Before replicating VMs, you must have at least one PHD Virtual Backup VBA deployed and running regular backups. These backups can be stored on any supported backup data storage (attached virtual disk, a CIFS share, or an NFS share). Note that if an attached virtual disk is used, it must be shared in order to be used for replication. For details, seeConnectors on page 109 In addition, a stable network connection must exist between any primary and secondary locations in order to transfer replicated data.
After establishing your regular backups, you will create replication jobs to run after the backups have finished to replicate any changes.
Step 1: Deploy/Configure a PHD VBA for Replication
If you will be using a DR site, the first step to configuring replication requires that you deploy a new PHD VBA to your secondary location. This is the location where you will be replicating VMs to (the "DR site" in the image above). The PHD VBA deployed here will read the data from your primary site's backup location then use that data to create replica VMs. Follow the instructions in the PHD Virtual Backup Installation Guide to deploy a new PHD VBA.
After deciding which PHD VBA will be used to perform the replication, it will need to be configured. Open the PHD Console and connect to the location where your replication PHD VBA is deployed. In theConfigurationarea, configure the hypervisor credentials (if it is a new PHD VBA) on theGeneraltab (refer to the Installation Guide for additional detailed deployment and configuration instructions).
site, for example) or the current PHD VBA's backup storage. Add all of the backup storage locations from which you want to replicate VMs.
After entering the required information and clickingOK, the storage location is displayed in the list, as seen in the following image.
Step 2: Create VM Replication Jobs
After adding the storage locations you will use for creating replica VMs, you will next use the Create Replication Job wizard to create your replication jobs. The wizard can be opened from theJobsarea of the PHD Console, or from theReplicationarea.
From theReplicationarea, in theVirtual Machines Available for Replicationtab, you can see all of the VMs available for replication. This list of VMs represents all of the VM backups available on the storage locations you added in the previous step.
At this point, you can select the VMs you want to replicate then click Replicateto open theCreate Replication Jobwizard. Follow the steps in the wizard to create the replication job. For details, seeUsing the Create Replication Job Wizard on page 70.
Tip: Replication takes advantage of existing backups to create and update replica VMs. Therefore, some
consideration should be given to when your replication jobs are scheduled to run. If possible, replication jobs should be set to run after your nightly backups complete, to ensure your replicas are up to date with the latest
Step 3: Run Replication Jobs and Manage Replicas
When a Replication Job runs, either scheduled or if manually started, VMs are replicated to the location you specified. If you view theReplicated Virtual Machinestab in theReplicationarea of the PHD Console, you will see all of the VMs that have been created.
Note: Only one replica VM can be created per hypervisor environment. For example, if you create a replica forVM1
calledVM1_replicaon a host, andVM1is also included in a second replication job replicating to that same host, when the job runs, the original replica will be found and no new replica will be created. A warning stating the replica already exists will be logged and included in the email report when the job completes.
Replication Notes
l When the virtual disks of a replicated VM change, for example, if a disk is added or removed, or if a disk's size is altered, the next replication job will include a warning and any changed disks will not be replicated. In order to include virtual disk changes to your VMs, you will need to remove the existing replica and then either edit or create a new replication job to make sure any disk changes are included. You can verify changes are included by viewing the VM in the View/Edit step of the Replication wizard.
l VM configuration settings are not updated after the initial replication takes place. For example, if you replicate a VM that was configured to use 1 GB of memory, the replica VM will be configured with the same value. If you then change the size of the memory on the source VM, the replica VM will still have the original 1 GB value. To update the replica, you can either manually change the settings on the replica VM, or delete the replica VM and let the replication job create a new full replica the next time the job runs. This also applies to the replica's configuration settings - if you change a setting on the replica, it will not be overwritten by incremental changes applied during a replication job.
l The list of VMs available for replication is automatically synchronized with the configured backup storage locations every five minutes. You can force synchronization by clicking refresh on the Replication page of the PHD Console.
l Canceling a replication job in progress without the Use Snapshot option enabled will result in a replica in INCOMPLETE state.
l When adding backup storage for replication, it must be v5.3 or later - update the PHD VBA associated with any backup storage to be used with VM Replication to version 5.3 or later.