This weblog collection focuses on numerous elements of Cisco HyperFlex. In immediately’s weblog we are going to take a look at two distinctly totally different catastrophe restoration options and why it’s necessary to know the use instances underpinning every answer. I’ll speak concerning the enterprise challenges we are attempting to resolve, and which answer is the most effective match.
A quick historical past of HyperFlex Catastrophe Restoration
HyperFlex was initially launched with out native replication — subsequently native DR — performance. A short while later, in 2017 HyperFlex Information Platform (HXDP) model 2.5 launched assist for asynchronous replication of VM snapshots. The native replication topology consists of a 1:1 configuration with two paired HyperFlex clusters. The paired clusters will be geographically separated and make the most of WAN connectivity. Workflow assist for VM failover & re-protect, deliberate migration, and test-recovery make it a very good match for customers on the lookout for a single-cluster catastrophe restoration answer, or an active-active answer with every cluster capable of act as a restoration cluster for the opposite. In case you are considering this sounds a bit like a built-in function with SRM-like capabilities, you’re right!
The largest limitation of that providing is that it isn’t geared in direction of defending greater than two clusters. Every further protected cluster requires a “companion” cluster to create a cluster pair. Whereas attainable, scaling the 1:1 replication answer comes with some further prices.
Use instances for the 1:1 replication answer embrace:
- Restoration – Protected VMs will be recovered on the paired vacation spot cluster within the occasion of a supply cluster outage. The consumer can re-protect the recovered VMs on the level when the unique supply cluster outage has been resolved.
- Migration – Protected VMs can endure deliberate migration, the place a brand new snapshot is taken and replicated to the paired cluster. The replication route is routinely reversed on the level when migration has accomplished.
- Testing – Protected VMs will be test-recovered with out impacting manufacturing workloads. This makes the testing of restoration procedures attainable at no matter frequency is required.
The 1:1 restoration answer is managed utilizing the HX Join consumer interface. Entry to HX Join on every of the paired clusters is critical when deploying the answer.
Enter: Many-to-One Catastrophe Restoration
Quick ahead to 2021, when new replication expertise was launched with HXDP model 4.5(2a) then known as N:1 Replication for Edge. HyperFlex now supported a fan-in replication topology, and that the answer was managed with a cloud-based management airplane named Intersight. The Intersight consumer interface lets customers handle massive numbers of HyperFlex clusters from a single console without having to login to a number of totally different consumer interfaces.
N:1 catastrophe restoration addresses the scalability limitations of the 1:1 answer, nonetheless there may be different much less apparent performance that stands out. Right here’s a fast listing of just a few:
- Protected Datastore – Any VMs residing within the protected datastore are routinely protected utilizing a standard backup coverage. Customers don’t want to use backup settings to VMs individually, simplifying the administration of the answer.
- Retaining a number of restoration factors – On each the originating supply cluster in addition to on the vacation spot backup goal cluster customers can choose to retain from 1 to 30 snapshot-based restoration factors. This enables the consumer to recuperate VMs from a cut-off date earlier than a logical corruption or unintentional deletion occasion might have occurred.
- Restoration of VMs – Both to the unique supply cluster, or to a unique supply cluster.
- Recovering a VM on the originating supply cluster leverages a regionally retained snapshot-based restoration level. Restoration operations are very quick as there isn’t any information switch concerned.
- VMs can optionally be recovered onto a unique cluster. When performing this restoration operation, the chosen snapshot-based restoration level is replicated in compressed format to the specified cluster. This makes it attainable to recuperate VMs on a unique cluster in conditions the place the unique supply cluster could also be unavailable. One other use case is ad-hoc migration of VMs from one supply cluster to a unique supply cluster.
Not only for the sting anymore
When HXDP model 5.0(1a) grew to become accessible in early 2022, N:1 restoration for Edge answer morphed into the Many-to-One (N:1) Catastrophe Restoration for HyperFlex answer. This grew to become attainable when assist for FI (Cloth Interconnect) based mostly supply clusters was added. What was initially a safety answer for distant HyperFlex Edge clusters grew to become an enhanced answer for all HyperFlex clusters. One other important enhancement added at the moment was the flexibility to retain totally different numbers of snapshot-based restoration factors on supply and backup goal clusters. Customers can now choose to retain fewer native restoration factors on a supply cluster and retain a larger variety of restoration factors on a backup goal cluster. Fewer restoration factors on a supply cluster supplies a capability to eat much less space for storing when fewer native restoration factors are required.
HXDP model 5.0(1b) added assist for software program encryption in order that the protected datastore on a supply cluster can optionally be encrypted. And sure, the duplicate datastore on the backup goal datastore (created routinely) may also be encrypted!
It’s necessary to notice that whereas each the 1-to1 and many-to-one replication answer are supported, they can’t be co-mingled on the identical HyperFlex cluster. Price noting is the persevering with effort and onerous work that takes place behind the scenes to enhance and improve HyperFlex replication. Can we anticipate ongoing enhancements in future releases? That’s a reasonably protected guess!
Hopefully this has supplied a view into the 2 totally different HyperFlex replication options. For extra info, see our sources part beneath.
Sources
N:1 Replication set up and troubleshooting information
All issues HyperFlex (touchdown web page)
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