Test Failover Network

[paulymo]

I'm wondering if there is a way to force a VM to a specific network during a failover test? I am using SRM 4.0.1 with NetApp SRA 1.4.3 and a testbubble network is created during a failover test. I have created a test network and select that network during the recovery plan setup when it ask about test networks.

Any thoughts?

[mal_michael · Accepted solution]

Yes, off course it is possible. The setting is per portgroup and not per VM, however.

Edit your Recovery Plan. On "Test Network" screen you can choose to which portgroup the VMs will be connected during test recovery. By default it is configured to Auto, which means that internal switch will be created on the ESX hosts.

Michael.

[paulymo]

Thanks Michael. I have made the change from auto to the test networks I want to use but it doesn't seem to be working. I read the NetApp SRA creates a testbubble network which is does. However, I'd like to get the test network to work so servers like Exchange have a domain controller to connect to.

[mal_michael]

I have no experience with NetApp SRA, so I don't no why it would need to create vSwitch (sounds strange to me, cause SRM creates test-bubble switch).

Make sure that you have configured the test networks correctly, cause it should work. The"test network" setting means actually the following: the VMs that during real recovery fail over to portgroup A (portgroup that resides on recovery site, not the original VM portgroup from the protected site), during test recovery should be connected to portgroup B (which resides on the recovery site off course).

Once again, make sure that you have configured test network for the relevant portgroups.

[TimOudin]

To follow up on Michael's comments if I may. Recovery networks for your virtual machines are defined during the creation of the Recovery Plan, test networks are by default the autobubble as you've already discovered. Of course, you already know all of this. Just to be sure though, check out Mike Laverick's book, specifically page 212 for illustration of the selection of test recovery networks. Be aware that if you are using dVS on your protected site that bugs in network mappings exist in SRM 4.0.1 and earlier.

Get the link to the free .pdf download here, and drop a few bucks (whatever your currency) towards UNICEF: http://www.rtfm-ed.co.uk/2010/03/22/new-administrating-vmware-site-recovery-manager-4-0/

Chapter 5 also covers NetApp and SnapMirror quite well!

Tim Oudin

[paulymo]

Thanks guys for the response. Looks like I was just flaking out and putting the wrong network so it was creating the test-bubble network. Now that I have it set correct it is auto changing to my test network.