5.5

During reprotect, SRM preserves all custom recovery steps in the recovery plan. If you perform a recovery
or test after a reprotect, custom recovery steps are run on the new recovery site, which was the original
protected site.
After reprotect, you can usually use custom recovery steps that show messages directly without
modifications. You might need to modify some custom recovery steps after a reprotect, if these steps run
commands that contain site-specific information, such as network configurations.
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Types of Custom Recovery Steps on page 59
You can create different types of custom recovery steps to include in recovery plans.
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How SRM Handles Custom Recovery Steps on page 60
SRM handles custom recovery steps differently based on the type of recovery step.
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Create Top-Level Command Steps on page 60
You can add top-level commands anywhere in the recovery plan.
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Create Top-Level Message Prompt Steps on page 61
You can add top-level message prompts anywhere in the recovery plan.
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Create Command Steps for Individual Virtual Machines on page 61
You can configure custom recovery steps to perform tasks for a virtual machine before and after SRM
powers them on.
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Create Message Prompt Steps for Individual Virtual Machines on page 62
You can configure custom recovery steps to prompt users to perform tasks for a virtual machine
before and after the virtual machine powers on.
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Guidelines for Writing Command Steps on page 62
All batch files or commands for custom recovery steps that you add to a recovery plan must meet
certain requirements.
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Environment Variables for Command Steps on page 62
SRM makes environment variables available that you can use in commands for custom recovery steps.
Types of Custom Recovery Steps
You can create different types of custom recovery steps to include in recovery plans.
Custom recovery steps are either command recovery steps or message prompt steps.
Command Recovery Steps
Command recovery steps run commands that you write. Command recovery steps run in their own
processes. Command recovery steps contain either top-level commands or per-virtual machine commands.
Top-Level Commands
Run on the SRM Server. For example, you might use these commands to
power on physical devices or to redirect network traffic.
Per-Virtual Machine
Commands
SRM associates per-virtual machine commands with newly recovered virtual
machines during the recovery process. You can use these commands to
complete configuration tasks after powering on a virtual machine. You can
run the commands either before or after powering on a virtual machine.
Commands that you configure to run after the virtual machine is powered on
can run either on the SRM Server or in the newly recovered virtual machine.
Chapter 7 Customizing a Recovery Plan
VMware, Inc. 59