Specifications

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7 EXECUTING RECOVERY PLAN: TEST MODE
When running a test of the recovery plan SRM creates a NetApp FlexClone of the replicated FlexVol Volume
at the DR site. The datastore in this volume is then mounted to the DR ESX cluster and the virtual machines
configured and powered on. During a test, the virtual machines are connected to the DR test bubble network
rather than the public virtual machine network.
The following figure shows the vSphere client map of the network at the DR site before the DR test. Note the
virtual machines that are not running are the placeholder virtual machines created when the protection group
was set up.
Figure 12 Screenshot of VM to Network Map View in vCenter Client
The ESX host used to start each VM in the recovery plan is the host on which the placeholder VM is
currently registered. To help make sure that multiple VMs can be started simultaneously you should evenly
distribute the placeholder VMs across ESX hosts before running the recovery plan. Make sure to do this for
the VMs in each step of the recovery plan. For example ensure that all the VMs in the high priority step are
evenly distributed across ESX hosts, then make sure all the VMs in the normal priority step are evenly
distributed, and so on. If running VMware DRS the VMs will be distributed across ESX hosts during startup
and it is not necessary to manually distribute the placeholder VMs. SRM will startup two VMs per ESX host,
up to a maximum of 18 at a time, while executing the recovery plan. For more information about SRM VM
startup performance see VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager 4.0 Performance and Best Practices for
Performance at www.vmware.com/files/pdf/VMware-vCenter-SRM-WP-EN.pdf
1. To provide Active Directory and name resolution services in the DR test network, clone an AD server at
the recovery site prior to running the DR test. Before powering on the clone, make sure to reconfigure
the network settings of the cloned AD server to connect it only to the DR test network. The AD server
chosen to clone must be one that was configured as a global catalog server. Some applications and
AD functions require FSMO roles in the Active Directory forest. To seize the roles on the cloned AD
server in the private test network use the procedure described in Microsoft KB:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/255504. The five roles are Schema master, Domain naming master,
RID master, PDC emulator, Infrastructure master. After the roles are seized it is very important to
ensure that the clone never be connected to a production VM Network, and that it is destroyed after DR
testing is complete.
2. Prepare to run the test by connecting to the vCenter server at the DR site. Select the recovery plan to
test on the left and open the Recovery Steps tab on the right.
3. Verify that the SnapMirror relationships have been updated so that the version of data you want to test
has been replicated to the DR site.
4. Click Test to launch a test of the recovery plan. If you are still connected to the NetApp console you will
see messages as the NetApp adapter creates FlexClone volumes and maps the LUNs to the igroups or