Table of Contents. Set up the Server Manage ESX Servers Add an ESX server Configure an ESX server... 12

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1 User s Guide Double-Take, GeoCluster, and NSI are registered trademarks of Double-Take Software, Inc. Balance, Double-Take for Virtual Systems, Double-Take for Virtual Servers, and Double-Take ShadowCaster are trademarks of Double-Take Software, Inc. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista, and Active Directory and the Windows logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. VMware is a registered trademark or trademark of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. VMware and VMotion are registered trademarks or trademarks (the Marks ) of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions.all other trademarks are the property of their respective companies Double-Take Software, Inc. All rights reserved. Version DTVI-31-UG

2 Table of Contents Introducing Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure... 1 Requirements... 2 Related documentation... 2 Suggest improvements to this product... 2 Install Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure... 3 Getting Started with Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure... 4 Configure your VMware ESX server to use a root account... 4 Configure your VMware ESX server to use a non-root account... 4 Configure the SCP timeout... 5 Configure the VirtualCenter operation timeout... 5 Navigate the Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure interface... 5 Using the menus... 5 Using the left pane navigation list... 6 Find out more information about tasks... 6 Start Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure... 6 Connect to the Administrative Servers... 7 Connect to the DTVI server... 7 Connect to the VirtualCenter server... 8 Log off administrative servers... 9 Manage activation codes... 9 Set up the Server Manage ESX Servers Add an ESX server Configure an ESX server Set up Protection for a Virtual Machine Select the source virtual machine Select the source virtual machine without VirtualCenter Select the target physical machine Select the target physical machine without VirtualCenter Select a data store on the target server Edit replica virtual machine Modify protection settings Schedule protection start time Change protection set name Set data transmission options Set notification options Change VirtualCenter credentials Change restart and threshold options Save protection settings Monitor your Protected Virtual Machines Understanding failover and job reversal Failover and reversal scenarios Failover after a problem is encountered on the source Perform a failover test to verify the quality of the backup data without disrupting clients Pre-Staging Data on the Target... 34

3 Introducing Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure is used to protect entire virtual machines on the VMware ESX Server platform by actively replicating virtual machine files between datastores. Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure leverages VMware published and supported web service APIs for snapshot and virtual machine management, ensuring that protected and replica virtual machines are in known and manageable states. This ensures that data will be crash-consistent and time-coherent across all virtual disks on the virtual machine. Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure can be used to protect any operating system that is supported by VMware. Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure protects virtual machines by creating VI snapshots, actively monitoring and managing those snapshots, and transferring them from the source datastore to the target datastore. Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure uses a client/server architecture. One Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure service serves multiple remote DTVI clients. The Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure service may or may not co-locate with the VMware VirtualCenter service. VMware VirtualCenter Server/ Double-Take Server Double-Take clients source ESX server target ESX server synchronization source datastore protected VM files (*-flat.vmdk, *.vmdk, *.vmx, etc.) protected VM files (*-flat.vmdk, *.vmdk, *.vmx, etc.) target datastore replication protected VM snapshots protected VM snapshots Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure includes support for VMware Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS). 1

4 Requirements Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure requires the following minimum system configuration: The Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure client and the Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure service must be installed on a server running one of the following 32-bit operating systems: Microsoft Windows XP Microsoft Windows 2003 A copy of Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure VMware VirtualCenter 2.x or later (Strongly recommended: VMware VirtualCenter or later) VMware ESX Server 3.x or later (Strongly recommended: VMware ESX Server or later) VMware ESX Server version 3i is not supported. In order to use automatic notification, you must add VI_Service.exe to the exception list of most antivirus and spam filters. In addition, you may need to open port 25 in your antivirus software to allow SMTP . For more information, see Set notification options on page 25. Related documentation Before you begin to configure your solution, make sure that you have complete documentation for your operating system, VMware, and DTVI. The following document(s) contain additional information that you may need while setting up this solution: DTVI User s Guide or online documentation Readme_DTforVI.htm The readme file contains information about known issues and workarounds in the current release Suggest improvements to this product Our product managers encourage us to develop products that are one step ahead of our competitors. While we like having the best products, we think it s more important to give you the features that you need to get your job done efficiently. If there is a way Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure could make your job easier, it s important that you let us know. If you can think of ways to improve the ease of use or performance of Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure, we want to know that, too. If you have suggestions for enhancements to Double-Take Software products, please let us know at 2

5 Install Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure Install Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure by running the setup.exe file. If you are upgrading from Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure version 2.0: Before you begin the upgrade, first put all active jobs into Stop mode (in order to avoid re-synchronization after upgrade). Next, upgrade the Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure service. Finally, upgrade the clients. If you are upgrading from Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure version 1.0: First, upgrade the Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure service. Then, upgrade the clients. The Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure service should be installed on a production server that is highly available. You may optionally install the Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure service on multiple servers; however, if you install multiple instances of the Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure service, it is recommended that each instance manage its own set of ESX servers. No agent software is required on the VMware ESX server, nor within any protected virtual machine. Each Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure service can be managed by multiple clients that are installed on different administrative servers. The single instance of the Double-Take service keeps track of your licenses. For information about how to determine the number of virtual machines that you can protect based upon your licenses, see Connect to the Administrative Servers on page 7. After you have installed Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure, launch the program by selecting Start, Programs, Double-Take Software, Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure, Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure. If this is your first time launching Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure, the Connect to DTVI Server window will appear as described in Connect to the DTVI server on page 7. 3

6 Getting Started with Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure Configure your VMware ESX server to use a root account Before you use Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure, you must configure your VMware ESX server to allow remote root login for secure shell (SSH) clients and to enable the client port for SSH. You will need to do this on both the source and target servers. 1. Allow remote root login for SSH. a. Log on to the ESX server through the console, using root credentials. b. Use a text editor to open the SSH system configuration file /etc/ssh/sshd_config. c. Change the line PermitRootLogin no to PermitRootLogin yes. d. Save the configuration file. e. From the command line, enter the following line to restart the SSH service. service sshd restart 2. Open the SSH client port on the ESX server's firewall configuration. a. Using VMware Virtual Infrastructure Client, select the host ESX server. b. On the Configuration tab for that server, select Security Profile. c. In the Firewall Properties window, make sure that SSH Client is selected, then click OK. d. Verify that the Configuration tab shows that SSH Client is enabled for the host on port 22. Configure your VMware ESX server to use a non-root account Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure can use non-root accounts to set up and configure jobs. Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure uses the sudo (super user do) program provided in ESX to set up a non-root account that can be used to setup and configure Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure jobs. Before sudo can be used, it needs to be configured on both the source and target ESX boxes. Each host should have a non-privileged account configured. It does not have to be the same account. To add a new user, perform the following steps on each host to be used as source or target. 1. Log in as root. 2. Execute adduser <username> to create a user. 3. Set a password for the newly created user: passwd <username> Configure sudo access for the newly-created user. 1. Execute visudo. This should bring up the sudo configuration file (/etc/sudoers). Note that you should not edit that file directly. 2. Add the following line to the sudo configuration file: username ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL 3. Save the file and exit (:w!). Verify that the sudo account has been configured correctly. 1. Log out and re-login as a sudo account. 2. Make sure you can access VMWare datastores on /vmfs/volumes/.../..., including ls, mkdir, and so on. 4

7 Configure the SCP timeout The SCP may timeout during the initial synchronization if you have a large virtual machine or a slow connection from the source to the target. Follow these steps to modify the SCP transfer timeout value. 1. Stop the protection job for which you want to change the SCP timeout value. 2. Change the default value of 2880 minutes in the DefaultJob.xml file (located in <install path>\data): <PropertyItem Name="ScpTimeoutMin" Access="PUBLIC" Permission="READWRITE"> <Value xsi:type="xsd:int">2880</value> </PropertyItem> 3. Restart your protection jobs. Configure the VirtualCenter operation timeout You can configure a single timeout value to be used for all VirtualCenter operations. By default, the value is 90 minutes. 1. Stop all protection jobs. 2. Change the default value of 90 minutes in the DefaultJob.xml file: <PropertyItem Name="RetriableOpTimeoutMin" Access="PUBLIC" Permission="READWRITE"> <Value xsi:type="xsd:int">90</value> </PropertyItem> 3. Restart your protection jobs. Navigate the Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure interface The Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure interface is designed to guide you through the process of configuring protection for your virtual machines. The default configuration parameters have been selected to be appropriate for most configurations; however, they may need to be modified for your specific environment. Using the menus The following menu options are available on the main Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure window: File menu Disconnect Disconnect from the currently-configured DTVI and VirtualCenter servers. When you disconnect from the servers, any saved connection information (such as user name and password) will be deleted. Exit Exit Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure Go menu Protect a virtual machine Opens the Protection Wizard pane to select a virtual machine to protect. Monitor protection Opens the Monitor protection pane, where you can view the protection status of protected virtual machines. Manage servers Opens the Manage Servers pane, where you can change login information for a selected server. Set up server Opens the Set up servers pane, where you can configure access to the SMTP mail server to use for notification. Manage activation codes Launches the Manage Activation Codes pane, where you can enter new DTVI activation codes to be used for protected virtual machines. 5

8 Help menu DTVI Help Launch the online help for Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure. DTVI User s Guide View the Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure User s Guide PDF. Check for updates Visit the Double-Take Software technical support site to see if an updated version of Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure is available. About Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure View information about this version of Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure. Using the left pane navigation list When you launch Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure, you will see the main Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure window. The first time you launch Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure, the interface will lead you through each step you need to take to configure protection for a virtual machine. After you have configured protection, you can select options in the left pane of Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure to monitor and manage your protected virtual machines. Find out more information about tasks There are two main ways to view information about a task in the Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure interface: In the Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure interface, read the descriptive text for the field or control. From the Help menu, click Double-Take Help. This will launch the online help file for Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure. You can click the icons in the upper-left corner of the help window to navigate through the topics. The closed book icon opens the Table of Contents, and the open book icon opens the Index. Start Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure Launch Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure by selecting Start, Programs, Double-Take Software, Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure, Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure. The first time you launch Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure, a login window will appear. In subsequent sessions, after you have entered and saved login information for your servers, you will be taken directly to the Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure interface. Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure uses standard Windows-style controls. Enter information in fields, select options from drop-down menus, click buttons, and use menu options. You must properly configure your ESX servers before you can use Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure. Follow the instructions in Configure your VMware ESX server to use a root account on page 4 before you attempt to use the Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure software. 6

9 Connect to the Administrative Servers For both the DTVI server and the VirtualCenter server, you will need to enter valid credentials that will allow you to connect to interfaces that these services are publishing on the network. Connect to the DTVI server In order to configure or manage any server, you must first enter credentials that have the appropriate permissions to perform the desired tasks. The first time you launch Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure, the Connect to DTVI Server dialog box will appear. This dialog box will also appear if there are no previously-saved credentials, if the previously-saved credentials are refused by the server, or if you have intentionally disconnected from the servers. The DTVI server is where replication and licensing management takes place. The account you specify must have permission to read and write files to that server. Typically, this account has administrator permission. Enter the following information in the appropriate fields: Server Enter the IP address or fully-qualified domain name of the DTVI server. If you have changed the default port (6331) used by the DTVI server, specify the port as well. Enter the IP address and port in the Server field, using the format IP Address:Port. User name Enter the user name for the account that will access the DTVI server. Password Enter the password that is associated with the user name. When you have finished entering the login information, click Next. Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure will verify the credentials that you have entered for the DTVI server. If any of the information entered is invalid or if the server refuses a connection, a warning message will appear. Because logging on is a two-step process, you will also need to enter credentials if you are logging on to a VirtualCenter server. Continue to the next section, Connect to the VirtualCenter server. 7

10 Connect to the VirtualCenter server You may enter credentials for logging in to the VMware VirtualCenter server in order to configure or manage an ESX server. After you enter login information for the DTVI server and click Next, the Connect to VirtualCenter Server dialog box will appear: The VirtualCenter server is where the VMware VirtualCenter service is running. The VMware VirtualCenter service manages all the VMware ESX servers in the environment. The account you specify must have permission to view, create, and modify virtual machines in the datacenter. Typically, this account has administrator permission. If you want to connect to a VirtualCenter server, select the Connect to VirtualCenter option. If you want to create a connection directly from one ESX server to another without using VirtualCenter (for instance, when both the source and target ESX servers are not administered by a VirtualCenter server), select Do not connect to VirtualCenter. Enter the following information in the appropriate fields: Server Enter the IP address or fully-qualified domain name of the VirtualCenter server. If you have changed the default port used by the VirtualCenter server, specify the port as well. Enter the IP address and port in the Server field, using the format Address:Port. User name Enter the user name for the account that will access the VirtualCenter server. Password Enter the password that is associated with the user name. If you want Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure to remember the login information, select the Save Double-Take and VirtualCenter connection information checkbox. By selecting this box, Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure will remember the credentials for logging in to both the DTVI and VirtualCenter servers. The logon information is cached and encrypted, so you will not need to enter this information again at subsequent logons. When you have finished entering the login information, click Connect. Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure will verify the credentials that you have entered for the VirtualCenter server. If this is your first time to use Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure and no virtual machines have previously been protected, you will be directed to begin selecting your virtual machines to protect. Continue with Select the source virtual machine on page 13. If you have already configured protection for a virtual machine, after logging in you will be taken to the Monitor Protection page. See Monitor your Protected Virtual Machines on page 30. 8

11 Log off administrative servers Logging off clears the current credentials so that you will be prompted to enter credentials on your next logon. To log off the servers, click the Disconnect button in the left pane. A box that identifies the server(s) that you are currently logged in to will appear. If you click OK, the Connect to DTVI Servers window will appear so that you can log in to different DTVI and VirtualCenter servers. Manage activation codes To enter an additional DTVI activation code, select Go, Manage Activation Codes. The Manage Activation Codes window will appear. Each valid activation code corresponds to a number of slots, where each slot represents the capacity to protect a single virtual machine. The slots are not bound to a specific socket or piece of hardware. Instead, a slot can be used to protect a virtual machine on any server in your VI enterprise. Each time a protection is created using the wizard, the application will automatically update the number of slots available for subsequent protections. If you are using an MBAK (Medium Business Acceleration Kit) license, your activation code will be valid for up to three EXS hosts, regardless of how many virtual machines reside on each physical host. Type in a new DTVI activation code to be used for a protected virtual machine, then click Add. When you are finished, click Done. 9

12 Set up the Server To configure access to the SMTP mail server to use for notification, either click the Set up server button in the left pane, or choose Go, Set up server. The Set up server window will appear. You should set up the server before creating a protection. Otherwise, you can set up the server during the protection configuration workflow by clicking the Configure button on the Configure notifications window. For more information, see Set notification options on page 25. The server configuration will apply to all jobs. Enter the following information that will be used when sending automatic notifications. From address Enter the address from which s will be sent. SMTP server Enter the name of the SMTP server to use to send notifications. You may use any of the following formats for the SMTP server name: Full Active Directory /DNS name (for example, exch1.domain.local) IP address Netbios short name (for example, exch1) User name Enter the user name for the account that will access the SMTP server. Password Enter the password that is associated with the user name. When you are finished, click Save. If you choose to disable notification for Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure after it has been configured, delete the server name in the SMTP server field, then click Save. 10

13 Manage ESX Servers When you click on the Manage servers button, Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure automatically scans to find ESX servers that are VMotion destination candidates for protected virtual machines, based upon SAN connectivity. You can view the Credentials Cached column to identify servers that need to have credentials entered. Only servers for which credentials have been entered will be available for use with VMotion. For example, if you are protecting a virtual machine from ESX server A to ESX server B and you plan to use VMotion technology to move the virtual machine to ESX server C, you must enter credentials for ESX server C. If you want to change the password for an ESX server, select Manage Servers in the left pane. The Manage Servers window will appear in the right pane. If a server is not being used by any protection, it can be removed from the list. To remove a server, select the server, then click the Remove Server icon. Add an ESX server If you want to add a new ESX server, click the Add Server button. The Add server window will appear in the right pane. Enter the IP address or DNS name and password for the new ESX server, then click Save to save the server credentials. 11

14 Configure an ESX server If you want to change the credentials for an ESX server, add a new credential, or delete an existing credential that is not being used in any protection, select the server, then click the Configure server button. The Configure server window will appear in the right pane. Select an account in the Credentials area, then click Add to add a username and password, or Edit to change existing credentials. The Credential dialog box will appear. Enter a Username and Password in the fields, then click OK. Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure will attempt to authenticate the supplied credentials. When you are finished, click Done. 12

15 Set up Protection for a Virtual Machine Select the source virtual machine If you are connected to a VirtualCenter server, when you select Protect a virtual machine, the Select virtual machine window will appear. If you are not connected to a VirtualCenter server, you will need to manually enter your source server. See Select the source virtual machine without VirtualCenter on page

16 Enter the following information for the source server: Virtual machine to protect Enter the name of the virtual machine you want to protect. Or, click the Browse button to browse VirtualCenter to locate a virtual machine. The Select Virtual Machine window will appear. In the Select virtual machine window, browse through the file tree on the left side to select a source virtual machine. When you select a virtual machine, the right pane is populated with information about the virtual machine, datastores, and networks associated with that virtual machine. To search for a virtual machine, enter all or part of the virtual machine name in the Search for field, then click Search. The virtual machines that meet the search criteria will appear in the Search Results folder in the left pane. After you have found the source virtual machine in the left pane, either double-click it, or select it then click Choose. Source ESX server IP address or DNS name This field displays the IP address or DNS name of the selected VMware ESX server. User name Enter the user name for the account you will be using to log on to the source VMWare ESX server. Password Enter the password that is associated with the user account. After all fields have been completed, click Next. A window will display the progress as the Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure console authenticates the source virtual machine. Continue to Select the target physical machine on page

17 Select the source virtual machine without VirtualCenter If you did not enter credentials for a VirtualCenter server, when you select Protect a virtual machine, the Select source server window will appear. Enter the following information for the source server: IP address or DNS name This field displays the IP address or DNS name of the selected VMware ESX server. User name Enter the user name for the account you will be using to log on to the source server. Password Enter the password that is associated with the user account. After all fields have been completed, click Next. A window will display the progress as the Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure console generates a list of available virtual machines on the server. The virtual machines that are found on the source server will be added to the list on the Select virtual machine window. Select a virtual machine to protect from the list, then click Next. Each protection that you configure will apply to a single virtual machine. Continue to Select the target physical machine without VirtualCenter on page

18 Select the target physical machine If you are connected to a VirtualCenter server, Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure will find potential target servers. On the Select target server window, you will enter information to select the target server. If you are not connected to a VirtualCenter server, you will need to manually enter your target server. See Select the target physical machine without VirtualCenter on page

19 Enter the following information for the target server: IP address or DNS Name Enter the IP address or DNS name of the VMware server that will provide a backup for your source virtual machine. Or, click the Browse button to browse VirtualCenter to locate a server. The Select server window will appear. In the Select server window, browse through the file tree on the left side to select a target server. When you select a server, the right pane is populated with information about the virtual machines, datastores, and networks associated with that server. After you have found the target server in the left pane, either double-click it, or select it then click Choose. To search for a target server, enter all or part of the server name in the Search for field, then click Search. The servers that meet the search criteria will appear in the Search Results folder in the left pane. User name Enter the user name for the account you will be using to log on to the target server. Password Enter the password that is associated with the user account. If there is a pre-existing virtual machine on the target ESX server with same filename and directory structure as the source virtual machine that you are protecting, the protection job will overwrite the target virtual machine if it is on the same datastore. After all fields have been completed, click Next. A window will display the progress as the Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure console authenticates the target server. 17

20 Select the target physical machine without VirtualCenter If you did not enter credentials for a VirtualCenter server, the Select target server window will appear. On the Select target server window, you will enter information to select the target server. Enter the following information for the target server: IP address or DNS Name Enter the IP address or DNS name of the VMware server that will provide a backup for your source virtual machine. User name Enter the user name for the account you will be using to log on to the target server. Password Enter the password that is associated with the user account. If there is a pre-existing virtual machine on the target ESX server with same filename and directory structure as the source virtual machine that you are protecting, the protection job will overwrite the target virtual machine if it is on the same datastore. After all fields have been completed, click Next. A window will display the progress as the Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure console authenticates the target server. Select a data store on the target server The data stores that are found on the target server will be added to the list on the Select target datastore window. Sufficient free space is determined by the following formula: Required space on source: Primary datastore free space > 256 MB * number of snapshot-capable disks Required space on target datastore: Datastore free space > Sum of all snapshot-capable disks sizes amount of disk space used by pre-staged data 18

21 Select the datastore where the source virtual machine data will be replicated. By default, the path for the replica virtual machine will be filled in with the source virtual machine name. If you want to change the replica virtual machine path, enter it in the field. Do not use any special or unique characters in the replica virtual machine path, including the following: # \ : *? ' " < > When you are finished, click Next. Edit replica virtual machine Select the options that will configure the replica virtual machine. 19

22 Enter the display name Enter the name you would like to use to identify the replica virtual machine. Do not use any special or unique characters in the replica virtual machine name, including the following: # / \ : *? ' " < > Map replica virtual network adapters to target VSwitches If there are multiple target networks, you can select the network on the target to use. Number of processors Select the number of processors for the replica virtual machine. The Processors on the source server field displays the number of processors on the original source virtual machine. Amount of memory Enter the amount of memory to use for the replica virtual machine. The Memory on the source server field displays the amount of memory (in MB) on the original source virtual machine. When you are finished configuring the replica virtual machine, click Next. The target virtual machine is registered on the first replication loop and will remain registered. To unregister a machine, you must click the Delete Protection button and choose the Delete the associated replica virtual machine option. Even though the target machine appears to be available on the ESX box, the target virtual machine should never be powered on, removed, or otherwise modified while it is owned by an active job. Doing so will corrupt the target virtual machine and break the protection job. 20

23 Modify protection settings The first time you access the Protection summary page, it will be populated with default values that are recommended for a basic environment. You can change protection settings for this job by clicking on the Change buttons. See the following sections for more information. 21

24 Schedule protection start time By default, Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure starts the initial synchronization of a protection immediately after the protection is created. If you want to specify a date and time in the future at which the initial synchronization will be started, click the Schedule button at the top of the window. The Configure protection start time window will appear. Select the Schedule this protection to start option, then click the drop-down field to select a date from the calendar. Click on the time in the field to modify the start time. If a job has not yet started, you can use this window to reschedule the job start time, cancel a future start time, or prompt for the job to start immediately. Change protection set name The protection set name is a unique name that you can enter to identify the protected virtual machine and the target server with which it is associated. By default, the protection set is named <virtual machine name> to <target server name>. Click the Change button in the Name area. The Change name window will appear. Enter a name for the protection job. You might want to name it something like source vm name to target. When you are finished, click Save. 22

25 Set data transmission options You can modify the data transmission options in order to make them more suitable for your environment. Click the Change button in the Data Transmission area. The Set data transmission options window will appear. You can change the snapshot data compression settings in the Compression area. The following options are available: Never (Default) No compression will be applied to the data. Only during the initial synchronization Data will be compressed only during the initial transmission of the flat virtual disk files. Always All transmissions associated with the protection set will be compressed. Enabling compression requires that additional CPU cycles be used on both the source and target servers. In the Frequency area, select the time and file size thresholds that will trigger data transmission. Transmit when the snapshot data reaches this size (MB) (Default = 32 MB x the number of snapshot-capable virtual disks) Enter the size of snapshot file (in MB) that will trigger a transmission from the source to the target. When multiple virtual disks are used, any combination of writes across all virtual disks that accumulate to this size will trigger replication. The minimum size allowed is 32 MB. 23

26 Transmit data, regardless of snapshot size, after (Default = 15 minutes) Enter a time value and unit that will trigger a transmission from the source to the target. The minimum time allowed is 5 minutes. A snapshot transmission cycle from the source to the target will begin when either of the threshold conditions are met: time or size. During the snapshot transmission cycle, the thresholds are not monitored. After the snapshot transmission cycle has completed, the application will again monitor these thresholds. If either of the thresholds were crossed during the snapshot transmission cycle, then a new transmission cycle will begin immediately. You may need to adjust the data transmission frequency options to optimize performance in your environment. Some factors you need to consider when adjusting these settings include the volume of write traffic in the virtual machine, the allowed data loss time period, and the cost to the virtual infrastructure. In the Target route area, enter the IP address on the target server to which you want to send data. If your ESX host is on multiple networks and has multiple addresses associated with those networks, you can choose to use an IP address other than the one you entered for the target in Select the target physical machine on page 16. This setting only applies to SCP routing and is not applicable to Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure network communications. You can specify a limit for the bandwidth to be used by source-to-target communications for this protection job. In the Bandwidth Limit area, select the Limit Bandwidth checkbox, then enter a value (in kilobits per second) that bandwidth cannot exceed. When you are finished, click Save. 24

27 Set notification options You can configure addresses and select the events that you want to trigger automatic alerts. Click the Change button in the notifications area. The Configure notifications window will appear. If you have not yet configured an server, a message will appear at the top of the window prompting you to set up the server. Click Configure to launch the Set up server window. For more information, see Set up the Server on page 10. The server configuration will apply to all jobs. In the Recipients area, enter the address(es) to which you want to send the automatic notifications. Separate the addresses with either a comma, semicolon, or carriage return. In the Notifications area, select the events for which you want to send messages. 25

28 To verify that your settings are valid, click the Test Settings button. Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure will verify that notifications can be sent to the recipients you entered using the configured server. If you receive the following error message after testing the notification, the antivirus software on your DTVI server may be blocking the outbound s. Failure sending mail. Unable to connect to the remote server. An established connection was aborted by the software in your host machine. In order to use automatic notification, you may need to do the following: Disable the anti-virus software Disable blocking of outbound messages Exclude VI_Service.exe from the processes that are blocked to send outbound messages Also consider that in many organizations, anti-virus software is administered centrally by an IT department, who may periodically send the policy to override machine-specific settings. You may need request that your IT department set the policy so that VI_Service.exe is excluded from the processes that are blocked to send messages. In addition, you may need to open port 25 in your antivirus software to allow SMTP . If you choose to disable notification for this job at a later time: 1. Select the job from the Monitor Protection window. 2. Click the Configure Protection button. 3. In the notifications area, click the Change button. 4. In the Configure notifications window, clear the checkboxes for all events in the Notifications area. 5. Click Save. Change VirtualCenter credentials You can enter new credentials to be used when authenticating with VirtualCenter. This area will not be available if you did not configure a VirtualCenter server. For more information, see Connect to the VirtualCenter server on page 8. Click the Change button in the VirtualCenter credentials area. The Set VirtualCenter credential window will appear. 26

29 Enter the following information in the appropriate fields: Server Enter the IP address or fully-qualified domain name of the VirtualCenter server. If you have changed the default port used by the VirtualCenter server, specify the port as well. Enter the IP address and port in the Server field, using the format Address:Port. User name Enter the user name for the account that will access the VirtualCenter server. Password Enter the password that is associated with the user name. When you are finished, click Save. Change restart and threshold options Click the Change button in the Restart and Thresholds area. The Configure restart and thresholds window will appear. If you want to disable auto-restart, un-select the Restart this protection automatically if the connection fails checkbox. Otherwise, by default Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure will try twice to restart this protection if there is a problem. You can modify the value for the number of times to attempt the restart. In the Disk space threshold area, enter the % or size of disk space remaining to trigger stopping this protection. % Enter the percent of disk space remaining that should trigger the protection to stop. MB Enter the number of megabytes remaining that should trigger the protection to stop. When you are finished, click Save. 27

30 Save protection settings Review the protection settings on the Protection summary page. If the settings are acceptable, click Finish to save your protection settings. 28

31 After your protection has been configured, you will be able to monitor the protection status of your virtual machine(s). See Monitor your Protected Virtual Machines on page 30. While using Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure, you should not attempt to manually create or delete snapshots on the protected virtual machine. Doing so will disrupt the protection of the virtual machine and may generate unpredictable results on the source and target virtual machines. 29

32 Monitor your Protected Virtual Machines The Monitor protection page displays a status summary for each of the virtual machines you have protected using Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure. For each protection you have configured, you can view the current status and bytes pending. During the synchronization phase, the Bytes Pending column displays the un-transferred base.vmdk file size + snapshot file size. For example, if the synchronization is 10% done, the base.vmdk files are 5 GB, and the snapshot files are 48 MB, the Bytes Pending value is 5 GB*90%+48 MB, which equals 4548 MB. On this page, you can monitor and manage your protection jobs. To manage a protection, select a protection in the area at the top of the window, then use the buttons at the top of the page to perform the following tasks: Configure Protection Select a protection, then click the Configure Protection button to open the protection summary for the selected protection. Click the Change button next to setting you want to modify. For more information about changing protection settings, see Modify protection settings on page

33 Delete Protection Select a protection, then click the Delete Protection button to remove configuration information for the selected protection. When you click the Delete Protection button, you will be prompted to either keep or delete the associated replica virtual machine. If you no longer want to protect the source and are no longer interested in the target replica, then select the Delete the associated replica virtual machine option. If you no longer want to move data from the source to the target but still want to keep the target replica, then select the Keep the associated replica virtual machine option. (For instance, you would use this option to de-commission the source and use the target replica as the production server.) When you select this option, the target will be preserved and registered (provided that it has been fully synchronized), and the target virtual machine will appear in VirtualCenter with the name <source vm name>_replica. If the target is not fully synchronized, related files will be kept on the target ESX server but will not be registered. Start protection Select a protection, then click the Start button to enable protection for the protection. If you have previously stopped protection and then click the Start button for that protection job, Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure will check to see if the source ESX server.vmdk files are the same as the target.vmdk files. If they are the same, Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure will resume protection starting with the Replication cycle, bypassing the synchronization step. If they are not the same but there is a file on target, Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure will perform a difference synchronization. Stop protection Select a protection, then click the Stop button to disable protection for the job. After the initial synchronization has completed, you can use the Stop button to stop protection for a job. This allows the end user to perform a manual failover. Failover Select a protection, then click the Failover button to shut down the source virtual machine and start the replica virtual machine. A dialog box will appear where you can select failover options. For more information about when to use each option, see Understanding failover and job reversal on page 32. Reverse protection Select a protection that has already failed over, then click the Reverse protection button to start the protection in the reverse order. The job will start synchronization in the reverse direction. The job name and the log file name will change accordingly. When the restore completes, the job will be running in the opposite direction (that is, if the job had originally be running from server Indy to server Jersey, it will now be running from server Jersey to server Indy). Undo Failover Select a protection that has already failed over, then click the Undo Failover button to undo the failover of the selected protection. The state will change to Undoing. When the Undo Failover is complete, the job will re-start as normal. View protection errors Select a protection, then click the View errors button to view the most recent errors that have been detected for that protection job. View protection details Click this button to show or hide the bottom pane, which shows protection information for the selected protection job. 31

34 Understanding failover and job reversal When you select the Failover button, the following dialog box appears where you can select failover options: Live failover Select this option to perform a live failover with network connectivity to the target replica virtual machine. This option will shut down the source. Test failover Select this option to perform a test failover without network connectivity to the target replica virtual machine. The source will not be powered off. Complete the current replication cycle before failover Select this option to let the current replication cycle complete before failing over. If the job is not in the Stopped state, the failover will begin after the ongoing synchronization or replication cycle is complete. If the job is in Stopped or Error state, this option is not applicable. Failover will begin immediately. Failover immediately Select this option to begin the failover process immediately. Failover and reversal scenarios The following are representative scenarios where you might need to perform a failover or reversal: Failover after a problem is encountered on the source 1. Click the Failover button. 2. Choose the Live failover option. This will allow the clients to use the target until the source is repaired. At this point, you can either: Use the target replica as a permanent production server by deleting the protection job, then selecting the Keep the associated replica virtual machine option. For more information, see Monitor your Protected Virtual Machines on page 30. Move the latest data back to the source. To do this, complete steps Click the Reverse protection button. When you are prompted to confirm, click Yes. 4. Wait for the original source to be synchronized with changes from the target. 5. Click the Failover button. 6. Choose the Live failover option. 7. Click the Reverse protection button. When you are prompted to confirm, click Yes. At this point, the job will be back in its original configuration. 32

35 Perform a failover test to verify the quality of the backup data without disrupting clients 1. Click the Failover button. 2. Choose the Test failover option. 3. Review the target virtual machine to verify that the data quality is acceptable. At this point, you can either: Undo the failover as described in step 4. Promote the replica virtual machine to be the production server by shutting down the source and enabling the target replica s NIC through the Virtual Infrastructure client. 4. Click the Undo failover button. When you are prompted to confirm, click OK. At this point, the job will be back in its original configuration. 33

36 Pre-Staging Data on the Target Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure keeps track of all the information about the association of any source.vmdk file to the corresponding target.vmdk file. The mapping information can be used to perform target pre-staging. Pre-staging means before creating a job, you would copy information through other means, and after a job is created, Double-Take for VMware Infrastructure will use a difference synchronization instead of a full synchronization. To pre-stage data, complete the following tasks: 1. Create a job with a delayed protection start time (be sure to allow enough time to complete pre-staging the data). 2. Get the.vmdk replica virtual machine disk mapping description from the Target area on the Protection Summary page. 3. Copy each source.vmdk file to the correct location on target through other means. 4. Modify the scheduled protection start time to start the job immediately. The difference synchronization will begin. 34