Server mirroring and recovery

[LxAxKxI]

Hi All,

VMware is total new for me, but I have task to achieve and need your help and advice.

On two location will be same setup 1x server with 3-4 EXSI and NAS with max of 3TB data, so task is if main server go down than server on another site will take over.

What is good solution to achieve this?

Thanks

[daphnissov]

If you have two separate sites with ESXi hosts and a NAS, you'll need to enable either a stretched-storage product or some synchronous replication technology to achieve that. HA will protect VMs and restart them on surviving hosts should one fail, but if you want to automatically fail over VMs between sites then that's another (more costly) scenario that usually isn't done with just a NAS.

[LxAxKxI]

Hi Daphnissov,

Thanks for quick replay, Yes i need solution for automatically take over, so i need two things

1. Replica of ESXi vm from i site to another and data on NAS,

2. Automatically take over, if main server with ESXi's is down then backup server on another site will take over job.

[daphnissov]

Then as I said above, you'll need a stretched storage configuration or some vendor-specific synchronous replication solution. Both of these are not going to be simple or cheap if your NAS even supports it. What NAS are you using? Describe your sites and what hardware you have at each including number of ESXi hosts.

[LxAxKxI]

Hi,

On both site i have identical hardware 1 x server Dell power edge R530 and 1 x  Dell Storage NX3230, on R530 will be 3-4 ESXi vm.

Connection between sites is vpn with 5 mbp/s internet connection.

[daphnissov]

Then it won't be possible with what you have. Your hardware isn't appropriate and neither is your inter-site link for any sort of synchronous replication, not to mention the NX3230 doesn't support it.

[LxAxKxI]

Hi,

Thanks for quick reply,

but can I make any kind of replications? What if  both servers are on same place, make side by side server replication, then move second server to another site and use vSphere replication?

Data on NAS will not increase  more then 100mb on daily base.

Thanks

[daphnissov]

You can replicate individual VMs with something like SRM + vSphere Replication, Veeam, and a whole host of others, but it won't be synchronous replication and you can't automatically failover sites.

[LxAxKxI]

Hi,

Thanks for your help and answers,

but if you have time can you give me some links or little more explain why i can't do synchronous replication and automatically fail over sites.

I need than to explain why is not possible to achieve full replication over sites.

All this about vmware is new for me and that is reason for my noob questions.

+ to not make new question, what vmware product i need to purchase ?

- VMware vSphere Essentials Plus Kit only or ?

Thanks

BR.

[daphnissov · Accepted solution]

The primary reason you can't do synchronous replication or stretched is your storage doesn't support it. Those features are only typically found with high-end block storage arrays and not low end NAS. Also, even if you had such hardware, your inter-site link would have to be low latency (sub 5ms likely) and be much higher bandwidth than what you stated. As far as the VMware product, Essentials Plus is probably the best choice.

[LxAxKxI]

Hi,

Thanks for your time and answers.

Have nice day