Chapter 14. Failover and Failback

When I started writing this chapter I really struggled to explain how much SRM has improved, given that it now has an automated method of failing back after a DR event. When I finished writing the chapter it became very clear to me. In my previous books this chapter ran to about 50 pages and 10,000 words; with the improvements that VMware has made to SRM this chapter will probably run to about 25 pages and 5,000 words. Those small stats will hopefully give you some idea of how much has improved since SRM 4.0. By simplifying the process significantly, VMware has given me less work to do, and you can’t say that isn’t a good deal for everyone concerned.

The one thing we have yet to discuss or cover is what SRM is all about. A disaster occurs and you must trigger your Recovery Plan for real. This is sometimes referred to as “Hitting the Big Red Button.” I left this discussion for this chapter because it’s a major decision that permanently changes the configuration of your SRM environment and your virtual machines, and so it is not to be undertaken lightly. It’s perhaps worth considering how long it takes to get senior management approval to run the Recovery Plan. The time it takes for decisions to be made can be added to your hoped-for recovery time objective. An actual DR event responds well to prompt and decisive leadership.