HP StorageWorks Storage Mirroring Application Notes - Guidelines for Using VMware GSX Server with Storage Mirroring (T2558-96023, November 2006)

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• Two licensed copies of VMware GSX Server 2.5.1
• Licensed copies of the operating system(s) and application(s) to be installed on the virtual machines
• Two licensed copies of Storage Mirroring
Configuration
This solution allows you to install Storage Mirroring on the host operating system on both the source and
target. It provides you the ability to maintain an up-to-date backup of the virtual hard disk image(s) from
the virtual machine(s) on the source. The target will monitor the IP address of the host operating system on
the source, and if it fails, the target can stand in for the failed source and the target virtual machine will be
started.
Alternate configuration for disaster recovery
If you are only interested in disaster recovery and do not need high availability, you may want to consider
the following configuration.
CAUTION: This configuration has not gone through extensive testing and is only provided as a guideline
for identifying another solution which may be possible using Storage Mirroring and VMware.
If you only want to install VMware on the source, you can still protect the virtual hard disk image(s) from
the virtual machine(s). In this configuration, Storage Mirroring is installed on the source host operating
system. The replication set from the source virtual machine is backed up on the target. The target does not
contain any virtual machines. Because VMware is not installed on the target, this configuration does not
support high availability, but in the event of a failure on the source, all of your data will be protected on
the target.
Virtual Machine
Applications
Source
Target
Target monitors the source host
operating system IP address
Virtual machine files from source
virtual machine are mirrored and
replicated to target
Host
Operating System
(Windows 200x)
Storage Mirroring
Host
Operating System
VMware
Virtual Machine
Applications
Host
Operating System
(Windows 200x)
Storage Mirroring
Host
Operating System
VMware
Replicated Data
Operating System
Applications
Host
Operating System
(Windows 200x)
Storage Mirroring
Host
VMware
Source
Target
Operating System
(Windows 200x)
Storage Mirroring
Virtual machine configuration and
hard disk files from source virtual
machine are mirrored and
replicated to target
Virtual Machine
Standard Server