Virtual Server Agent: Failover Groups

Updated

Failover Groups allow you to set up and monitor disaster recovery (DR) operations based on replication jobs for a group of virtual machines (VMs). You can use either failover or failback operations, depending on the status of the replication operation. You can run different types of failover operations from a failover group: Test Boot VM, Planned Failover, and Unplanned Failover. Use Test Boot VM to check your DR setup. Use planned failover to first perform a backup and replication job of your production VM, and then move production operations to your DR VM. Use unplanned failover in an emergency to immediately power off your production VM and move production operations to your DR VM.

Failover Groups are available only for VMware instances.

Test Boot VM

Test Boot VM allows you to test your DR setup by performing these steps:

  • Takes a snapshot of the DR VM.

  • Disables the network adapters on the DR VM.

  • Powers on the DR VM.

  • Verifies the status of VM tools.

  • Reverts the snapshot of the DR VM.

  • Deletes the snapshot of the DR VM.

Planned Failover

A planned failover allows you to back up your production VM and then move production operations to the DR VM by performing these steps:

  • Powers off the production VM.

  • Runs a selective backup of the production VM.

  • Performs a replication job on the production VM.

  • Disables replication on the production VM.

  • Powers on the DR VM.

Unplanned Failover

An unplanned failover allows you to power off your production VM and move production operations directly to the DR VM in an emergency situation by performing these steps:

  • Powers off the production VM.

  • Disables replication on the production VM.

  • Powers on the DR VM.

Failback

If a failover has completed successfully, then you can perform a failback operation. A failback allows you to update the production VM using an incremental backup of the DR VM and enable replication by performing these steps:

  • Powers off the DR VM.

  • Performs an incremental backup of the DR VM.

  • Restores the changes made since the last full backup to the production VM.

  • Powers on the production VM.

  • Enables replication on the production VM.