Site Recovery Manager 6.5 overwrites /etc/hosts entry when recovery plan test activated

[dona_dona]

Hi,

I am using Site Recovery Manager 6.5 along with vSphere ESXi 6.5 and vCenter 6.5.

When I activate SRM's recovery plan test with IP customization and let SRM replace Main Site's IP address & default gateway address, the recovery plan test completes successfully.

However, there's one thing that puzzles me, that is, target VM's /etc/hosts seems to be overwritten by SRM during IP customization sequence. Does anyone have any idea if this is actually done by SRM?

Here's how it is overwritten:

<before>

[Main Site's IP]     [Main Site's hostname]

<after>

[DR Site's IP]        [Main Site's hostname]

I have looked up KBs and "Site Recovery Manager Administration (Site Recovery Manager 6.5)", but there were no description of /etc/hosts overwriting behavior.

Thanks,

dona

[TheBobkin]

Hello Dona,

Seems expected behaviour to me and yes being done during the Recovery Plan process by SRM:

"You can customize IP settings for virtual machines for the protected site and the recovery site. Customizing the IP properties of a virtual machine overrides the default IP settings when the recovered virtual machine starts at the destination site.

If you do not customize the IP properties of a virtual machine, Site Recovery Manager uses the IP settings for the recovery site during a recovery or a test from the protection site to the recovery site. Site Recovery Manager uses the IP settings for the protection site after reprotect during the recovery or a test from the original recovery site to the original protection site."

https://docs.vmware.com/en/Site-Recovery-Manager/6.0/com.vmware.srm.admin.doc/GUID-25B33730-14BE-426...

Bob