5Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V Replica is a built-in mechanism for replicating Virtual Machines (VMs). It can replicate selected VMs in real-time or asynchronously from a primary site to a designated replica site across LAN/WAN. Here a replica site hosts a replicated VM while an associated primary site is where the source VM runs. And either a replica site or a primary site can be a Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V host or a Windows Server 2012 Failover Cluster.

Hyper-V Replica is an attractive Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR) solution since not only conceptually easy to understand, but technically straightforward to implement, as demonstrated by the following schematic and the lab introduced later in this article. Further, with many newly added capabilities and flexibilities in Windows Server 2012 such as Storage Space, continuously available file share, Hyper-V over SMB 3.0, etc. a BCDR is no longer an academic exercise, but with Hyper-V Replica a feasible solution within reach. It is an ideal and affordable BCDR solution for small and medium businesses.

Hyper-V Replica is also applicable to a failover cluster. And this lab, http://aka.ms/ReplicaBroker, details the processes, steps, and operations in implementing Hyper-V Replica Broker in failover cluster settings. For those who are new to Hyper-V Replica, a walk-through of Hyper-V Replica essentials is available at http://aka.ms/Replica.

Hyper-V Replica Broker

With a failover cluster of Hyper-V hosts in place, one needs to first configure a Hyper-V Replica Broker role using Failover Cluster Manager. Then enable Hyper-V Replica on the Hyper-V Replica Broker. Ordinarily, Hyper-V Replica can be enabled in the Hyper-V Settings of a Hyper-V Host. However in a failover cluster, the Hyper-V Replica configurations are grayed out in an individual Hyper-V host’s Hyper-V Settings and to be managed through the Hyper-V Replica Broker role configured with Failover Cluster Manager.

The schematic below depicts that the employment of a Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V failover cluster as a Hyper-V Replica Site is through the cluster role, Replica Broker. Instead of operating directly onto a Hyper-V host as in a non-clustered environment, the process of replicating a VM is to now specify a Replica Broker as a replica site. The Replica Broker will then place the VM onto the associated failover cluster storage accordingly.

Windows Active Directory domain is not a requirement for Hyper-V Replica which can be implemented between workgroups or domains with a certificate-based authentication without the need to establish a domain trust relationship. Active Directory is nevertheless a requirement if involving a Hyper-V host which is part of a failover cluster, and in such case all Hyper-V hosts of a failover cluster must be in the same Active Directory domain.

Step-by-Step, Screen-by-Screen Hands-On Lab

With a failover cluster of Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V hosts, we now will enable VM replication in Hyper-V Replica Broker which is a cluster role to be configured with Failover Cluster Manager. This lab assumes a Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V failover cluster is in place, and presents the processes, steps, and operations to:

Here I am making this lab guide available as a download in pdf and available with a tweet to help sharing the information. I believe the content in http://aka.ms/Replica and this lab together form a solid foundation of Hyper-V Replica for IT professionals. Enjoy it and happy replicating.