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ChevUribe
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vSphere Relication

1. If I created replication using VRA, my replicated VM will be in thick or thin provisioned format?

2. I PROD VM is moved from one storage or to another host, do I have to reconfigure replication?

3. Can I vMotion replicated VM from different storage or host?

4. Can replicated VMs be cloned or exported to OVF and then later powered on as additional test VMs?

7 Replies
vbrowncoat
Expert
Expert

1. That is up to you. It is determined when you configure replication. The default is the same as source.

2. Do you mean using storage vmotion? This is supported at the source in VR 5.5 and at the target in VR 6.0.

3. Yes, see above

4. I'm guessing you are talking about the VM files at the target site? This isn't explicitly supported. VR is required to handle the recovery of the VM so just copying the files that it replicates won't give you something that you can power on, you will need to do some work to get it to power on. There are no directions for what to do from VMware.

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ChevUribe
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2. Do you mean using storage vmotion? This is supported at the source in VR 5.5 and at the target in VR 6.0.

3. Yes, see above

- If this is possible, what will happen to my replication job? Will the replication automatically update its storage location?

Ex.

PROD : Storage 1

DR: Storage 2 and Storage 3

Replicated VM is configured to be in storage 2 in DR site but like you said, replicated VM can be storage vmotioned to other storage.

If the replicated VM is migrated to Storage 3, what will happen to the replication job associated to that VM?

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hussainbte
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With the documentation saying it supports storage vMotion at source and target, I would expect the replication job to continue and not require any modification or reconfiguration.

Otherwise vSphere Replication always had option to use existing disks as seeds for replication. so the admin could re configure the job again and use the migrated disks as seeds for the replication job.

having said that I have not done this in LAB.

If you found my answers useful please consider marking them as Correct OR Helpful Regards, Hussain https://virtualcubes.wordpress.com/
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vbrowncoat
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In VR 6.0 and higher it supports storage vMotion on both the source and target. If either is moved by svmotion replication continues to operate without change or interruption.

ChevUribe
Expert
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but will the details of the replicated storage be updated if the replicated VM is svmotioned to another storage in the DR site?

Means, if I checked the replication jobs, it should show that the datastore is new.

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hussainbte
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Yes, it should be updated.

If you found my answers useful please consider marking them as Correct OR Helpful Regards, Hussain https://virtualcubes.wordpress.com/
ChevUribe
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thanks!

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