5.0

n
If a virtual machine is attached to a Raw Disk Mapping (RDM) disk device, you must store the mapping
file in the same folder as the VMX file. RDM snapshots are only available if you create the RDM mapping
using Virtual Compatibility Mode.
If you are running a ESX or ESXi Server 4.1 or later, these limitations do not apply.
vSphere Replication supports the protection of virtual machines with snapshots, but you can only recover the
latest snapshot.
Protection and Recovery of Linked Clone Virtual Machines
vSphere Replication does not support the protection and recovery of virtual machines that are linked clones.
Array-based replication supports the protection and recovery of virtual machines that are linked clones if all
the nodes in the snapshot tree are replicated.
Create Array-Based Protection Groups
For array-based replication, SRM organizes datastore groups to collect all files associated with protected virtual
machines. You then associate these datastore groups with protection groups. All virtual machines in a datastore
group replicate their files together, and all failover together. You can have a virtual machine with files on
different datastores. In such a case, SRM combines the datastores that contain files for a single virtual machine
to create a datastore group.
A datastore group is the smallest unit of storage that can be failed over or tested independently. Several rules
show how the groups are calculated.
n
If a device is used by a datastore, all devices used by that datastore are combined.
n
If a device is a part of a consistency group in the array, all devices in the consistency group are combined.
n
If a virtual machine spans multiple datastores, all devices belonging to all such datastores are combined.
These rules are repeated until no more devices are added to the datastore group.
You can organize protections groups in folders. Different views in the Recovery interface display the names
of the recovery groups, but they do not display the folder names. If you have two protection groups with the
same name in different folders, it can be difficult to tell them apart in some views in the Recovery interface.
Consequently, you should ensure that protection names are unique across all folders. In environments in which
not all users have view privileges for all folders, to be sure of the uniqueness of protection group names, do
not place protection groups in folders.
Procedure
1 Click Protection Groups, and click the Create Protection Group.
2 On the Select a Site and Protection Group Type page, select which site will be protected and select Array
Based Replication.
3 Select a datastore group from the list, and click Next.
The datastore groups listed were discovered when you configured the array managers. Each datastore
group in the list is replicated to the recovery site. When you select a datastore group, the virtual machines
in that datastore group are listed in the lower Virtual Machines on the Selected Datastore Grouppane,
and are marked to include in the protection group after you establish the protection group.
4 Type a name and optional description for the protection group, and click Next.
5 Click Finish to create the protection group and begin the automatic protection of the specified virtual
machines.
Site Recovery Manager Administration Guide
60 VMware, Inc.