6.5

Checking for Orphaned Files
vCenter Server Heartbeat provides the opportunity to check the system for orphaned les and either notify
the administrator or to delete the orphaned les. Orphaned les are those les in a protected set that exist on
the passive server but do not exist in the protected set on the active server in a pair.
Orphaned File Check can either delete or log the orphaned les on the passive server that exist within the protected
set; they were orphaned because vCenter Server Heartbeat was not running when content changes were made
on the active server.
Note Orphaned File Check does not delete les on the passive server if there is no le lter to include the
content as this would be unsafe.
Special Cases
The following special cases apply to Orphaned File Check.
■
Folder root lters - Orphaned File Check will manage the entire contents of that folder (for example,
D:\folder\**). This deletes all passive les within the folder that do not exist on the active server, and
includes content created only on the passive server.
■
Exclusion le lters - Orphaned File Check will not delete any les excluded from the protected set by
exclusion lters. This rule safeguards users and applications.
■
Filters for les, le types, or other wildcards - Orphaned File Check is not managing the contents of the
folder (for example, D:\database\*.log), only the selected les. The golden rule applies; Orphaned File
Check will only process les that match the lter and will not delete les with any other extension within
the folder D:\database.
Orphaned les are those les in a protected set that exist on the passive server but do not exist in the
protected set on the active server in a pair.
Configuring Orphaned Files Check Options
Prior to initiating an Orphaned Files Check, you must congure the actions to take in the event orphaned les
are found. By default, Orphaned Files Check is congured to delete orphaned les. Should you want to log
the les presence rather than delete the orphaned les, follow the steps below.
Procedure
1 Navigate to the Data: Replication page and click Congure.
2 Select the Orphaned Files tab.
3 Select the Detect orphaned les check box.
4 In the On detection, take the following action drop-down, select either Delete to automatically delete the
orphaned les or Log to le to add the list of les to the log le.
5 After selecting the options, click OK to close the dialog.
6 On the Data: Replication page, click Orphaned Files Check.
Orphaned Files Check runs.
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Chapter 8 Data Protection