5.5

Create Message Prompt Steps for Individual Virtual Machines
You can configure custom recovery steps to prompt users to perform tasks for a virtual machine before and
after the virtual machine powers on.
SRM associates message prompt steps with a protected virtual machine in the same way as customization
information. If different recovery plans contain the same virtual machine, the commands and prompts are
the same.
Prerequisites
You have a recovery plan to which to add custom steps.
Procedure
1 Click Recovery Plans in the SRM interface, and select a recovery plan.
2 Click the Virtual Machines tab.
3 Right-click a virtual machine and click Configure.
4 Select Pre-Power On Steps or Post Power On Steps in the left pane, and click Add.
5 Select Prompt.
6 In the Name text box, type a name for the step.
7 In the Content text box, type the prompt message.
8 Click OK to add the step to the recovery plan.
9 Click OK to reconfigure the virtual machine to prompt the user with a message before or after it powers
on.
Guidelines for Writing Command Steps
All batch files or commands for custom recovery steps that you add to a recovery plan must meet certain
requirements.
When you create a command step to add to a recovery plan, make sure that it takes into account the
environment in which it must run. Errors in a command step affect the integrity of a recovery plan. Test the
command on the recovery site SRM Server before you add it to the plan.
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You must start the Windows command shell using its full path on the local host. For example, to run a
script located in c:\alarmscript.bat, use the following command line:
c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe /c c:\alarmscript.bat
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You must install batch files and commands on the SRM Server at the recovery site.
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Batch files and commands must finish within 300 seconds. Otherwise, the recovery plan terminates
with an error. To change this limit, see “Change Recovery Settings,” on page 85.
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Batch files or commands that produce output that contains characters with ASCII values greater than
127 must use UTF-8 encoding. SRM records only the final 4KB of script output in log files and in the
recovery history. Scripts that produce more output should redirect the output to a file rather than
sending it to the standard output to be logged.
Environment Variables for Command Steps
SRM makes environment variables available that you can use in commands for custom recovery steps.
Command steps run with the identity of the LocalSystem account on the SRM Server host at the recovery
site. When a command step runs, SRM makes environment variables available for it to use.
Site Recovery Manager Administration
62 VMware, Inc.