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

[doggy]

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

Message was edited by:

doggy

Just for typos

[kix1979]

Actually, our product is GA as of today.

[jmattox]

esxReplcaitor 2.0 for Vi3 is GA on the website for download...

FYI here are a few tests you should run on both products... just so you know how they work...

VMotion in between replication passes

Does the next pass occur without issue?

Remove the Job from the Product and re-add it

Does entire VMDK copy occur instead of just syncing the changes since the last pass?

Stop and start the service of the Product

Does entire VMDK copy occur instead of just syncing the changes since the last pass?

Can you replicate between two Vi3 hosts that are not apart of Virtual Center?

Change the replication pass to run every 8 hours, then power on the destination VM and test the data.

Change the pass to execute now or force a replicate pass, does the VM just revert any changes and pick replication where it left off or does the Whole VMDK get copied again?

In between replication passes are Snap shots left open on the VMFS?

If you where to preload the destination with the VM’s directory and all files, does the product just sync up the VMDK or does it recopy the whole VM?

If you where to Replicate a 50GB VM how long does each product take to make the base copy?

[hicksnestle]

How do you fail-over?

How do you resync?

If no automated way - you have defeated the purpose of replication.

DoubleTake has application level replication with both of these covered!

Buy DoubleTake!!!

[jmattox]

DT application level replication and VMDK level replication are two different products.

Here we would be talking about DT and esxReplicator VMDK level replication products.

DT and esxReplicator both don't have a automatic Failover for VMDK level replication.

As far as resync goes we have a differential engine that runs for each pass instead of Snap shot rotation.

[hicksnestle]

You are correct: They are different products. DT offers both and you can purchase them together for a steal. Better - you get replication for the application and the full VMDK's.

My company demands both. DoubleTake has both!

VizionCore is stuck with a half-baked tool that is really only good for one-way migrations and we use PlateSpin for that. It is called P2V, not replication.

[kix1979]

VizionCore is stuck with a half-baked tool that is

really only good for one-way migrations and we use

PlateSpin for that. It is called P2V, not

replication.

Actually, it would be Virtual to Virtual, V2V not P2V. Secondly, a good definition of replication.

Replication may be defined as a duplicate copy of similar data on the same or a different platform. The process of duplicating the data records in one database to one or more other databases in near-real time, is known as replication. The data can be presented in different formats.