Chapter 8 Implementing Disaster Recovery and High Availability Hands-On Virtual Computing

Objectives Describe backup and recovery concepts for virtual machines Use VMware Server and Hyper-V to back up and recover virtual machines Plan a high-availability system that uses clustering Use VMware Server and Hyper-V to set up clustering 2

Hands-On Virtual Computing3 Understanding Backup and Recovery Concepts for Virtual Machines Offline backups –Stable backups are created during downtime, when files are closed and offline to user access Quiesced online backup (warm backup) –Backing up applications while they are in use

Hands-On Virtual Computing4 Backup Types Archive attribute –Enabled when the file is created or a change is made to the file Full backup –Backs up all selected files and folders and clears the archive attribute on these files and folders Incremental backup –Backs up only files that have changed since the last full or incremental backup

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Backup Types (continued) Differential backup –Backs up only the files changed since the last full backup took place Daily backup –Uses the file’s modified date to copy selected files that have been modified on the day the daily backup is performed Copy backup –Identical to a full backup but does not clear the archive attribute for any files and folders it backs up 6

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Making Backups with the Volume Shadow Copy Service Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) –Consistent shadow copies of data files can be backed up and restored reliably VMware Server and Hyper-V –Compatible with VSS backups –Allows virtual machines to be backed up while running 8

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Developing a Backup and Recovery Strategy Running servers as virtual machines –Makes the backup and restore processes much easier When performing regular backups of virtual servers from the host computer –Log files on a virtual server do not show it has been backed up Good backup plan –Should include a backup of each virtual machine’s files made from the host computer 10

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Hands-On Virtual Computing Implementing Backup and Recovery Systems Drawback of using Windows Server Backup –Is limited to backing up entire volumes, so you can not select specific folders to include or exclude from the backup –System volume (drive C) must be included in all backups –Can select only full or incremental backup types 12

Hands-On Virtual Computing Installing the Windows Server Backup Software Activity 8-1: Installing Windows Server Backup Time Required: 10 minutes Objective: Install Windows Server Backup on a virtual machine Requirements: The Windows Server 2008 Child 1 virtual machine created in Chapter 7; VMware Server or Hyper-V 13

Hands-On Virtual Computing Backing Up Virtual Machines Before performing a manual or one-time backup –You must run a scheduled backup to provision (allocate) the disks To perform a scheduled backup –Start Windows Server Backup from the Administrative Tools menu Creating a scheduled backup in Windows Server Backup –Enables you to automate the backup process 14

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Hands-On Virtual Computing Backing Up Virtual Machines (continued) Activity 8-2: Performing a Windows Server 2008 Scheduled Backup Time Required: 10 minutes Objective: Use Windows Server Backup to perform a scheduled backup Requirements: Completion of Activity

Hands-On Virtual Computing Backing Up Virtual Machines from the Host VSS Writer service –Interacts with VMware Tools on virtual servers when making a backup –Can notify the virtual server and applications of the backup process and update log files 18

Hands-On Virtual Computing Backing Up Virtual Machines from the Host (continued) Activity 8-3: Enabling the VMware VSS Writer Service Time Required: 10 minutes Objective: Configure the VSS Writer service for VMware Server Requirements: VMware Server running on Windows Vista 19

Hands-On Virtual Computing Activity 8-4: Backing Up Virtual Machines from the Host Time Required: 20 minutes Objective: Back up a virtual machine from the host computer with Vista Backup Requirements: Windows Vista and completion of Activity 8-3; a second partition on the Vista computer’s removable drive with at least 12 GB free space for storing the backup 20 Backing Up Virtual Machines from the Host (continued)

Understanding High Availability for Virtual Machines High availability –Uses computing technology to allow computers to work together in a group called a cluster Cluster –Uses multiple computers to provide protected applications and shared data to client computers Failover –Makes applications available immediately through another computer in the cluster Hands-On Virtual Computing21

Windows Server 2008 Clustering Components and Concepts Clustering –Should provide high availability of servers through redundancy Cluster components –Shared cluster storage –Two private networks used only by cluster nodes –Public network that connects cluster nodes to clients and other network resources Storage area network (SAN) –Private network that uses a dedicated, high speed channel Hands-On Virtual Computing22

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Hands-On Virtual Computing Windows Server 2008 Clustering Components and Concepts (continued) iSCSI –Allows clustered computers to send SCSI-formatted data requests to the network-attached cluster device via IP packets Logical unit numbers (LUNs) –Used to identify a disk or volume that is mapped to a drive letter on a clustered server iSCSI target –Storage device displaying a LUN 24

Hands-On Virtual Computing iSCSI initiator –Clustered server connecting to the storage device with a LUN Cluster heartbeat –A signal between cluster nodes for determining node status Stretch clustering –Support clusters with nodes running on different networks 25 Windows Server 2008 Clustering Components and Concepts (continued)

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Hands-On Virtual Computing Windows Server 2008 Clustering Components and Concepts (continued) Load balancing –User requests can be handled by multiple cluster nodes Active/passive cluster –Only one cluster node hosts the application at any time Failback –Service or application is moved back to its original server automatically when the server is brought back as an active node in the cluster 27

Hands-On Virtual Computing Clustering Hyper-V Virtual Servers for Quick Migration and Failover To set up clustering with Hyper-V –You need to move virtual machine files to a shared storage device, and then enable Hyper-V as a clustered service on each cluster node Quick migration –Cluster process in which you move a service manually from the primary host to another cluster host 28

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Hands-On Virtual Computing Using Clustering with Virtual Machines Planning cluster networks –To build a cluster, you need three networks Private network dedicated to the cluster Private network dedicated to the iSCSI SAN Third network for general use 31

Hands-On Virtual Computing Planning Cluster Networks Activity 8-5: Planning the Cluster Configuration Time Required: 20 minutes Objective: Gather information for planning a cluster Requirements: The Windows Server 2008 Child 1 and Child 2 virtual servers created in Chapter 7 32

Hands-On Virtual Computing Preparing Servers for Clustering Activity 8-6: Installing Active Directory on the Domain Controller Time Required: 20 minutes Objective: Install Active Directory on a Windows Server 2008 domain controller Requirements: Completion of Activity 8-5; Windows Server 2008 running on the host computer 33

Hands-On Virtual Computing Preparing Servers for Clustering (continued) Activity 8-7: Adding a Member Server to the Domain Time Required: 10 minutes Objective: Configure a member server. Requirements: Completion of Activities 8-5 and

Hands-On Virtual Computing Installing an iSCSI Target Activity 8-8: Installing iSCSI Emulator Software Time Required: 20 minutes Objective: Download and install iSCSI emulator software on your designated iSCSI target Requirements: Completion of Activities 8-5 through 8-7; access to the Internet from the iSCSI target 35

Hands-On Virtual Computing Installing an iSCSI Target (continued) Activity 8-9: Creating Shared iSCSI Target Devices Time Required: 20 minutes Objective: Create shared iSCSI target devices Requirements: Completion of Activity 8-8; 2 GB free disk space on the iSCSI target computer 36

Hands-On Virtual Computing Installing an iSCSI Target (continued) Activity 8-10: Connecting Servers to the iSCSI Target Device Time Required: 20 minutes Objective: Use Windows Server 2008 iSCSI Initiator to connect to a shared iSCSI target device Requirements: Completion of Activities 8-5 through

Hands-On Virtual Computing Installing the Failover Clustering Service Activity 8-11: Installing the Failover Clustering Service Time Required: 10 minutes Objective: Install the Failover Clustering service Requirements: Completion of Activities 8-5 through

Hands-On Virtual Computing Creating Cluster Configurations Activity 8-12: Creating a Cluster Configuration Time Required: 10 minutes Objective: Use the Failover Cluster Management snap-in to create a cluster Requirements: Completion of Activity

Hands-On Virtual Computing Creating Cluster Configurations (continued) Activity 8-13: Configuring a Clustered Service Time Required: 10 minutes Objective: Configure the File Server service as a clustered service Requirements: Completion of Activity

Hands-On Virtual Computing Creating Cluster Configurations (continued) Activity 8-14: Moving the File Server Service to Another Cluster Node Time Required: 10 minutes Objective: Move a clustered service from one node to another Requirements: Completion of Activity

Hands-On Virtual Computing Creating Cluster Configurations (continued) Activity 8-15: Shutting Down the Cluster Service Time Required: 10 minutes Objective: Use the Failover Cluster Management snap-in to shut down the cluster service and return the member server to a stand-alone server Requirements: Completion of Activity

Summary Offline backups –Back up closed files and applications Backups can be categorized as full, incremental, or differential Full backup –Backs up all files on a selected volume Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) –Uses the quiesce process to create a shadow copy of a file or database Hands-On Virtual Computing43

Summary (continued) Both VMware Server and Hyper-V –Are compatible with VSS backups, allowing virtual machines to be backed up while running When backing up virtual machines –You can store backups on virtual hard disks Windows Server Backup –Backup software included with Windows Server 2008 Cluster –Provides protected applications and shared data to client computers Hands-On Virtual Computing44

Hands-On Virtual Computing Summary (continued) If any computer in the cluster fails –The failover process ensures availability of applications and data Cluster components –Some form of shared storage, private networks used only by cluster nodes, and a public network Quick migration –Cluster process in which you move a service manually from the primary host to another cluster host 45