Virtualization disaster recovery eight questions and answers

Virtualization has changed the way companies plan and execute disaster recovery (DR), providing a high degree of flexibility and integration that makes disaster recovery more efficient and cost effective.

Virtualization technology allows multiple virtual machines to run on several physical machines without relying on hardware conditions. When the original data center fails, the workload can be migrated to other machines on the disaster recovery site without paying too much attention to the relevant hardware platform.

The following quick questions cover the advantages and disadvantages of virtual disaster recovery, how to plan P2V-related backup strategies, and build DR system related information with VMware and Hyper-V.

The impact of virtualization on disaster recovery and data protection strategies?

When planning a virtualized data protection strategy, it is important to use backup software, deduplication, and other tools that support virtualization. Although shared storage allows virtual machines to be easily migrated to other servers, preparation for DR is required. Be sure to copy the virtual machine to the backup site on a regular basis, keeping in mind that virtual machines on shared storage recover from snapshots much faster than recovery based on local disk or tape backup.

How does it enhance disaster recovery by consolidating servers?

Improved disaster recovery operations by consolidating multiple servers into a single virtual machine. Quickly recover data and entire virtual machines with snapshots stored on disaster-tolerant sites. The key point is that the virtual machine disk file contains the configuration files needed for the entire operating system environment and disaster recovery site reconstruction. Rebuilding a workload with a single file means we can do it in a few hours instead of a few days.

What is the difference between virtual DR and physical DR?

The main difference is that virtual DR concerns are virtual machine protection and no longer physical servers. Compared to physical DR, which needs to be backed up based on local clients, virtual machines can be used in three ways: based on agent, mirroring, or server-less backup. By copying data, the load can easily implement migration and fast recovery between different virtual machines, avoiding the lengthy OS and application reconstruction process when the physical server is restored.

What are the disadvantages of virtual disaster recovery?

The advantages of virtualization can be a disadvantage in the DR world. The inherent complexity of virtual architectures can make it more difficult to locate the physical components associated with the problem. Integration is also one of the main advantages of virtualization, but it also means that a physical server failure will affect all virtual machines it supports. Consider the pros and cons of using virtual machine disaster recovery.

Can I protect physical servers with virtual disaster recovery technology?

If a physical machine is not suitable for virtualization, don't worry, you can implement virtual disaster recovery process through P2V technology. P2V backup refers to the ability to create virtual backups of physical machines that you do not wish to migrate to the virtualization platform. This is similar to the first step in performing virtualization and will not continue. P2V software can convert software, data and configuration running on a physical machine into a single disk file, which can be used for offsite storage in DR.

What is the best way to deal with a single point of failure in the hypervisor?

Perform virtual machine backups on a regular basis because a single point of failure can cause all virtual machines on the server to fail. For example, Microsoft requires that you must first perform hardware DEP (data-execution prevention) operations before starting Hyper-V installation, which can improve recovery speed. Separating the Hyper-V host and the network where the virtual machine resides can also improve security. Keep in mind that a single point of failure for a hypervisor can affect all virtualized platforms.

Under the Microsoft Hyper-V platform, how do you create a virtual disaster recovery plan that includes a primary site and a backup site without exhausting all resources?

Windows Failover Clustering can support multi-site disaster recovery deployments. First, ensure that the storage devices at the disaster-tolerant site can carry all the virtual machine loads at the primary site. In addition, the network architecture environment between sites is also important. Hyper-V clusters require a two-way replication network to support the rebuild process to go smoothly. Another point to consider is the level of Hyper-V disaster recovery you need and the cost of deployment.

How to learn the disaster recovery strategy related to VMware environment?

VMware and its partners offer a lot of online resources in this area, from backup and replication software to automated disaster recovery. There are also guides and podcasts that provide information about the enterprise platform business continuity and virtual recovery plans for the VMware platform. VMware SRM, Double-Take Software Inc.'s replication software, and EMC Corp.'s RecoverPoint enable virtual disaster recovery plans. You can also learn how to successfully deploy and what can be improved by launching a VMware Disaster Recovery Assessment Survey