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doggy
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Our DR plan in a nutshell. Everything on 2 HP c-Class blades.

Hi,

I'm a VM newbie, been reading around and have the following in mind. Hoping you can criticize and advise..:

In parallel to our existing Citrix-based infrastructure, I plan to buy in two HP c-class enclosures; one for our primary site and one for our colocation.

Install a BL460c blade server and a storage blade in each enclosure.

Install ESX to each enclosure. On the primary site's enclosure install Citrix servers, SQL, Util servers etc, all as VMs. Put the VMs on the storage blade.

Use 'Doubletake for ESX' on a third machine to replicate the VMs to the colo site.

If we have any issues we down the problem VM in the primary enclosure and bring it up at the colo site. Change its IP and re-register it with DNS.

When the DR system is tested and we're happy with it we move the data from our current system on to the parrallel system, expanding with more blades as required, and go live (I guess this could even be done in stages).

What do you reckon?

Thanks for any responses.

d

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doggy

Just for typos

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kix1979
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Thanks.

DoubleTake tell me that the current version of DT for

ESX is limited to a 1MByte/sec transfer rate, which

is actually bigger than our primary to colo

connection anyway. And 3.6GGB / hour is bigger than

the changes being made on our whole system too. They

say the VM image won't be corrupted should the

connection die half way through a transfer but I'd

like to test that. If it DT for ESX does what it says

on the tin I'm hoping it solves our replication

dilema.

Not to stray you away from DT, but Vizioncore will be releasing their new version of esxReplicator soon and would recommend you give it a try. And yes, I work for VC in R&D.

In case it doesn't, I'm wondering if there's any

other method of getting the VMs replicated over to

the colo:

1. Consolidated Backup - perhaps we could just

schedule-ftp the VM backups to the colocation. That

is if it Consolidated Backup can do differential

backups and restores of VMs to harddisk?

Consolidated Backup does not have the ability to perform a differential backup. You would have to look at third party tools to do this for you.

2. We use Attix5 backup software which does

differential backups to an onsite storage server,

which itself is them mirrored offs site. We could put

the Attix5 storage server at the colo and use Attix5

to differentially backup the files created by

Consolidate Backup.

I'm not familiar with their appliance, but if it can scan the VMDK files and create a differential map and ship the blocks over, it would definitely work.

Kix

Thomas H. Bryant III

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dpomeroy
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I would be interesting in hearing how Doubletake for ESX works out for you if you go ahead with this plan.

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Nicke
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I've just tried out Doubletake on a single VM, haven't really put it to test yet but it worked like it was supposed to do. Since esxReplicator never seems to get released (Rant I have customers waiting since october last year for esxReplicator but the release date gets pushed back all the time with no clear deadline Finished ranting), I've had to look to other products to do the replication and as such Doubletake seems to do it's job. But I'll hopefully get some time to put a bit more strain on it.

/Nicke

Niclas Borgström
Arrow ECS Sweden
doggy
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Thanks.

DoubleTake tell me that the current version of DT for ESX is limited to a 1MByte/sec transfer rate, which is actually bigger than our primary to colo connection anyway. And 3.6GGB / hour is bigger than the changes being made on our whole system too. They say the VM image won't be corrupted should the connection die half way through a transfer but I'd like to test that. If it DT for ESX does what it says on the tin I'm hoping it solves our replication dilema.

In case it doesn't, I'm wondering if there's any other method of getting the VMs replicated over to the colo:

1. Consolidated Backup - perhaps we could just schedule-ftp the VM backups to the colocation. That is if it Consolidated Backup can do differential backups and restores of VMs to harddisk?

2. We use Attix5 backup software which does differential backups to an onsite storage server, which itself is them mirrored offs site. We could put the Attix5 storage server at the colo and use Attix5 to differentially backup the files created by Consolidate Backup.

d

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greenhornet6nj9
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The CEO spent all of the vizioncore profits on his car, so they can't afford to hire developers. Good luck waiting for ESXreplicator

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davidbarclay
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greenhornet6nj9,

Was that worth posting?

I agree it sucks the esxReplicator \_still_ isn't released, but they ARE actively developing and releasing esxRanger - no doubt due to market demands.

I am sure they will have it out soon, and personally I look forward.

Dave

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kix1979
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esxReplicator for VI3 will be out in a few weeks. :smileygrin:

Kix

PS. I want a nice car too! I have none Smiley Sad

Thomas H. Bryant III
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davidbarclay
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Doh Kix, I bit my tongue and didn't say it was due soon because I wasn't sure if I was allowed to.

Looking forward to it.

Smiley Happy

Dave

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kix1979
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Thanks.

DoubleTake tell me that the current version of DT for

ESX is limited to a 1MByte/sec transfer rate, which

is actually bigger than our primary to colo

connection anyway. And 3.6GGB / hour is bigger than

the changes being made on our whole system too. They

say the VM image won't be corrupted should the

connection die half way through a transfer but I'd

like to test that. If it DT for ESX does what it says

on the tin I'm hoping it solves our replication

dilema.

Not to stray you away from DT, but Vizioncore will be releasing their new version of esxReplicator soon and would recommend you give it a try. And yes, I work for VC in R&D.

In case it doesn't, I'm wondering if there's any

other method of getting the VMs replicated over to

the colo:

1. Consolidated Backup - perhaps we could just

schedule-ftp the VM backups to the colocation. That

is if it Consolidated Backup can do differential

backups and restores of VMs to harddisk?

Consolidated Backup does not have the ability to perform a differential backup. You would have to look at third party tools to do this for you.

2. We use Attix5 backup software which does

differential backups to an onsite storage server,

which itself is them mirrored offs site. We could put

the Attix5 storage server at the colo and use Attix5

to differentially backup the files created by

Consolidate Backup.

I'm not familiar with their appliance, but if it can scan the VMDK files and create a differential map and ship the blocks over, it would definitely work.

Kix

Thomas H. Bryant III
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kix1979
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No worries, it's coming out soon enough. We are working really hard to make it a very solid release. I know it doesn't say a lot, but I really think this is a killer product from a technology standpoint.

Kix

Thomas H. Bryant III
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Shawzer
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kix1979 ,

Think you can post here when it is?

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Nicke
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Availability is a great topic to discuss, even for small shops that only have 2 ESX servers. I like the simplicity of the product and especially the pricing. In my view DoubleTake for Virtual Infrastructure is far too expensive, in particular for small companies. I look forward to be able to provide esxReplicator to my customers.

/Nicke

Niclas Borgström
Arrow ECS Sweden
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doggy
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DT for ESX apparently does the replication at block level, like 32 or 64k chunks, which is not ideal, but not bad. It's been out for 3 months but it seems everyone is waiting for ESXreplicator, why is that?

Does anyone have experience of DoubleTake's SRO product? I understand that can replicate images of servers and boot the image if the source goes offline. I guess that would be running on each host tho. Not perfect.

I'm 'mazed this is such an issue. Replicating VMs to remote a place seems such an obvious requirement. Reckon I may buy shares in VizionCore just cos of ESXreplicator alone!

d

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davidbarclay
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Not only is DT expensive, they REFUSE to sell it in Australia. Apparently DT have decided NOT to distribute in Australia until v2 hits in the US.

Confidence problems?!?

That really p1ssed me off, so if you are reading this Mr DoubleTake subsidiary in Australia - esxReplicator is what we will go with for our customers.

Dave

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kix1979
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DT for ESX apparently does the replication at block

level, like 32 or 64k chunks, which is not ideal, but

not bad. It's been out for 3 months but it seems

everyone is waiting for ESXreplicator, why is that?

Actually, DT uses snapshots to store it's data and ships those over to the target system. Conversely, esxReplicator does a differential scan of the VMDK files and ships only the changed blocks (not snapshots) to the target.

I don't know why everyone is waiting, but for me I think it is because people know we have learned what works and what doesn't and this next release is going to be pretty darn solid and way ahead of what anyone can do.

Does anyone have experience of DoubleTake's SRO

product? I understand that can replicate images of

servers and boot the image if the source goes

offline. I guess that would be running on each host

tho. Not perfect.

I've never used it, but it would have to be in the guest OS.

I'm 'mazed this is such an issue. Replicating VMs to

remote a place seems such an obvious requirement.

Reckon I may buy shares in VizionCore just cos of

ESXreplicator alone!

You and me both Smiley Happy

On a side note, I don't have an official release date that I can say. That's up to the marketing people. I think some people would kill me if I said a date and it slipped. However! It's coming soon and the bottom line is it comes out soon once any issues are resolved. Between the rest of the team and I we want this to be a VMware style release (minus the 1100 bug fixes Smiley Happy)

Thomas H. Bryant III
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kix1979
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I can post here somehow, but I don't want to make a whole thread about it if I can help it. If I do it might seem a little too 'marketing' and I am NOT marketing.

Kix

\*Kix goes back to the R&D cave*

Thomas H. Bryant III
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doggy
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Thanks very much everyone.

I see Equallogic boxes come with bundled block-level replication software. Strangely I already feel a loyalty to VizionCore, but would there be any reason not to use an Equallogic P50e as iSCSI shared storage and have that do the replication of the VMs to another P50e at a remote location?

Regards

d

p.s. I'll go look at how to award points!

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Shawzer
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Just to add to the fun, I've viewed Netapp and IBRIX as some backup opportunities as well. Both make use of snapshots (pointers).

IBRIX is rather unique. It can also make direct attached SCSI use vmotion. Think NFS, though.

Plus, PlateSpin as a nice DR that just got better.

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jbsmithox
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I have installed and used both esxReplicator and Double-Take for VMware VI. In my opinion both esxReplicator and DT work they way they are described. I Personally like esxReplicator because it's much faster and requires less manual steps. For the initial replication it tool esxReplicator around 2 hours to complete and DT took over 12 hours. Also DT does not register the replicated VM in VC. You have to manually register the VM when it's replicated. I hope this answers some questions.

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jbsmithox

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greenhornet6nj9
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Still nothing released from vizioncore. Just signd with DT. Awesome solution. Initial was not 12 hours - more like 30 minutes. Does both full VM and application inside. I use it for backups as well. No more need for anything else. I might have more confidence in vizioncore if they would hire some people and release something. 3 guys in a basement doesn't do it for me. Website is lipstik on the pig.

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