12 Storage Replication Adapter for

VMware SRM

Introduction 200
VMware SRM and Enterprise Manager Configuration Prerequisites 201
Enterprise Manager SRA Configurations 202
Manual SRM Failback Procedure for VMware SRM 4.1 204
Reprotecting After Migrations with SRM 5.0 and ESX 4.1 Hosts 207
Selecting the Replay Type to Use for SRM 5.0 Volume Failover 208

Dell Compellent

199

Chapter 12 Storage Replication Adapter for VMware SRM

Introduction
The VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager (SRM) supports storage vendors using
Storage Replication Adapters. The Dell Compellent Storage Replication Adapter (SRA)
allows sites to use VMware vCenter SRM on Dell Compellent Storage Centers through Dell
Compellent Enterprise Manager.
This chapter provides overview information about using SRM on Storage Centers through
Enterprise Manager and the Dell Compellent SRA. For complete information on installing
and configuring VMware vCenter SRM, see to the Site Recovery Manager Administration
Guide available from VMware.
Note: Before installing the Dell Compellent SRA , check the SRA readme file for the
most current information regarding the installation and configuration process.

Dell Compellent SRA Software Requirements

The following table lists the software requirements for the Dell Compellent SRA.
Component

Requirements
SRA Version 3.3.1 SRA Version 5.5.3 SRA Version 6.2.2

Storage Center

Version 4.0 or later

Version 5.0 or later

Version 5.0 or later

Enterprise Manager

Version 3.3 or later

Version 5.5.4 or later

Version 6.2.2 or later

VMware vCenter Site

Recovery Manager (SRM)

Version 1.0/4.1

Version 5.0

Version 5.0 or 5.1

Microsoft .Net Framework

Version 2.0 installed

on the SRM server

Version 2.0 installed

on the SRM server

Version 2.0 installed

on the SRM server

Note: Dell Compellent SRA version 3.3.1 is deprecated. Support for SRA 3.3.1 will
be removed from a future Enterprise Manager version.

Dell Compellent SRA Limitations

The following features are not supported by the Dell Compellent SRA:

200

Storage Center Live Volumes

Storage Center Synchronous Replications

VMware Consistency Groups

VMware Consistent Images

Enterprise Manager 6.2 Administrators Guide

VMware SRM and Enterprise Manager Configuration Prerequisites

VMware SRM and Enterprise Manager Configuration Prerequisites

To use the Dell Compellent SRA with VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager, the
following requirements must be met.
Note: For information on installing and configuring VMware Site Recovery
Manager, see to the Site Recovery Manager Administration Guide available from
VMware.
Requirement

Description

Data Collector
Deployment

An Enterprise Manager Data Collector must be visible to all Storage

Centers within the SRM configuration.
Two options are available:

Storage Center
Configuration

Enterprise Manager
Users

Communication
between Enterprise
Manager and SRM

Replications

Restore Points

Dell Compellent

Install and configure the Enterprise Manager Data Collector on the

recovery SRM site only.

Install and configure Enterprise Manager Primary Data Collector on the

protected site; install and configure Enterprise Manager Remote Data
Collector on the recovery site.

VMware ESX/ESXi servers must be created on both the primary and

secondary Storage Centers.

QoS Nodes must be defined on both the source and destination Storage
Centers.

Three users are required:

To install SRM: An Enterprise Manager user that can access all

Storage Centers at the protected and recovery sites.

To manage the protected site with SRM: An Enterprise Manager user

that can access only the Storage Centers at the protected site.

To manage the protected site with SRM: An Enterprise Manager user

that can access only the Storage Centers at the recovery site.

The firewall (if any) between SRM and Enterprise Manager must allow
SOAP over HTTP on the appropriate port:

SRA 3.3.1 default port: 8080

SRA 5.5.3 default port: 3033

SRA 6.2.2 default port: 3033

Using Enterprise Manager, create replications from the protected site to

the recovery site.

Source and destination volumes must not be replicating anywhere else.

Restore points for replications must be validated and saved.

Restore points are not available to VMware vCenter SRM until they have
been saved. Using Enterprise Manager, save restore points for the
replications. If you are using Data Collectors on both the recovery and
protected sites, you must save restore points on both sites.

201

Chapter 12 Storage Replication Adapter for VMware SRM

Enterprise Manager SRA Configurations

This section presents two supported configurations for using VMware Site Recovery
Manager with Enterprise Manager:

Primary Data Collector configuration only

Remote Data Collector configuration

Primary Data Collector Only Configuration

In the following figure, the Protected and the Recovery sites are connected by a single
Enterprise Manager Primary Data Collector.

In a configuration with only one Enterprise Manager Data Collector, locate the Data
Collector at the Recovery Site.

202

Enterprise Manager 6.2 Administrators Guide

Remote Data Collector Configuration

Remote Data Collector Configuration

In the following configuration, the Protected Site is connected to an Enterprise Manager
Primary Data Collector; the Recovery Site is connected to an Enterprise Manager Remote
Data Collector.

In a configuration with an Enterprise Manager Remote Data Collector, locate the Remote
Data Collector on the Recovery Site. This configuration allows DR activation from the
remote site when the Protected Site goes down. By design, the Enterprise Manager
Remote Data Collector is connected to the same Storage Centers as the Enterprise
Manager Primary Data Collector.

Dell Compellent

203

Chapter 12 Storage Replication Adapter for VMware SRM

Manual SRM Failback Procedure for VMware SRM 4.1

Perform these tasks to failback to the protected SRM site if you are using VMware vCenter
SRM 4.1.

If you are using SRM 5.0 or higher, you do not need to perform these tasks.

A failback to the protected SRM site can be performed only after a successful failover
to the recovery SRM site.

Failback Task

Details

Prepare the protected SRM

server for failback

On the protected site:

1

Log into the VI client.

Remove the virtual machines from the inventory.

Open the SRM tab.

Remove all the protection groups.

Prepare the recovery SRM server On the recovery site:

for failback
1 Log into the VI client.

Prepare the Storage Center for

failback

Power down all running virtual machines to which you want

to fail back.

Open the SRM tab.

Remove all configured recovery plans.

Log into the Storage Center on the protected site, and delete
the original replications.

Log into Enterprise Manager, and delete the original restore

points.

Note: If you have an Enterprise Manager Data Collector

running on both the protected and recovery sites, delete restore
points on both the protected and the recovery sites.
Set up replications from the
Using Enterprise Manager:
recovery site to the protected site
Note: Before a replication can start, there must be at least one
Replay on the volume to be replicated.
1

Create a replication from an existing volume on the Storage

Center in the recovery site to the Storage Center in the
protected site. By default, the replicated volumes are named
DR View of [Name of original replicated volume].

Save restore points for the new replications.

Note: If you have an Enterprise Manager Data Collector

running on both the protected and recovery sites, save restore
points on both the protected and recovery sites.
Wait for replications to complete

204

Before continuing to the next step, wait until Enterprise Manager

reports that the replications are complete. If necessary, continue
to refresh the view to see the status of the replications.

Enterprise Manager 6.2 Administrators Guide

Manual SRM Failback Procedure for VMware SRM 4.1

Failback Task

Details

Set up SRM for failback

On the recovery site:

1

Log into the VI client.

Open the SRM tab.

Create protection groups for the new replications. By default,

the replicated volumes are named DR View of [Name of
original replicated volume].

Note: You may need to rescan the arrays. To do so, open the
Array Manager configuration screen, click through the first two
screens, and then click the Rescan Arrays button.
On the protected site:

Test the recovery plans

Fail back to the protected SRM

server (run the recovery plan)

Log into the VI client.

Open the SRM tab.

Create recovery plans for the new protection groups.

On the protected site:

1

In the VI client, open the SRM tab.

Test the recovery plan you created.

On the protected site:

In the VI client, run the recovery plan.

Note: Running the recovery plan automatically shuts down all

running virtual machines on the recovery site.
Clean up the SRM servers

On the recovery site:

1

Log into the VI client.

Remove from the inventory all the virtual machines that you
failed over.

Open the SRM tab.

Remove the protection groups.

On the protected site:

Clean up Storage Center and

Enterprise Manager

Log into the VI client.

Open the SRM tab.

Remove the recovery plan(s) you created.

Log into the Storage Center on the recovery site.

Remove the replications (replications should be down).

Log into Enterprise Manager.

Delete the restore points for the replications.

Note: If you have an Enterprise Manager Data Collector

running on both the protected and recovery sites, delete restore
points on both sites.
5

Dell Compellent

On the recovery Storage Center, unmap the volume to

recovery ESX server.

205

Chapter 12 Storage Replication Adapter for VMware SRM

Failback Task

Details

Restart replications

Using Enterprise Manager:

1

Create a replication from an existing volume on the

protected Storage Center to the recovery Storage Center.

Save restore points for the replications.

Note: If you have an Enterprise Manager Data Collector

running on both the protected and recovery sites, save restore
points on both sites.
Prepare SRM

On the protected site:

1

Log into the VI client.

Open the SRM tab.

Create protection groups for the replicated virtual machines.

On the recovery site:

206

Log into the VI client.

Open the SRM tab.

Create a recovery plan(s) for the protection groups.

Enterprise Manager 6.2 Administrators Guide

Reprotecting After Migrations with SRM 5.0 and ESX 4.1 Hosts

Reprotecting After Migrations with SRM 5.0 and ESX 4.1 Hosts
If you are using Storage Center OS versions prior to 5.5.6 with VMware SRM 5.0 and ESX
4.1 hosts, you must perform additional steps to reprotect virtual machines on ESX 4.1
hosts.
If you do not perform a reprotect promptly after recovering from a planned migration with
VMware SRM 5.0, hosts running VMware ESX 4.1 Update 1 attempt to write to LUNs that
are read-only, causing /var/log on the hosts to begin filling up. Eventually the hosts become
unresponsive and disconnect from VMware vCenter. To avoid this situation, run reprotect
as soon as possible after running recovery.
Perform the following steps to reprotect virtual machines on ESX 4.1 hosts:
1 Run reprotect as soon as possible after running recovery. The reprotect fails to
complete.
2 If the ESX host disconnects from vCenter, perform the following steps:
a Check /var/log partition space and delete unneeded vmkernel logs if necessary.
b Reconnect to the ESX host with vCenter.
3 Run the reprotect again with force clean-up selected.
4 Restore placeholders for the ESX 4.1 update 1 host virtual machines.
5 Delete the *-tmp placeholders from the new recovery site.

Dell Compellent

207

Chapter 12 Storage Replication Adapter for VMware SRM

Selecting the Replay Type to Use for SRM 5.0 Volume Failover
The SRM Selectable Replay option determines whether the Active Replay or last frozen
Replay is used when VMware Site Recovery Manager (SRM) 5.0 initiates a failover or test
failover. By default, the current, unfrozen state (Active Replay) of the volume is used.
Perform these steps to change the Replay type used for SRM volume failover:
1 In the top pane, click Edit Data Collector Settings. The Edit Data Collector Settings
dialog box appears.
2 Click the Replication Settings tab.
3 From the SRM Selectable Replay drop-down menu, select one of the following options:

Always use Active Replay: Uses the current, unfrozen state of the data that has
been transferred to the destination.(Active Replay). This option is the default.

Use Active Replay if Replicating Active Replay: Uses the current, unfrozen state
of the data (Active Replay) only if Replicate Active Replay is enabled for the
replication. If Replicate Active Replay is disabled, the last frozen Replay is used.

Always use Last Frozen Replay: Uses the most current Replay that has been
transferred to the destination.

Use Restore Point Settings: Uses the settings that are configured for the restore
point that corresponds to the volume. If Use Active Replay is not selected within the
restore point, the last frozen Replay is used.

4 Click OK.

208

Enterprise Manager 6.2 Administrators Guide