Description on implementing a recovery environment with VMware, vSphere, vConnect, and RPA as an initial training document to application DR Teams going through Application Recovery Certification with links to additional materials.

1. DR Planning Project
Training Document
Prepared by:
Thomas Bronack, CBCP
(917) 673-6992
bronackt@dcag.com
Thomas Bronack ©
Initial Training Class
Phone: (917) 673-6992 / Email: bronackt@dcag.com

2. What do we want to achieve?
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• Fully converted Information Technology Environment.
• Savings through equipment, locations, and vendor contracts.
• Savings through better controls and efficiency.
• Continuity of Business achieved through Enterprise Resiliency.
• World-Wide Compliance achieved through Corporate Certification.
• Additional savings through integration with everyday functions.
• Improved Reputation and Higher Employee Morale.
• Better retention of staff and clients.
• More able to recruit new personnel and close client business.
• Costs go down and efficiency goes up.
• Improved Savings and Profitability.
Thomas Bronack ©
Initial Training Class
Phone: (917) 673-6992 / Email: bronackt@dcag.com

3. 3
Outsourcing Project Time Line of Events
Phase I
Inventory
Bid
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RFP;
Bid;
SOW;
Scope;
Goals and
Timeframe
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Phase II
Build Regionals
Transition
Phase IV
Phase V
• Move
Applications to
Regional Data
Center;
• Test Successful
Operation; and
• Use
Virtualization.
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Initial Training Class
Phase VI
Build Recovery Disaster Recovery
Recovery
Site
• Prod 1;
• Prod 2;
• Prod 3.
What they Have;
Infrastructure;
Equipment;
Software;
Applications;
Locations;
Computer Sites;
Recovery Sites;
Applications with
Recovery Plans; and
• Application that need
Recovery Plans.
Thomas Bronack ©
Phase III
“Proof of Concept”;
Infrastructure Readiness;
Disaster Recovery;
Application Recovery;
Business Recovery;
Workplace Safety and
Violence Prevention;
Emergency Management;
Crisis Management;
Protection, Salvage, and
Restoration;
Supply Chain
Management;
Insurance;
Community Relations;
Communications; and
Use of Social Media.
Compliance
• Laws and Regulations;
• Requirements to
Comply with;
• Present Compliance;
• Gaps & Exceptions;
• Obstacles;
• Domestic;
• International; and
• Cross Border
Requirements.
Phone: (917) 673-6992 / Email: bronackt@dcag.com

4. Phase V – Perform Application Recovery Certification
Three Regional Data Centers and One Global Recovery Site
Prod 1
(Americas)
Prod 2
(Europe)
Recovery Site is Built
so that existing
recovery sites and
vendor contracts can
be eliminated.
User
Sites
Prod 3
(Asia Pacific)
Phase V – Application Recovery
Certification is accomplished;
initially for selected applications
to validate Regional Sites can
recover to Global Recovery Site,
Cloud
or
WAN
User
Sites
Global Recovery
Site
User
Sites
User Locations connected to Regional Data Centers and Global Recovery Site
Thomas Bronack ©
Initial Training Class
Phone: (917) 673-6992 / Email: bronackt@dcag.com
4

5. Failover / Failback DR Process
• Use
Existing
Recovery
Plan to
Certify
Application
Recovery
Failover
Production
Site
Failback
Old ID
Address
New IP
Address
Users Switched to
Recovery Site
Production
Path
User 1
Recovery
Site
Disaster
Recovery Path
Cloud
or
WAN
User 2
• Declare Disaster;
• Failover to Recovery
Site;
• Continue User
Processing within RTO;
• Supplies are routed to
Recovery Site;
• Original Site is
Safeguarded, Salvaged,
and Restored;
• Failback to Original Site
User 3
User n
1. Users stay at their site, while Production is switched to Recovery Site.
2. User has to move to a secondary site because User site is lost, connect to Region Site & Test Recovery.
3. Users move to recovery site and production is switched to Recovery.
Thomas Bronack ©
Initial Training Class
Phone: (917) 673-6992 / Email: bronackt@dcag.com
5

6. 6
Logical DR Environment
DR Logical Architecture from Prod to Recovery
Recovery
Site
WAN
Array
Replication
Over WAN
Virtual Machines (VM) are maintained
by the VMware vSphere system which
manages a vCenter Server used for Site
Recovery Management. VM can be
considered as a Resource Manager that
separates Real Equipment (Storage,
Computer, Network, etc.) into Logical
Equipment Sections. Each VM can
represent a Real Server, but many VM
can reside in a Real Server which will
free up real servers presently used for
disposal and a reduction in cost. VMs
save space, power, and reduce
environmental concerns, all of which
affects the bottom line and reputation of
the company. It also takes fewer people
to manage a Virtual Environment that
the number of people now required to
manage a real environment.
Servers are Rack Mounted in what is
called a Blade to save floor space and
infrastructure. Switches can re-route
servers to the Recovery Point
Application to the Recovery Site when a
disaster event occurs.
Thomas Bronack ©
Initial Training Class
Phone: (917) 673-6992 / Email: bronackt@dcag.com

7. 7
DR Environment Target
Recovery Site
This diagram describes what the DR
Environment will look like when
completed. Remote sites are
transformed and virtualized via the
Avamar Virtual Environment, which will
allow for the removal of remote
equipment and support personnel.
Windows, UNIX, and ESX Operating
Systems will be housed in an EMC VNX
Unified Storage facility. Network
Backup Servers will protect
communications, and Data Domains will
protect Remote Users. A Tape Library is
provided for long term storage and
electronic transfer to the Iron Mountain
Tape Vault via encrypted
communications.
The System Attached Network (SAN)
and EMC Unified Storage Facility are
connected to the wide Area Network
through EMC Recovery Point
Applications (RPAs) that can
automatically switch a failing location to
the recovery site to continue
processing.
Thomas Bronack ©
Initial Training Class
Phone: (917) 673-6992 / Email: bronackt@dcag.com

8. Lifecycle of a Disaster Event (Why we create Recovery Plans)
“The goal of Enterprise Resiliency is to achieve ZERO DOWNTIME by implementing Application Recovery Certification for HA and
Gold Standard Recovery Certification for CA Applications”
Point of
Failure
Failover Production Recovery Processing
CA
Flip / Flop
Switch Over
 RPO (Last
Snapshot)
 RTO 
Data Sync
Continuous
Availability (CA) is
immediate Switch
Production
Failback
Shut Down
Secondary Site
HA
Flip / Flop
Switch Over
Failover
Start Up
Failback from Secondary Site after Restoration
Primary Site
High Availability
(HA) is RTO / SLA
based Switch
Repair Primary Site to Resume Production via Failback
Production
Primary Site
Primary Site
Primary Site
Primary Site
Primary Site
Disaster Event:
• Event;
• Analyze;
• Declare;
• Failover.
Safeguard:
• Evacuate;
• Protect Site;
• First
Responders.
Salvage:
• Clean
Facility;
• Repair;
• Resupply.
Restoration:
• Restart;
• Test;
• Success;
• Failback.
Resume:
• Reload
Data;
• Restart;
• Continue.
Thomas Bronack ©
Initial Training Class
Phone: (917) 673-6992 / Email: bronackt@dcag.com
8

9. Disaster Recovery Testing Process
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The DR Testing process is illustrated
here and includes:
1. Select Application for DR Testing;
2. Define DR Testing Goals and
Objectives;
3. Define Production Site where
application resides;
4. Complete Pre-Staging form to
provide DR team with the
information need to make the
recovery site ready to perform DR
Testing;
5. Complete DR Exercise Booklet for
Application;
6. Conduct the Actual DR Exercise;
7. DR Coordinator receives Work
Sheets and prepares a Report and
Presentation of findings for the
Post Mortem;
8. Implement recommendations for
improvement,
Thomas Bronack ©
Initial Training Class
Phone: (917) 673-6992 / Email: bronackt@dcag.com

10. Recovery Testing process
A.
Develop Recovery Objectives and Testing Schedule:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
B.
Create a Recovery Site DR Site Testing;
Validate Production Site to Recovery Site Connectivity;
Disaster Recovery Plans for interruptions to Information technology;
Application Recovery Certification (CA, HA, Best Effort, Deferred);
Business Recovery for loss of a location;
Emergency Management for Incidents and Natural Disasters; etc.
DR Testing is conducted in Five Steps, which are:
1. DR Planning Meeting – to orientate Application DR Team;
2. Infrastructure Readiness – To prepare the Recovery Site and Obtain Data;
3. DR Pre-Test – To prepare the Recovery Site for Application DR Test:
a. Recovery Site establishes recovery environment for disaster event or test.
b. Develop procedures for providing Recovery Site with the information they
need.
4. Actual DR Recovery / Test – to DR Test the Application:
a. Follow the “Script of Actions” contained in the Recovery Plan.
b. Record event times, comments, and encountered problems.
5. Post Mortem Meeting – Review of DR Test Results:
a. To discuss recovery events and recommend improvements.
Thomas Bronack ©
Initial Training Class
Phone: (917) 673-6992 / Email: bronackt@dcag.com
10

11. Where do we go from here
A.
Develop Application Actual DR Testing process:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
B.
Application Actual DR Test Activities Sheet is completed with Estimated Times.
Production Servers are brought-down in Production.
Recovery Servers are brought-up in Recovery.
Application is connected to Recovery Facility.
Data is Synchronized to point just before failure.
Application resumes normal processing like in Production Mode.
Application connectivity and functionality is verified.
Recovery Servers are Brought-Down.
Production Servers are Brought-Up.
Application resumes processing at Production Site and is verified.
If Successful, Application receives Application Recovery Certification – otherwise Application
DR problems are repaired and the Application goes through DR Testing again until Application
Recovery Certification is achieved.
Develop Application Work Sheet;
1.
C.
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Same as Activities Sheets, but is used to record Actual Times, Durations, Encountered
Problems, and Comments.
Post Mortem Meeting is conducted to review results, go over “Lessons
Learned” and make “Recommendations for Improvement”.
Thomas Bronack ©
Initial Training Class
Phone: (917) 673-6992 / Email: bronackt@dcag.com
11

12. Disaster Recovery Dashboard and Documents
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1. DR Planning Guide
2. DR Management Dashboard
3. DR Exercise Booklet Template
4. Planning Meeting Agenda
Thomas Bronack ©
Initial Training Class
Phone: (917) 673-6992 / Email: bronackt@dcag.com

13. What should be accomplished during the Planning
Meetings
1. Infrastructure Readiness Information
2. Contact List
3. EMC Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
Solutions.
4. VMware vSphere, vCenter Prep
5. VMware Usage and Recovery
Thomas Bronack ©
Initial Training Class
Phone: (917) 673-6992 / Email: bronackt@dcag.com
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