Symmetrix SRDF and VMware vCenter SRM Implementation Checklist

One of the products or maybe rather solutions that I work a lot with is integrating Symmetrix Remote Data Facility (SRDF) with VMware’s vCenter Site Recovery Manager. For some shameless self-promotion (I suppose can probably drop that phrase when writing on this blog because by definition a blog is inherently self-promotion, but I digress) of the implementation guide I write it can be found here:

http://www.emc.com/collateral/software/technical-documentation/h10553-sra-vmware-5-0-tb.pdf

This TechBook (at EMC we formally call these large guides “TechBooks”) goes over all of the information you should need to implement SRDF with SRM. There is a lot of information in it, somewhat of an organized brain dump, so it should be used as a “choose-your-own-adventure” reference, not really meant to be read cover to cover as a lot won’t be relevant for most people.

Regardless there is some information in there that everyone should read, and it is entirely encompassed in chapter 2–the install and configure chapter. 95% of the pitfalls I see people run into when implementing this is described in that section. But to make things easier, here is a quick and dirty checklist to adhere to when implementing SRDF and VMware SRM:

1. Download VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager software and release notes from VMware.

https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/info/slug/infrastructure_operations_management/vmware_vcenter_site_recovery_manager/5_1

2. Download the SRDF SRA (from VMware or EMC), Virtual Storage Integrator Symmetrix SRA Utilities (from EMC) and Solutions Enabler 7.5 or later (from EMC) software and release notes.

SRDF SRA 5.1 VMware link:

https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/info/slug/infrastructure_operations_management/vmware_vcenter_site_recovery_manager/5_1

SRDF SRA 5.1 EMC link:

https://download.emc.com/downloads/DL44099_EMCSRDFSRA_5.1.0.0.exe.exe

https://support.emc.com/docu44194_SRDF_Adapter_for_VMware_Site_Recovery_Manager_Release_Notes.pdf?language=en_US

VSI release notes and software:

https://support.emc.com/docu47041_VSI_for_VMware_vSphere:_Symmetrix_SRA_Utilities_5.4.1_Release_Notes.pdf?language=en_US

https://download.emc.com/downloads/DL44143_VSI-Symmetrix-SRA-Utilities-5.4.1.zip

Solutions Enabler 7.6 release notes and software:

https://support.emc.com/downloads/2071_Solutions-Enabler

https://support.emc.com/docu46993_Solutions_Enabler_7.6_Release_Notes.pdf?language=en_US

3. Install VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager at both sites and pair them with each other.

http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/srm_pubs.html

4. Configure two SYMAPI servers. One in the “protected” site and one in the “recovery site”. Enable the storsrvd (server) daemon and storrdfd (RDF) daemon on both.

Techbook Chapter 2: “Configuring a EMC Solutions Enabler SYMAPI server”

Solutions Enabler Install Guide:

https://support.emc.com/docu46992_Solutions_Enabler_7.6__Installation_Guide.pdf?language=en_US

5. Install Solutions Enabler 7.5 or higher (32-bit) on both SRM servers.

Techbook Chapter 2: “Configuring EMC Solutions Enabler on the VMware vCenter SRM server”

6. Install the SRDF SRA 5.1 on both SRM servers.

Techbook Chapter 2: “Installing the EMC SRDF Storage Replication Adapter”

7. Install the Virtual Storage Integrator Symmetrix SRA Utilities 5.4 on both SRM servers.

Techbook Chapter 2: “Installing/configuring EMC VSI Symmetrix SRA Utilities”

8. Configure VMware SRM array managers on both SRM servers. Protected SRM server’s array manager should point to the local SYMAPI server as the local server and the remote SYMAPI as the remote. The remote SRM server should be configured in the exact opposite way.

Techbook Chapter 2: “Array Manager configuration”

9. Configure the “protected” site VSI to point to the “protected” site SYMAPI server. Configure the “recovery” site VSI to point to the “recovery” site SYMAPI server.

Techbook Chapter 2: “VSI configuration”

10. Enable array pairs.

Techbook Chapter 2: “Array Manager configuration”

11. Configure SRDF SRA Global Options.

Techbook Chapter 2: “Configuring SRDF SRA behavior”

12. Discover devices.

Techbook Chapter 2: “Device discovery”

13. Create Protection Groups and Recovery Plans.

Techbook Chapter 2: “Configuring VMware vCenter SRM protection groups”
Techbook Chapter 2: “Configuring VMware vCenter SRM recovery plans”

As always if there are any questions, comments, criticisms of the document let me know! I update this book once or twice a year with the next version of the book slated for Q4.