Split a Datastore Group...How?

[tmarchbanks]

I have multiple replicated LUNS.....

Replicated Datastores

HQ:XP:SRM:01

HQ:XP:SRM:02

I want to create a protection group to protect a group of VMs on the 1st datastore and another for the 2nd datastore. When I create a Protection Group I am shown both datasotres as part of a Datastore Group. How can I change this so that each datastore is independant?

We are using 2 identical HP XP20000 Arrays.

Also our Datastore get renamed each time we run a failover to something like snap-xxxxxxx-NAME. Can this be averted?

[Michelle_Laveri]

Not sure if I completely follow your description but...

Your first issue is "by design". If you have 1 VM with 2 virtual disks - this will be detected when you create a protection group... So 1 protection group can have reference two different datastores.... and there is (as far I know) no way to change this. This intend to stop a VM having references in the .vmx file to virtual disks, which it subsequently cannot find. If a VM has a refrerence to virtual disk it cannot locate, it will not boot.

The second one is easier. In the beta the default of SRM was to rename the snap_of_originalVMFSname, to be just the original VMFS name. I think this was changed in the GA so folks could easily ID the snaps from the vmfs volumes. You can re-enabled the rename process by doing the following...

Locate in the C:\Program Files\Site Recovery Manager\Config directory the vmware-dr.xml file. Modify the

Regards

Mike Laverick

RTFM Education

http://www.rtfm-ed.co.uk

Author of the SRM Book: http://www.lulu.com/content/4343147

[depping]

Mike is correct afaik there's no way to change this behavior. You would need to identify the VM that has a disk on both volumes and move it to a single vmfs volume. This would solve your issues.

Good tip on the renaming Mike!

Duncan

VMware Communities User Moderator

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[tmarchbanks]

Thanks for the renaming tip.

I am uncertain how to create a Protection Group and only protect certain VMs.

If I have 2 replicated datastores...

HQ:FC:SRM:01

--VM01

--VM02

HQ:FC:SRM:02

--VM03

--VM04

When I create a Protection Group all 4 VMs are added to it. I would rather have 2 Protection Groups one for VM01 & VM02 and another for VM03 & VM04. How can I make this happen?

[Michelle_Laveri]

Thanks for the renaming tip.

I am uncertain how to create a Protection Group and only protect certain VMs.

If I have 2 replicated datastores...

HQ:FC:SRM:01

--VM01

--VM02

HQ:FC:SRM:02

--VM03

--VM04

When I create a Protection Group all 4 VMs are added to it. I would rather have 2 Protection Groups one for VM01 & VM02 and another for VM03 & VM04. How can I make this happen?

OK. a couple of things. Let say you had 10 VMs one replicated LUN. But you only wanted to protect 3 of them - you couldn't...

All 10 VMs would be included in the BLOCK level replication (not file level). You only option would be to use the Unconfigure option on the VMs you didn't want to include in the plan. this would leave a horrid yellow exclaimation mark on the VMs and the Protection Group. This would annoy you - and irratate you every time some said, if there's a yellow exclaimation mark - does that mean we have a problem.

In the example above you SHOULD have two protection groups for each datastore. IF you not getting this... its because - VM3/4 have files stored on LUN01 or VM1/2 have files stored on LUN02. As I said before they only time you get 2 datastores per protection group is when the VM has two virtual disks (or other attachments - ISOS???) that make have a connection to two or more datastores...

Glad you like the tip!

(Start shamless self promotion)

There's more in the book. Have you bought a copy yet? You know it makes sense 😛

(End of shameless self promotion)

Regards

Mike Laverick

RTFM Education

http://www.rtfm-ed.co.uk

Author of the SRM Book: http://www.lulu.com/content/4343147

[tmarchbanks]

I will buy the book tomorrow, 2 copies if you can provide me a solution.

I have destroyed all VMs that exist on either of the 2 Datastores I mentioned above.

I created a new VM on HQ:FC:SRM:01 and a new one on HQ:FC:SRM:02.

I go to create a Prot Group and both Datastores are shown in a single Datasotre Group. I am unable to create more than 1 Prot Group.

[tmarchbanks]

I am uploading some screenshots. In the post above I had the datastores named HQ:xxxxxxx, I renamed them to ARC:xxxxxx, like in the screenshots.

[admin]

Hi,

Could you check consistency groups configuration on the array? If two datastores are part of a single consistency group then SRM will not allow you to separate them into two different Protection Groups.

-Masha

[Michelle_Laveri]

This is true - some SRA enforce the use of consistency groups. The v1 of the SRA from EMC for MirrorView did.

Later SRA's sometimes weaken this to allow for scalability (in the case of consistency in groups in EMC for example).

This however, an HP Array - do the same restrictions apply... the requirement... in EMC is more of recommendation now...

If its a requirement then it could well be the source of the problem...

Regards

Mike Laverick

RTFM Education

http://www.rtfm-ed.co.uk

Author of the SRM Book: http://www.lulu.com/content/4343147