Windows file-level replicas
The Windows file-level replica feature (formerly known as Windows instant recovery) provides a quick way to recover a failed physical Windows asset. It creates a virtual machine replica of the Windows machine, then keeps this replica up-to-date by applying backups of the original asset as they run. In the event of a disaster, you can bring this replica online to immediately assume the role of the failed asset.
To use the feature, simply set up the replica by using the Create Windows Replica dialog. The appliance then creates the replica VM from the most recent backup of the Windows asset, and automatically applies all subsequent backups. Because the replica is continually updated, it is ready for production use at any time.
While creating the replica, you specify the location where the replica VM will reside. The replica can reside on:
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A Recovery Series physical appliance |
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A Recovery MAX physical appliance |
The replica VM is created as a cold stand-by in the specified location. The replica is powered off and has no network connectivity. Because the replica remains powered off even as backups are applied, it consumes no compute resources.
After the first backup has been applied, replica creation is complete. You can then do the following as needed:
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Audit the replica to verify the integrity of the machine and its data and applications. In audit mode, the replica runs on a private network (inaccessible from the production network). This enables you to check the replica machine while the original Windows server is still operating in production. It is recommended that you periodically audit the replica to ensure it functions as expected. |
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Bring the replica online in your production environment to immediately assume the role of the original server. Because the live replica consumes appliance resources, it is intended as a temporary replacement until you can perform a bare metal recovery to restore the failed Windows asset to new hardware. (Or, if the replica resides on an ESXi or Hyper-V server, you can opt to use the replica VM as a permanent replacement.) |
See the following topics for details on using the Windows replicas feature: