Virtual Lab Configuration Question

[kmille1398]

Hi,

We are using Veeam Backup and Replication 5.01. We have not yet implemented the Virtual lab/SureBackup feature, but are considering using it to set up a Development environment for our SharePoint implementation. My question is this: Our production SharePoint Moss 2007 environment has 2 WFE (Web front end) servers and an Index server, and a MS SQL server. The 2 WFE servers and the Index servers are virtual, and are backed up via Veeam. The SQL server is a physical server. If we were to restore the WFE servers and Index server into a virtual lab environment, could we then stand up a VM with the same name as our physical SQL server in that virtual lab environment? Obviously, we would then look to restore the SharePoint databases into that SQL VM.

Thanks,

Kevin

[Alexey D.]

Hello Kevin,

Your idea looks ok to me, the key principle is: VM with SQL should "look the same as original SQL server" from the point of view of WFE and index servers.
Also, how is authentication performed? If you're using AD, corresponding VM should also be added to the lab.

[kmille1398]

Alexey,

Thanks for replying. You make a good point. We have physical domain controllers which handles authentication in our Production SharePoint implementation. Those would be harder to duplicate into a virtual lab environment, as they are managed completely by our parent company. If we did set this virtual lab, is there a way to allow traffic to pass between this lab environment and the domain controllers in my production environment?

Thanks,

Kevin

[Alexey D.]

Kevin, you should not want to use production DCs when doing experiments in virtual lab. VMs in sandbox are exact copies of production ones and it would definitely confuse DCs - to get requests from two identical VMs (with same SID, GUID,...) at the same time.

However, there is a workaround: you can set up a VM, make it a DC. Then set up DNS (the part on which SharePoint servers depend). Then use dcpromo, "officially" pull GC data from parents DCs to this custom VM and include into virtual lab.

The idea is kind of tricky - the main obstacle could be security policy of your parent company. Is it applicable to you?

[kmille1398]

Alexey,

Thanks again for replying. I appreciate the workaround, but I think you hit the nail on the head. The implementation could be tricky with our parent company.

Regards,

Kevin