create multiple test environments using VM groups, perform full restore and application verification including custom scripts, and generate detailed reporting.

DataLabs may be powered on independently from orchestration plans, and used for other test cases (for example, to test patches or upgrades). You can add one or more orchestration plans to any running lab and verify the plans there. You can also choose to keep VM replicas running in the lab, so that additional tests can be performed.

To test an orchestration plan:

1. In the Veeam Backup & Replication console, create a virtual lab that will be used to start VM backups and replicas.

For more information, see the Veeam Backup & Replication User Guide, section Virtual Lab.

2. Assign the lab to the required scope.

For more information, see Connecting DataLabs.

3. Create a lab group to provide the test environment for the VM backups and replicas to be verified.

Most VMs require a domain controller to boot and start services successfully. If the orchestration plan does not include a domain controller, then ensure that the lab group includes a VM with the Domain Controller role, and that this VM has a correct IP addressing scheme for the DR site. Otherwise, the VMs in the plan will fail to verify.

4. Start on-demand plan testing or configure test scheduling.

To ensure that an orchestration plan is automatically and regularly verified, you can schedule the plan for automated lab testing.

5. View plan test results.