How to Perform VMware SRM Reprotect Operation

Once We have done with SRM failover, Next step is to perform SRM Reprotect. When you perform the recovery, Recovery site becomes the new protected site and all the virtual machine workloads will be running on your new protected site i.e your recovery site. All your production workloads and active writes to your application are going to the new protected site. We did the recovery but it is not protected yet. If your DR is the planned one and your original protected site is operational, you can reverse the direction of protection to use the original protected site as new recovery site.

SRM Reprotect provides the reprotect function which is an automated way to reverse protection. You can perform reprotect on protection groups that contain virtual machines that are configured for both array-based replication and for vSphere Replication.

When you initiate the reprotect process, Site Recovery Manager instructs the underlying storage arrays or vSphere Replication to reverse the direction of replication. After reversing the replication, Site Recovery Manager creates placeholder virtual machines at the new recovery site, which was the original protected site before the reprotect.

You can perform SRM test recovery after a reprotect operation completes, to confirm that the new configuration of the protected and recovery sites is valid.

How to Perform SRM Reprotect after Recovery

You can notice that recovery of the SRM recovery plan “RP-VRA PG” is completed successfully. Next step is to perform SRM Reprotect. TO perform Reprotect, Click the Reprotect symbol

SRM Reprotect

 

Reprotect wizard provides information about your new protected and recovery site information. Select the Checkbox ” I understand that this operation cannot be undone” Click Next.

SRM Reprotect

Click Finish to start the SRM Reprotection.

SRM Reprotect

Reprotect process is started. The reprotect process involves two stages. SRM reverses the direction of protection, then forces a synchronization of the storage from the new protected site to the new recovery site.

SRM Reprotect

 

SRM Reprotect

During Synchronize storage step in SRM reprotect, you can notice the replication information from your storage side if you are using array-based replication or from vSphere replication, if you are using vSphere replication protection.

Before Failover  – Replication direction

BLR DC -> HYD DC

After  failover and Reprotect  – Replication Direction

HYD DC -> BLR DC

After Reprotect, Virtual machine replication direction is changed. My New Protected site becomes primary. ” New Protected Site “HYD DC” to  New Recovery Site “BLR DC”.  I can notice New Initial Full sync is started in the reverse direction.

SRM Reprotect

Once Initial Full Sync of the virtual machines which are part of the recovery plan is completed. SRM Reprotect will complete.

SRM Reprotect

The recovery plan is now ready after Reprotect, You can perform Test recovery or real failover now.

SRM Reprotect

That’s it. We are done with SRM Reprotect. I hope this is informative for you. Thanks for Reading !!!. Be social and share it with social media, if you feel worth sharing it.