Initial deployment

This workflow covers the first-time deployment of a Datamotive Replication Appliance into a VMware vSphere environment and its registration with the control plane. Complete the Prerequisites checklist before starting.

Before you begin

Confirm the following are ready:

• vCenter credentials with snapshot and datastore permissions
• An OVA download link (available from the Datamotive partner portal or your account team)
• A valid license key (see Licensing)
• Network access: TCP 443 outbound from the appliance to the control plane and to the target cloud

Deploy the Replication Appliance OVA

1. Download the OVA

   Log in to the Datamotive partner portal and download the latest Replication Appliance OVA. Verify the SHA-256 checksum shown on the download page before proceeding.

2. Deploy via vSphere Client

   In vSphere Client, right-click the target cluster or datastore and select Deploy OVF Template. Point the wizard to the downloaded OVA file.

   During deployment, configure:

   • VM name: a descriptive name such as datamotive-ra-01
   • Datastore: local or shared storage with at least 250 GB free
   • Network: the management network with outbound internet access
   • IP assignment: static IP recommended; configure via the OVA properties form
3. Power on and wait for first boot

   Power on the VM. First boot takes approximately 3 to 5 minutes as the appliance initializes its internal services. The VM console displays a status line when ready.

4. Open the appliance web UI

   Navigate to https://<appliance-IP>:8443 in a browser. Accept the self-signed certificate warning (you can replace the certificate after initial setup). Log in with the default credentials shown in the OVA deployment notes.

Register with the control plane

1. Generate a registration token

   In the Datamotive console (app.datamotive.io or your self-hosted URL), navigate to Infrastructure then Nodes and click Add node. Copy the one-time registration token displayed.

2. Enter the token on the appliance

   On the appliance web UI, go to Registration and paste the token. The appliance validates the token and connects to the control plane.

3. Verify registration

   Return to the Datamotive console. The new node appears under Infrastructure with status Connected. If the status shows Pending after two minutes, check that TCP 443 outbound is open from the appliance.

Connect vCenter

1. Add the vCenter credential

   In the Datamotive console, go to Infrastructure then Sites and click Add site. Select VMware vSphere as the platform. Enter the vCenter hostname or IP, the service account username, and password.

2. Assign the node

   Select the newly registered Replication Appliance as the node for this site. The appliance must be deployed inside the vSphere cluster it will protect.

3. Trigger a discovery scan

   Click Save and discover. Datamotive queries the vCenter inventory and populates the workload list. Discovery typically completes within 60 seconds for environments under 500 VMs.

Activate the license

Navigate to Settings then Licensing and enter your license key. See Licensing for the full activation flow, including the offline activation option for air-gapped environments.

Next steps

With the appliance deployed and vCenter connected, you are ready to configure your first replication plan.

Related docs

• First replication

• First failover

• Prerequisites

• Sizing guidelines