About

Host PowerTools for VMware allows to create snapshots and to perform other related operations on Active-Active virtual machines.

• Virtual Machines can be housed on a datastore which resides on an Active-Active volume. (a volumes that is undergoing Active-Active replication)
  
  • These VMs are referred as "Active-Active (A-A) Virtual Machines (VMs)".
  • A datastore which resides on an Active-Active volume is referred as "Active-Active datastore". 

InfiniBox and snapshots of Active-Active volumes

Snapshots of Active-Active volumes are individual to each peer.

• Snapshots cannot be replicated between the systems.
• Snapshots can be created only on synchronized peers. (the Active-Active replica state of the peer is "Synchronized").

Creating Snapshots on Active-Active VMs

A host that is running an Active-Active VM can access its datastore in a uniform or a non-uniform manner. 

• The host access type determines if a snapshot can be created on both peers or only on one of them.

Uniform

In case of a uniform host access, a snapshot can be taken on both or one of the peers.

• The "Snapshot both Active-Active peers" checkbox will appear in the Create Snapshot modal.
  • Checked by default.

Note: in case Host PowerTools for VMware cannot access one of the peers, the "Snapshot both Active-Active peers" checkbox will be grayed-out and a snapshot can be created only on the accessible peer. 

Creating a snapshot on both peers

In case the "Snapshot both Active-Active peers" checkbox is left checked, Host PowerTools for VMware will create a snapshot on both peers of the underline Active-Active volume. (on both systems)

• Two snapshots will be registered and appear in the VM's snapshot list.

Note

Both peers must be synchronized.

• In case one of the peers is not synchronized, a snapshot will not be created on any of the peers - the operation will fail.

Creating a snapshot on a specific peer

In order to create a snapshot only on a specific peer, clear the "Snapshot both Active-Active peers" checkbox.

• A system drop list will appear to allow to choose only the desired system. 

Non-uniform

In case of a non-uniform host access, a snapshot can be created only on the accessible peer. 

• A snapshot can be created only on the underling Active-Active volume (peer) that is mapped to the host which runs the VM.
• The "Snapshot both Active-Active peers" checkbox will appear grayed-out in the Create Snapshot modal.

Creating Snapshots on Active-Active datastore

The flow of creating snapshots on Active-Active datastores (through the datastore view) is similar to Active-Active VMs. 

• If the cluster can access both peers, a snapshot can be taken as with the uniform manner. 

Creating Snapshots at the Folder level

When creating a snapshot at the folder level (through the folder view) and the folder contains Active-Active VMs, Host PowerTools tries to create a snapshot on all accessible peers.