Section 12.5. Summary

12.5. Summary

To have a bulletproof implementation of VMware, you need to have a very complete set of backup approaches that meet your environmental and regulatory requirements in terms of SOX, Graham Leach Bliley, HIPAA, and other regulated issues. The best approach currently is to use two methods for backups, the Service Console and a data backup, either direct via SANs or indirect via tape and a licensed agent.

The SANs approach offers the fastest and most versatile approach. This method is more attractive if your environment supports offsite SAN-to-SAN replication. As described in earlier chapters, build a master set of virtual disks with templates. Store the masters with an easy to understand naming convention that describes the contents. Back up the virtual disks via the Service Console onto your local and remote SANs or other storage devices that can support VMFS file structure. Back up the data and applications separately, based on the size and time windows of your backup environment. Document the naming conventions used for backups/rollbacks and redos. Validate that all backups, direct and indirect, maintain their integrity. Perform some form of regular recovery tests for process and stability. Validate the procedures for master backup recovery and the preparation of the master for recovery (SID preparation, DNS modifications, network addressing, and host-naming).

Be cognizant of the issues associated with backing up a virtual machine in an active production environment. Practice recovering with redo files and document your internal processes before introducing the recovery processes into a production environment. Use the facilities of redo files to assist you in developing multiple deployments of the same template-based build. Establish well-documented practices when using recovery processes in the ESX environment. ESX offers power and flexibility in deploying and managing multiple recovery and production environments, as long as a set of documented processes are in place and managed according to your Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery plans.