FT between Sites ?

[virtech]

I'm assuming if you have two highly connected sites via fiber and 2 ESX hosts in each site see the same LUNS VMware FT is supported and works?

[DSTAVERT]

If you loose access to one site you would also loose access to storage??

From http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1010601

In a FT environment, a virtual machine runs as a primary, and FT runs a secondary virtual machine on a different ESX host. The secondary virtual machine shares the primary's virtual disks. The virtual machines are kept in lock-step via logging information sent over a private network connection. The primary is the sender of this logging information, and the secondary only listens. FT is based on VMware Record/Replay technology.

[virtech]

Is that a question or a statement ?

Well if the storage is being replicated via hardware miroring then it will be available on the second site will it not ?

[DSTAVERT]

Run the site survey tool. If you have the compatible equipment both ends, set it up and test. From what I watched it is fairly restricted at this point. Single CPU, closely matching hardware, matching patch levels etc. The recommendation I saw was only if you don't have other choices.

[virtech]

this is a theory question, neither site exists !

[DSTAVERT]

Theory. Hmm Then it should be lightning quick and work as it says in the marketing material.

[DSTAVERT]

Seriously - I would do whatever testing I could to at least get a feel for it.

[virtech]

I would love to do some testing but I doubt it will be possible, someone out there must have and been there and done it ?

[DSTAVERT]

Have you gone through the FT performance whitepapers?

[admin]

Theorectically yes. If you use FT on a replicated storage, it will work.

Your mirrored or replicated storage better support automatic failover. So that when site failure happens, storage on the other site will become available immediately and FT host will be able to activate the secondary vm.

Some replicated storage does not support automatic failover. They require manual fail over.

Regarding support for this setup, you may want to contact sales/marketing directly. My impression is that it is forthcoming, but not yet in the current release.

When do you plan to deploy this? What is the use case for your set up?