DR scenario

[mthiha]

Hi,

I am planning to implement DR with veeam replication and would like to ensure how to go with this scenario.
example, we replicate production VM1 to DR site and veeam server is at produciton.

production site
ESXi, Veeam server, VM1

DR site
ESXi, VM1 replica

in case of DR scenario like power down, we cant access production veeam server. we power on VM1 straight away from DR site and its running.
now we get back production and would like to fall back. how can we do this?

do we need to replicate back everything or re-setup the job?
is there a possible way or need to configure active-active veeam server?


regards,
Max

[foggy]

Max, the generally recommended approach is to have a separate Veeam B&R responsible exclusively for replication jobs located in the DR site. This allows for automatic failover/failback procedures via Veeam B&R GUI in case of DR, while with local Veeam B&R instance you will be able to perform operational restores in the production site. You can use Enterprise Manager to have visibility across both backup servers.

In case of replication jobs handled by the local Veeam B&R, you will have to replicate the started replica VMs back to production site (though you could map them to the original VMs (in case they are available) to prevent entire data transfer).

[dcurrie]

Hi, I dont mean to hijack this thread but I have a similar task to implement a basic DR solution and have been looking for some info on where to place the Veeam servers. My thinking is also if we lose the production site we cant manage the failovers / failbacks from DR. Hopefully this will may prompt discussion with Max ( mthiha ) from original thread

Is there any white papers or guides on implementing a DR solution which inludes placement of servers, licensing and best practices.

My plan so far
Prod site
Veeam Backup Server
Veeam Proxy(s)
SQL 2008 DB Seperate Server
Prod Storage ( Tintri T650 )
ESX Hosts ( HP Blades )
Windows 2008 R2 vCenter 5.5

DR Site
Veeam Replication Server ( manage replication jobs from Prod to DR hosts )
Veeam Proxy(s)
DR Storage ( Tintri T650)
A couple of ESX Hosts for replicas ( HP DL Series ) ( dont need veeam license )
Windows 2008 R2 vCenter 5.5 ( linked mode ).......... Do I even need this if I can restore the original vCenter and DB
SQL 2008 DB Seperate Server for vCenter and Veeam DBs ( cant use SQL instance from the prod site )


Is there anything I am missing or have overlooked.

Any feed back would be appreciated.

Thanks
Darren

[foggy]

Darren, your setup looks good. There is no need to have a second vCenter though (either linked-mode or standalone) to be able to fail over.

[dcurrie]

Foggy, thanks, its good to know that Im on the right track and I will proceed without the 2nd vCenter.

One question though,
How do I license the 2nd replication server for replication jobs if all of my licenses are installed on the 1st backup server, can I use the same license file on the DR server which will have its own SQL instance if its doing the replication jobs from the same hosts as the back up server at the production site. Is this allowed within Veeam licensing.

Thanks
Darren

[veremin]

The Veeam license concerns only with source site where VMs to backup/replicate reside on. So, you can use existing license by two backup servers. Thanks.

[foggy]

Yes, you need to install the same license file on both Veeam B&R instances (or use Enterprise Manager to manage licenses across backup servers).

[mthiha]

foggy,

Thanks. this is a good idea to have a veeam server at DR site just for replica jobs.

[veremin]

In case of two VB&R servers, it wouldn't harm to have Enterprise Manager deployed. It would provide required visibility across two servers. Thanks.