VMworld 2013 Ben Meadowcroft, VMware Learn more about VMworld and register at http://www.vmworld.com/index.jspa?src=socmed-vmworld-slideshare

1. Three Quirky Ways to Simplify DR with
Site Recovery Manager
Ben Meadowcroft, VMware
BCO5652
#BCO5652

2. 3
Agenda
 Introduction
 SRM Command Steps
 SRM Alarms
 SRM API
 Summary
 Questions

3. 4
“Three Quirky Ways” – What This Talk is Not

4. 5
“Three Quirky Ways” – What This Talk is
How to use some of the
“under-appreciated” SRM
features to help your Disaster
Recovery processes

5. 6

6. 7

7. 8

8. 10
Which “under-appreciated” features do you mean?
Command Steps
Events & Alarms
API
1
2
3

9. 11
Command Steps
API
1
2
3
Events & Alarms

10. 12
Extend Your Recovery Plans
Recover Physical
Workloads
Update DNS
Send Recovery
Notifications
Integrate With
Other Systems

11. 13
SRM Command Steps
Top-Level Commands Per-VM Commands
Where can
they
execute?
On the SRM server On the SRM server
On the Recovered VM
(requires VM tools)
When can
they
execute?
Any top level step during:
Failover, Migration, or Testing
Pre or Post Power-on
When executed on the VM
only post power-on steps!
Environment
Variables?
 VMware_RecoveryName
 VMware_RecoveryMode
 VMware_VC_Host
 VMware_VC_Port
 VMware_VM_Uuid
 VMware_VM_Name
 VMware_VM_Ref
 VMware_VM_Path
Post Power-On:
 VMware_VM_GuestName
 VMware_VM_GuestIP

12. 14
Demo Time: What Am I Going To Show?
1. Call PowerShell script on SRM server
2. Call /bin/sh on recovered VM
3. How do I write scripts that work for both failover and failback?
4. Can I execute different behavior between test and failover?
5. How do I securely store credentials in my scripts?

13. 15

14. 16
1. Call PowerShell Script On SRM Server

15. 17
2. Call /bin/sh On Recovered VM

16. 18
3. How do I Write Scripts that Work for Both
Failover and Failback?
# PowerShell
if ($env:VMware_VC_Host -eq ‘vc-w8-
01a.corp.local‘) {
# action when target is site A
} else {
# action when target is site B
}

17. 19
4. Can I Execute Different Behavior Between Test and Failover?
# PowerShell
if ($env:VMware_VC_RecoveryMode -eq ‘test‘) {
# action during test
} else {
# other action
}

18. 20
5. How Do I Securely Store Credentials in My Scripts?
# PowerCLI to store
New-VICredentialStoreItem `
–Host $env:VMware_VC_Host `
–User ‘Administrator’ `
–Password ‘VMware1!’ `
–File ‘c:scriptsvicredentials.txt’

19. 21
SRM Command Steps – Key Takeaways
 Useful tool but not a “hammer” for everything
 Don’t do too much in custom scripts
• Look at RTO impact running a script
 Avoid changing scripts for failback
• Use Environment Variables for conditional logic

20. 22
Command Steps
API
1
2
3
Events & Alarms

21. 23
“There are known knowns.
These are things we know that
we know.
“There are known unknowns.
That is to say, there are things
that we know we don't know.
“But there are also unknown
unknowns. There are things
we don't know we don't know.”
- Donald Rumsfeld

22. 24
6 Types of SRM Events
Site Status
vSphere
Replication
Protection Group Storage and
Storage Provider
Permissions &
Licensing
Recovery

23. 25
Some Interesting Alarms To Monitor
Remote Site Down VM Not Protected
VM Datastore
Replication Lost
Placeholder VM
Deleted
Array Pair Ping
Failed
VM Lost
License Expiring
License Expired
Recovery Plan
Destroyed
Recovery Plan
Started
vSphere Replication
Paused
RPO Violated
Remote VRM Site
Disconnected

24. 26
Email
Scripts
SNMP
What can
I do with
SRM alarms?

25. 28
“Known Unknowns”
“Known Knowns”

26. 29
Command Steps
API
1
2
3
Events & Alarms

27. 30
SRM API Basics
https://www.vmware.com/support/developer/srm-api/
Web Service .Net SDKJava SDK
Protection
Groups and
Replication
Recovery Plans
and Reprotection

28. 31

29. 32
“Gotchas” When Calling SRM API From PowerShell
 PowerShell v3 or later
• (v2 can’t handle the WSDL)
 New-WebServiceProxy
• Not a lightweight call!
• Useful for POC, exploration etc.

30. 33
SRM API – Key Takeaways
 Introspect & Protect:
• Protection Group Information
• Recovery History
• Configure VMs for protection
 Initiate:
• Failover
• Test
• Cancel
• Revert
• Reprotect

31. 34
Command Steps
Events & Alarms
API
1
2
3

32. 37
Questions
github.com/benmeadowcroft/BCO5652
@BenMeadowcroft benmeadowcroft.com

33. 38
Backup: Resources
 Related Sessions at VMworld
• BCO4905 - Disaster Recovery Solution with Oracle Data Guard and Site
Recovery Manager
• OPT5474 - The Transformative Power and Business Case
for Cloud Automation
 SRM Documentation
• http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/srm_pubs.html
 SRM Book
• Administering VMware Site Recovery Manager 5 – by Mike Laverick
 Scripts From Presentation
• https://github.com/benmeadowcroft/BCO5652
[provided for illustrative purposes only]

34. 39
Backup: Managing Scripts
 Source Control
• Use it (I like DVCS like mercurial and git)
 Script Location
• Local Disk
• Network Share (personally not a huge fan of this, potential POF during DR)
 Keeping Scripts in Sync (if stored on SRM server or VM)
• Various Options:
• Config. management tool, e.g. Puppet to distribute and ensure continued compliance
• File sync tool, e.g. rsync

35. 40
Other VMware Activities Related to This Session
 HOL:
HOL-SDC-1305
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery In Action
 Group Discussions:
BCO1003-GD
Disaster Recovery and Replication with Ken Werneburg

36. THANK YOU

38. Three Quirky Ways to Simplify DR with
Site Recovery Manager
Ben Meadowcroft, VMware
BCO5652
#BCO5652