Profile Applicability:

  • Level 2

Description:

The AWS Replication Agent is a lightweight software installed on source servers that enables continuous block-level replication to AWS Elastic Disaster Recovery (EDR). The agent must be correctly installed and running for servers to be protected and recoverable. Without the agent, replication cannot occur, and recovery operations will fail.

Rationale:

Ensuring the agent is installed guarantees that:

  • Continuous replication to AWS is established

  • Recovery operations can be initiated when needed

  • The DR solution remains functional and reliable

  • Source servers stay in sync with recovery infrastructure

Default Value:

By default, the AWS Replication Agent is not installed. It must be manually downloaded and deployed on each source server.

Impact:

Pros:
 • Enables real-time or near-real-time replication to AWS
• Facilitates automated recovery operations
 • Supports consistent and up-to-date disaster recovery readiness

Cons:
 • Manual installation required on each source server
• Improper installation may result in broken replication
 • Additional software dependencies (e.g., Python) may be needed

Pre-requisites:

IAM Permissions Required:
 drs:CreateSourceServer
 drs:StartReplication
 drs:DescribeSourceServers
 ssm:SendCommand (optional for automated install via Systems Manager)
 Access to source servers with administrative privileges

Remediation:

Test Plan:

Using AWS Console:

  1.  Log in to the AWS Management Console
  2. Navigate to Elastic Disaster Recovery (EDR)
  3. Go to the Source Servers tab
  4. If a server is missing or unprotected, it means the agent has not been installed
  5. Check server status for “Not connected” or “Agent not installed” messages

Using AWS CLI:

aws drs describe-source-servers

  • Check for empty or missing entries, or ones with is-replicating = false

Implementation Plan:

Using AWS Console:

  1. Navigate to Elastic Disaster Recovery Console
  2. Click on Add source server
  3.  Download the Replication Agent installer script from the AWS Console
  4. Run the script on the source server with administrative privileges
  5. Wait for the server to appear in the Source Servers list and for replication to begin

Using AWS CLI:
 Step 1: Download the installer

curl -O https://aws-elastic-disaster-recovery-agent.s3.amazonaws.com/latest/install_dr_agent.sh

Step 2: Run the installer with your AWS credentials

sudo bash install_dr_agent.sh --region <aws-region> --account-id <account-id> --activation-key <activation-key>

Step 3: Validate agent registration

aws drs describe-source-servers

Backout Plan:

Using AWS Console:

  1.  Remove the source server from EDR if needed
  2. Uninstall the agent manually from the source server

Using AWS CLI:

aws drs delete-source-server \
  --source-server-id s-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Manually remove the agent from the server (Linux example):

sudo rm -rf /var/lib/aws-replication-agent
sudo systemctl stop aws-replication-agent
sudo systemctl disable aws-replication-agent

References: