How do you scale and update your backup and DR strategy for VMware vSphere?

1 Assess your backup and DR needs

When scaling and updating your backup and DR strategy, the first step is to assess your current and future needs. This includes evaluating the size and complexity of your vSphere environment, the RPO and RTO for critical workloads, the types and frequency of backup and DR tests performed, the storage and network resources allocated for backup and DR, as well as any compliance or security requirements. Through this assessment, you can pinpoint gaps in your strategy and prioritize areas for improvement.

2 Choose the right backup and DR tools

The next step is to select backup and DR tools that meet your needs and scale with your vSphere environment. There are several options in the market, but you should look for tools that are compatible with vSphere features such as vMotion, Storage vMotion, Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS), and High Availability (HA). Furthermore, the tools should offer support for different backup and DR methods, such as snapshots, replication, deduplication, encryption, and compression. Additionally, these tools should have flexibility and automation to customize and schedule backup and DR tasks, policies, and workflows. Moreover, they should be able to handle large and dynamic workloads, data volumes, and recovery scenarios. Lastly, the tools should provide visibility and reporting to monitor and analyze backup and DR activities, status, and results. By choosing the right backup and DR tools, you can simplify and streamline your backup and DR processes while ensuring consistent outcomes.

3 Optimize your backup and DR architecture

The third step is to optimize your backup and DR architecture to maximize efficiency and availability. You should consider factors such as the location and configuration of your backup and DR sites, the network bandwidth and latency between your primary and backup sites, the storage capacity and performance of your backup and DR devices, and the backup and DR roles and permissions of your vSphere users, groups, and roles. Through optimization, you can reduce the risk of data loss, downtime, and corruption, while also improving the recovery speed and quality.

4 Automate and orchestrate your backup and DR operations

The fourth step is to automate and orchestrate your backup and DR operations to reduce human errors and increase productivity. To do this, you can employ vSphere APIs and SDKs to integrate your backup and DR tools with vSphere, create and run scripts and commands with vSphere PowerCLI or other scripting languages, classify and group VMs with vSphere tags and categories, design and execute workflows with vRealize Automation, and coordinate and manage tasks with vRealize Orchestrator. Automating and orchestrating your backup and DR operations can help you save time, resources, enforce policies, standards, visibility, and control.

5 Test and validate your backup and DR strategy

Testing and validating your backup and DR strategy is the fifth step to ensure it meets your requirements. Backup verification tests should be conducted to check the integrity and completeness of your backup data, while restore tests should be done to check the functionality and compatibility of your restored data. Additionally, DR failover tests should be conducted to assess the readiness and performance of your backup site, and DR failback tests should be done to evaluate the smoothness and safety of returning to your primary site. By testing and validating your strategy, you can identify and fix any issues or gaps, measure and improve your RPO and RTO, as well as build confidence in your backup and DR capabilities.

6 Review and update your backup and DR strategy

The sixth step is to review and update your backup and DR strategy to keep it aligned with your changing needs and environment. Factors to consider include the feedback and results from tests and audits, changes in your vSphere environment, business goals, and the backup and DR market. Keeping your strategy up-to-date will ensure that it remains relevant, effective, and efficient.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?