TECHNICAL REPORT

MICROSOFT HYPER-V PROTECTION

USING AUTO-SNAPSHOT MANAGER /
MICROSOFT EDITION

ABSTRACT
This Technical Report describes using Auto-
Snapshot Manager / Microsoft Edition with
Microsoft Hyper-V to perform online
Smart Copy protection and recovery
operations of Virtual Machines using PS
Series arrays.

TR1045
V1.0
Copyright 2009 Dell Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Dell EqualLogic is a trademark of Dell Inc.
All trademarks and registered trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.
Possession, use, or copying of the documentation or the software described in this publication is authorized only
under the license agreement specified herein.
Dell, Inc. will not be held liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. The information
in this document is subject to change.
April 2009

WWW.DELL.COM/PSseries

ii Hyper-V Protection with ASM/ME

PREFACE
Thank you for your interest in Dell EqualLogic PS Series storage products. We hope you will find the PS Series products
intuitive and simple to configure and manage.
PS Series arrays optimize resources by automating volume and network load balancing. Additionally, PS Series arrays offer
all-inclusive array management software, host software, and free firmware updates. The following value-add features and
products integrate with PS Series arrays and are available at no additional cost:
Note: The highlighted text denotes the focus of this document.
PS Series Array Software
o Firmware Installed on each array, this software allows you to manage your storage environment and
provides capabilities such as volume snapshots, clones, and replicas to ensure data hosted on the arrays can be
protected in the event of an error or disaster.
Group Manager GUI: Provides a graphical user interface for managing your array
Group Manager CLI: Provides a command line interface for managing your array.
o Manual Transfer Utility (MTU): Runs on Windows and Linux host systems and enables secure transfer of
large amounts of data to a replication partner site when configuring disaster tolerance. You use portable media
to eliminate network congestion, minimize downtime, and quick-start replication.
Host Software for Windows
o Host Integration Tools
Remote Setup Wizard (RSW): Initializes new PS Series arrays, configures host connections to PS
Series SANs, and configures and manages multipathing.
Multipath I/O Device Specific Module (MPIO DSM): Includes a connection awareness-module
that understands PS Series network load balancing and facilitates host connections to PS Series
volumes.
VSS and VDS Provider Services: Allows 3rd party backup software vendors to perform off-host
backups.
Auto-Snapshot Manager/Microsoft Edition (ASM/ME): Provides point-in-time SAN protection of
critical application data using PS Series snapshots, clones, and replicas of supported applications
such as SQL Server, Exchange Server, Hyper-V, and NTFS file shares.
o SAN HeadQuarters (SANHQ): Provides centralized monitoring, historical performance trending, and event
reporting for multiple PS Series groups.
Host Software for VMware
o Storage Adapter for Site Recovery Manager (SRM): Allows SRM to understand and recognize PS Series
replication for full SRM integration.
o Auto-Snapshot Manager/VMware Edition (ASM/VE): Integrates with VMware Virtual Center and PS
Series snapshots to allow administrators to enable Smart Copy protection of Virtual Center folders, datastores,
and virtual machines.
Current Customers Please Note: You may not be running the latest versions of the tools and software listed above. If you
are under valid warranty or support agreements for your PS Series array, you are entitled to obtain the latest updates and
new releases as they become available.
To learn more about any of these products, contact your local sales representative or visit the Dell EqualLogic site at
http://www.equallogic.com. To set up a Dell EqualLogic support account to download the latest available PS Series
firmware and software kits visit: https://www.equallogic.com/secure/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fsupport%2fDefault.aspx

Hyper-V Protection with ASM/ME iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface .................................................................................................................................. iii
Revision Information ............................................................................................................. v
Introduction............................................................................................................................ 1
ASM/ME Hyper-V Integration ........................................................................................... 2
Hyper-V Smart Copy Options ........................................................................................ 3
Smart Copy Object Collections ...................................................................................... 4
Smart Copy Schedules .................................................................................................... 4
Setup and Configuration Best Practices ................................................................................ 5
Hyper-V Disks ................................................................................................................ 5
Protecting Applications Running in Windows Guests ................................................... 5
Creating Smart Copies of Virtual Machines .......................................................................... 6
Restoring Virtual Machines with Smart Copies .................................................................... 7
Snapshot Smart Copy Restore Options .......................................................................... 7
In-Place Virtual Machine Restore .................................................................................. 8
Selective Restore of Virtual Machines ........................................................................... 9
Smart Copy Mount Operations ..................................................................................... 10
Hyper-V Failover Clusters ................................................................................................... 10
Protecting and Recovering Clustered Virtual Machines .............................................. 10
ASM/ME Backup Documents ............................................................................................. 11
Off-Host Backup and Recovery ................................................................................... 14
Summary .............................................................................................................................. 15
Appendix A Glossary ....................................................................................................... 16
Appendix B Command Line Options ............................................................................... 17
Scripting ASM/ME v3.1 and Later .............................................................................. 17
Appendix C ASM/ME Icons ............................................................................................ 19
For More Information .......................................................................................................... 20
Technical Support and Customer Service............................................................................ 20

iv Hyper-V Protection with ASM/ME

REVISION INFORMATION
The following table describes the release history of this Technical Report.

Report Date Document Revision

1.0 April 2009 Initial Release

The following table shows the software and firmware used for the preparation of this Technical Report.

Vendor Model Software Revision

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 SP1 and later Enterprise and Datacenter Editions

Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 Version 2.0.3

Dell PS Series Firmware Version 4.0.5 and later*

Dell Dell EqualLogic Host Integration Tools Version 3.2 and later*
Auto-Snapshot Manager / Microsoft Edition

* For earlier version support see the Product Release Notes.

The following table lists the documents referred to in this Technical Report. All PS Series Technical Reports are available
on the EqualLogic website: http://www.equallogic.com/resourcecenter/documentcenter.aspx

Vendor Document Title

Dell Dell Solutions Guides for Microsoft Hyper-V

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/software/HyperV/en/index.htm

Dell Deploying Microsoft Hyper-V with PS Series Arrays

Dell Host Integration Tools User Guides

Dell Host Integration Tools Release Notes

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Deployment

http://technet.Microsoft.com/en-us/cc339386.aspx

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 TechCenter

http://go.Microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=93752

Microsoft Hyper-V Step-By-Step Guide: Failover Clustering

http://technet.Microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732181.aspx

Hyper-V Protection with ASM/ME v

INTRODUCTION
Todays datacenters are quickly evolving and transforming into virtual datacenter environments.
As virtual environments evolve, so does the need for protection capabilities to ensure the integrity
of these environments in the event of disasters. When Microsoft introduced Hyper-V they
realized this need for protection and included integration with their Volume Shadow Copy Services
(VSS), to provide consistent operating system protection of Hyper-V Virtual Machines (VMs). The
VSS architecture enables backup applications to create consistent point-in-time copies of Virtual
Machines that can be used for recovery operation in the event of failures. Additionally, storage
vendors can enable SAN protection of Virtual Machines by integrating with the VSS architecture
for added protection using hardware snapshots.
Dell provides a VSS-aware quick recovery application called Auto-Snapshot Manager/Microsoft
Edition (ASM/ME) that is included with the Dell EqualLogic Host Integration Tools. ASM/ME
is a VSS requestor application enabling the ability to create data- and application-consistent Smart
Copies (point-in-time copies) of NTFS volumes, Exchange Storage Groups, Hyper-V Virtual
Machines, and SQL Server databases utilizing the built-in hardware volume snapshot capabilities
of PS Series arrays. With Auto-Snapshot Manager/Microsoft Edition administrators can:
Create Snapshot Smart Copies of Hyper-V Virtual Machines, where Smart Copy operations are
coordinated with Hyper-V VSS Writer operations.
o Use the ASM/ME GUI or built-in scheduler to create Smart Copy sets

o Set up automatic e-mail notification of ASM/ME events

o Create and manage scripts using the Command Line Interface to coordinate all the
operations available through the GUI.

Allow system administrators to recover/restore Virtual Machines in the following ways:

o In-place Virtual Machine and volume recovery

Additional support with ASM/ME v3.2

o Windows Failover Cluster and Hyper-V cluster support

o Support for mount points (for Smart Copy mount operations only)

The capabilities of ASM/ME extend the use of SAN copy facilities beyond storage administrators,
to server administrators. This allows server administrators to control and manage the protection and
recovery operations of their virtual environments. By automating protection operations, the
headaches and time-consuming day-to-day operations of managing and maintaining Virtual
Machine uptime is minimized and data availability is increased extensively. Data availability can
be maintained at a high level of assurance using ASM/ME and Smart Copy technologies with PS
Series arrays.

Hyper-V Protection with ASM/ME 1

ASM/ME HYPER-V INTEGRATION
Microsoft recommends using Hyper-V VSS snapshots for full protection of a Hyper-V virtual
environment. Hyper-V VSS snapshots are enabled by installing the Hyper-V backup integration
service inside the guest OS (installed by Hyper-V Integration Services). The Hyper-V backup
integration service includes a VSS requestor that is used to quiesce any VSS-aware writers running
in the guest.
During the VSS operation flow ASM/ME initiates the process by requesting the Hyper-V VSS
Writer to quiesce a virtual machine and prepares it for a snapshot. The Hyper-V VSS Writer in turn
calls the backup integration service in the guest to quiesce any VSS Writers running in the guest.
The guest VSS requestor then returns control to the Hyper-V VSS writer running on the parent
server to create a volume snapshot now. The Hyper-V VSS writer quiesces the VM itself and tells
the PS Series VSS Provider to create a snapshot of the volume on which the VM VHD files reside.
This ensures consistency of the virtual machine state by backing up the configuration of the VM,
any VM snapshots (checkpoints) associated with the VM, and the VHDs used by the VM.
ASM/ME installs and runs in the Hyper-V Parent partition (management OS). It can be managed
from the installed GUI or command line using scripts. Users can configure property-level attributes
such as the location of the Smart Copy backup documents, the CHAP authentication used to
communicate with the PS Series Group, default Smart Copy settings and notification information.
The ASM/ME GUI is based on the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) and consists of three
parts: the Object pane, the Properties window and the Actions pane (Figure 1). The Object pane
shows host component information including the Hyper-V VSS Writer, Virtual Machines,
volumes, collections, schedules, existing Smart Copies and support information. The Applications
tree in the Object pane (left portion) lists the Hyper-V VSS Writer and Virtual Machines running in
the Parent partition. The VMs residing on PS Series storage have a blue icon and VMs not located
on PS Series storage have a grayed-out icon. The blue icon indicates objects (VMs and NTFS
volumes) that can be backed up by ASM/ME. At any time, you can click on a VM or object to get
detailed information in the properties window for that object.
The Properties window (center portion) lists detailed information about the selected object, such as
Smart Copy support options, volume information, file information, and schedule information. The
Actions pane (right pane) lists available actions for the selected component. For icon descriptions
see Appendix D.

2 Hyper-V Protection with ASM/ME

 Figure 1: Auto-Snapshot Manager/Microsoft Edition User Interface

Hyper-V Smart Copy Options

Auto-Snapshot Manager/Microsoft Edition (ASM/ME) creates Smart Copies utilizing the built-in
PS Series SAN protection capabilities of snapshots, clones and replicas. All Smart Copies are
transportable and can be mounted on the same or a different server. The Hyper-V VSS Writer
supports PS Series snapshot type Smart Copies with ASM/ME v3.2.
Snapshot Smart Copies are point-in-time copies of a VM and its underlying volume(s) at the time
of the Smart Copy operation. Snapshots are the most space-efficient form of a volume Smart Copy
therefore multiple copies of snapshots can be stored and used for restore operations. In the PS
Series Group Manager GUI, snapshot Smart Copies are shown under each base volume from which
they were created. Snapshot Smart Copies are most useful as available copies of the original
volume or application objects (VMs).
Using ASM/ME, Smart Copy snapshots can be created and applied to:
Restore the original volume or VM in place by rolling back the source volumes to the
point-in-time of the Smart Copy.
Selectively restore the original VM without disrupting other VMs hosted on that same
volume

Hyper-V Protection with ASM/ME 3

Storage Resource Management
This section describes how ASM/ME and Smart Copies use storage resources and suggests some
best practices for monitoring and managing space used by Smart Copy sets on the PS Series group.
Snapshot Smart Copies use the snapshot reserve space allocated to the PS Series volume. You can
monitor and change the snapshot reserve value for each base volume based on the required or
desired number of protection points (snapshots) for that volume.
Snapshot reserve space will be consumed based on the frequency of snapshot operations and the
rate of change of data on the volume.
Best Practices:
Start with a minimum snapshot reserve size of 100% of the base volume size.
Monitor snapshot reserve space after creating volumes to understand the growth
expectations of snapshot reserve and eventually modify this space requirements
accordingly.
Maintain keep counts for Smart Copy schedules to minimize overuse of snapshot
reserve.

Smart Copy Object Collections

Smart Copy Collections can be configured to create Smart Copies of a group of components.
Objects can be combined into a collection so that snapshot, clone or replica Smart Copies can be
made of a group of objects at the same time. This is especially useful for scheduling Smart Copy
operations of similar components or VMs sharing the same volume. By using Smart Copy
Collections, you can enable the selective restore operation detailed in the Smart Copy Restore
section of this document.
Note: During a Restore operation of an object collection, all VMs included in the collection will
be rolled back to the point-in-time of the Smart Copy. To avoid rolling back all VMs in a collection
use a Selective Restore process. For more information see the Selective Restore of Virtual
Machines section in this document.

Smart Copy Schedules

ASM/ME includes a scheduler to enable ongoing Smart Copy protection at regular intervals. The
ASM/ME scheduler is based on the Windows Task Scheduler service and supports Smart Copy
schedule frequencies as low as 5 minutes apart. The scheduler supports a keep count parameter
that retains only the specified number of active Smart Copies for an object. This ensures that
storage resources are maintained while data recovery remains highly available. You can create
schedules by right-clicking an object or using the Actions pane of ASM/ME interface. See
Appendix C for instructions on creating schedules in a script.
Note: The Auto-Snapshot Manager and Windows tack scheduler service can process only one
scheduled task at a time. A scheduled Smart Copy operation may fail if there is another Smart
Copy process occurring at the same time on the same server.

4 Hyper-V Protection with ASM/ME

SETUP AND CONFIGURATION BEST PRACTICES
This section details some best practices for using ASM/ME with Hyper-V and PS Series groups.

Hyper-V Disks
The Hyper-V VSS Writer can only protect data hosted in VHD files. To create Virtual Machine
Smart Copies with ASM/ME, the Hyper-V Parent partition must use the same iSCSI network as the
PS Series Group and all protected VHD files must reside on PS Series volumes. ASM/ME
recognizes all the underlying volumes on the Hyper-V server and protects only those on a PS
Series SAN.
PS Series arrays enable volume-based data protection and PS Series snapshots are point-in-time
copies of all the data on a selected volume. When used with ASM/ME for protection of Hyper-V
environments, only the data supported by the Hyper-V VSS Writer (VHD files) will be protected
during a Smart Copy operation. ASM/ME creates an application-consistent Smart Copy of the
object or VM chosen even if other VMs reside on the same volume. If more than one VM shares
the same volume, it could result in a torn Smart Copy set of the volume chosen. Smart Copy sets
that contain several VMs (collections) must be restored using the Selective Restore option, and
may take longer to restore due to additional data movement operations to recover the specific VHD
files. For more information see Selective Restore of Virtual Machines.
To avoid torn Smart Copies and selective restore scenarios, it is recommended to place VMs on
their own PS Series volumes. This can allow for quicker restore times by taking advantage of the
PS Series snapshot restore technologies.
Best Practices: For fast restore and recovery of individual VMs, VMs should not share volumes
with other VMs.
Pass-Through disks are not supported by VSS operations. Data hosted on these volumes must use
other 3rd party protection capabilities. PS Series volumes directly connected to a VM guest OS
through an iSCSI initiator running inside the guest OS are not supported by the Hyper-V VSS
writer. These volumes can be protected in the guest OS by a VSS application running inside the
guest operating system. See the next section for more information on protecting applications
running in the guest.

Protecting Applications Running in Windows Guests

Applications and data inside the virtual machine can be protected by Hyper-V VSS snapshots or by
3rd party VSS-aware applications. In order to protect data inside the guest with the Hyper-V VSS
writer, the data must reside on a VHD. This way the Hyper-V VSS writer can include the
application data during the snapshot process. This excludes disks that are directly connected to the
guest OS using an iSCSI initiator running in the guest.
Disks connected using an iSCSI initiator running in the guest can be protected using 3rd party
applications that support VSS and the application VSS writers that are running in the guest. Auto-
Snapshot Manager/Microsoft Edition (ASM/ME) can be installed in the guest operating system to
protect disks that are not supported by Hyper-V VSS. For example: application data residing on PS
Series volumes directly connected by iSCSI initiators running inside a VM.

Hyper-V Protection with ASM/ME 5

CREATING SMART COPIES OF VIRTUAL MACHINES
All Smart Copies can be created using the same wizard (Figure 2) either by right-clicking an object
or using the Actions pane. Once created, Smart Copies are listed under the Smart Copies Object in
the ASM/ME GUI (Figure 3).

Figure 2: Create Smart Copy Wizard

Figure 3: Create Smart Copy Set

The recommended configuration is to keep VMs on their own volumes and avoid sharing volumes
with other VMs. This is to avoid selective restore scenarios which can take longer then instant
restore operations.

6 Hyper-V Protection with ASM/ME

If VMs do share the same volume and a single VM is selected for Smart Copy, the Torn Smart
Copy Warning window is shown (Figure 4). Torn Smart Copies mean that there were additional
object components (VMs) on the volume selected for the Smart Copy. When you restore from a
Torn Smart Copy, you must do a selective restore. There is no harm in the Torn Smart Copies and
they will not affect any other VMs during the restore process other than the one chosen for the
Smart Copy restore operation. To avoid the Torn Smart Copy warning create collections of VMs
that share the same volume and create Smart Copies of the entire collection.

Figure 4: Torn Smart Copy Warning

Optionally, create a schedule to create Smart Copies of Virtual Machines. By choosing the
Configure New Schedule option from the Actions pane you can give the new schedule a name and
add options to configure a repeating Smart Copy schedule. If Notification is not set up, the
schedule service will ask you to configure notification prior to creating the schedule. You can
decline, and continue with the Smart Copy schedule or proceed to Notification setup. Similar to
creating a single Smart Copy, if there are additional VMs on the volume you choose, the Torn
Smart Copy Warning is displayed. To continue with the schedule creation, choose Next to move to
the next screen.

RESTORING VIRTUAL MACHINES WITH SMART COPIES

There are various methods to restore and recover Virtual Machines using Smart Copies. The
underlying PS Series architecture can either restore a volume from a Smart Copy or mount a Smart
Copy to a host on a mount point or as a new volume. These operations allow many different restore
possibilities.
This section describes the most common restore scenarios and how to apply Smart Copy restore
options for Hyper-V Virtual Machines.

Snapshot Smart Copy Restore Options

Smart Copies can be restored using the ASM/ME GUI or the command line interface. To restore
Smart Copies with the ASM/ME GUI, right click on the Smart Copy or use the Actions pane to

Hyper-V Protection with ASM/ME 7

initiate the restore process (Figure 5). There are three restore options available for snapshot type
Smart Copies:
Mount Mounts the Smart Copy set on mount point(s) or drive letter(s) that you specify. It
does not restore the VM. By default, the Smart Copy is mounted read-only but optionally you
can make the Smart Copy read-write. Users can then use the mounted Smart Copy for
archiving or perform manual steps to recover data.
Restore [vmname] Performs an in-place VM restore and automatically starts a Selective
Restore of only the chosen VM. If other VMs share the Smart Copy volumes, the Selective
Restore operation protects other VM components from being damaged during the restore
process.
Restore Performs a restore of all the data in the Smart Copy and brings the VM online. If
there are multiple VMs included in the Smart Copy set, for example, in a collection, all the
VMs are restored to the point-in-time of the Smart Copy and brought online.

Figure 5: Snapshot Smart Copy Restore Options with ASM/ME

The following sections discuss Virtual Machine restore scenarios and how to apply each of the
restore options. Some scenarios may use multiple Smart Copy restore options but each option can
have a different effect on the restore. Please read through the next sections carefully to understand
how each Smart Copy restore option will affect the Hyper-V environment.

In-Place Virtual Machine Restore

Assuming the VM file layout has followed the best practices guidelines, this restore is useful for
performing a fast point-in-time restore of a VM. The Smart Copy options that can be applied for in-
place VM restore are:

8 Hyper-V Protection with ASM/ME

 Restore VM vmname
Restore
When all the original VM files reside on their own volumes, the Restore operation should be used
for the fastest restore operation. This restore process shuts down and removes the VM from the
Hyper-V server, takes the original volume offline, restores the volume back to the time of the
Smart Copy and brings the volume and VM back online to the Hyper-V server. At the same time,
the PS Series group creates an additional snapshot of the volume state before restoring the Smart
Copy. This snapshot appears offline in the PS Series Group Manager GUI and can be used for
debugging problems that may have caused the VM corruption or failure.
When the original VM shares volumes with other VMs, the Restore VM vmname operation
should be used. This restore process performs a data movement operation to restore only the
selected VMs files. This operation protects the other VMs or applications that may have files on
the same volume but can take a long time to process the files associated with the VM. Essentially,
this restore process automatically invokes a Selective Restore of the chosen VM. For more
information on selective restore, read on to the next section.

Note: The Restore operation bypasses the selective restore and replaces the original volume with
the contents of the Smart Copy regardless of objects sharing the volume.

Selective Restore of Virtual Machines

Selective Restore of VMs refers to restoring an individual VM that shares the same PS storage
volume with other VMs, as well as restoring from Smart Copy collections. During the Smart Copy
creation, ASM/ME detects if VMs are sharing the same volume with other VMs. In that case, a
Torn Smart Copy Warning message is displayed at the time of the Smart Copy creation.
The Smart Copy option used for a Selective Restore of a Virtual Machine is:
Restore VM vmname
The Selective Restore process creates a temporary clone of the Smart Copy and mounts the
temporary clone onto the host. Once the clone is mounted, ASM/ME replaces the original VM files
with the files from the clone copy using a data movement operation and brings the VM online to
the Hyper-V server. The selective restore process can take longer than an instant restore because of
the data movement operation that occurs in the background during the restore. The time it takes to
restore the selected VM is directly affected by the size of the VM files being replaced.

For individual VM Smart Copies, the selected VM is the only option shown to restore. While the
restore is taking place, the selected VM is removed from the Hyper-V server. All other VMs that
may share the volume or volumes will not be affected by this restore process.
For VMs included in a Smart Copy collection, any individual VM in the collection may be restored
at any time. The advantages of using Smart Copy collections are:
A single schedule can create Smart Copies of many VMs
If one of the VMs in the collection fails, ASM/ME allows a selective restore of that one
VM.
In the event of a volume failure, all the VMs sharing the volume can be restored together

Hyper-V Protection with ASM/ME 9

Note: During a volume restore using the Restore option, all the VMs included in the collection
are shut down and removed from the Hyper-V server while the volume rollback is occurring. Once
the volume has been restored to the point-in-time of the Smart Copy, all the VMs are brought back
online to the Hyper-V server.

Smart Copy Mount Operations

ASM/ME will also allow Smart Copy Mount operations. The Mount operation will mount a Smart
Copy set to a drive letter or mount point designated by the user. Mounting a Smart Copy can be
useful for archiving the Smart Copy contents or retrieving object data from the mounted Smart
Copy.

HYPER-V FAILOVER CLUSTERS

Failover clustering is a common practice for creating highly available server environments and is
supported by Windows Server 2008 to protect virtual machines running on Hyper-V hosts.
Additionally virtual machines running critical applications can be clustered within the Hyper-V
environment for additional protection against virtual machine failures.
ASM/ME is fully cluster aware and supports Smart Copies of VMs running in Hyper-V clusters.
This section describes the various operations used to protect and recover VMs in a Hyper-V
cluster. General understanding of how to configure and administer Windows Server clusters is
assumed. For additional information refer to the Host Integration Tools documentation.
In order for ASM/ME to operate correctly in a failover cluster the following criteria must be met:
ASM/ME is installed on each node of the failover cluster
The ASM/ME backup document location is shared and reachable by all nodes in the cluster
The EqlReqService is set to a domain account with Hyper-V and local administrator
permissions for each node in the cluster.
All PS Series volumes must have shared access enabled before adding to a cluster.
Once these criteria have been met and ASM/ME is installed, protection and recovery operations
can begin. All protection and recovery operations must take place from the active node hosting the
VM resources in the cluster. If nodes failover ASM/ME will follow the failover process so that
schedules and other Smart Copy operations always take place on the active cluster node.
Best Practices: Set the ASM/ME Backup Document location to a folder share that is reachable by
all nodes at all times. It is recommended not to use a cluster disk as the passive nodes will not be
aware of the Smart Copies until the nodes failover.

Protecting and Recovering Clustered Virtual Machines

Protecting clustered VMs is similar to protecting non-clustered VMs. All the protection capabilities
of ASM/ME in a non-clustered environment are supported in a clustered environment. Please refer
to the Creating Smart Copies of Virtual Machines section in this document for instructions on how
to create Smart Copies of Virtual Machines.
The same ASM/ME restore options are available in failover clusters. Any or all of these options
can be used to recover VMs depending on the recovery method needed. Refer to the Restoring
Virtual Machines with Smart Copies section for more information on these options.
Restore VM vmname
Restore

10 Hyper-V Protection with ASM/ME

In a failover cluster environment the simplest recovery options are the Restore or Restore VM
vmname. These recovery options will perform an in-place restore of a Virtual Machine from a
Smart Copy. The Restore option is the fastest recovery method where the original VM volumes are
rolled back to the point-in-time of the Smart Copy. The Restore VM vmname performs a data
movement operation that can take longer depending on the size of the VM files being restored.
Both of these restore methods are fully automated and do not require any additional steps by
administrators.
Note: Occasionally during a Smart Copy restore operation on a cluster a Failed to log off
message will appear when trying to log off of a cluster volume (Figure 6). This may happen due to
a cluster service hanging onto the original volume. To continue the Smart Copy restore process
make certain the volume in question should be restored and continue by choosing the Ignore
button.

Figure 6: Failed to log off message

ASM/ME BACKUP DOCUMENTS

Backup documents are the link to recovery operations using ASM/ME and are vital to the Smart
Copy restore process. They are XML documents that contain the metadata for the Smart Copy set
and are by default stored in a local directory. For ASM/ME to perform a Smart Copy recovery
operation, it needs the backup document associated for that Smart Copy set. Without the backup
document there can be no recovery operation with ASM/ME. This section describes some options
for protecting volumes including the backup document share.
By default ASM/ME stores backup documents in C:\ProgramData\EqualLogic\VSS
Requestor, (Figure 7). It is recommended to place backup documents on a share that is
protected in case of failure or user error.

Hyper-V Protection with ASM/ME 11

 Figure 7: Backup Document Location Properties
Note: By default, backup documents created by ASM/ME are saved as files with a .bcd extension.
After a Smart Copy set has been used, the backup document extension is changed to .pvss.

Best Practice: The location for backup documents should be managed on a central share that is
backed up regularly. If PS Series replication is configured, the backup document share should be
reachable by the primary and remote groups and, ideally, replicated using technologies such as
DFS/R. Otherwise, the backup documents must be manually transported to the remote site. The
following images show protection options for backup documents.

Figure 8: Backup Document Protection Using a Local Share

In Figure 8, the protection scenario uses a volume share located on the PS Series group. By using a
SAN volume for the backup document share, data protection can be handled using standard PS
Series snapshots or any other supported backup application. Using this protection scenario, the
backup document path can be mounted on one host and shared among multiple hosts that may need
access to the backup documents for restore options.

12 Hyper-V Protection with ASM/ME

 Figure 9: Backup Document Protection Scenario with Replication

In Figure 9, the protection scenario includes the use of standard PS Series volume snapshot on the
local SAN as well as volume replication to a remote PS Series group. By replicating the backup
document share to a replication partner, the backup document files can be incrementally sent to the
remote group. Make sure that the backup document replication occurs regularly to ensure restore
capabilities at the remote location.

Figure 10: Backup Document Protection Using a Remote Share

In Figure 10, the backup documents reside on a PS Series volume at the remote site and the remote
site volume is being accessed by the primary site over the WAN. In the event of a primary site
disaster the volume can be accessed by a remote site server and the backup documents will be
intact. This example assumes that the volume is being accessed by one host at a time and the
backup document path is being shared to additional hosts.
Alternatively, you can configure Distributed File System (DFS) replication to replicate backup
document files from one server to many servers. This may be a best practice if you are planning to
have many servers accessing the same set of backup documents and Smart Copies. For more
information on DFS replication, visit the Distributed File System Technology Center at the
following URL.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/technologies/storage/dfs/default.mspx
The backup document protection scenarios vary by configuration as well as complexity. With any
data protection scenario, you should test and verify your solution before putting it into a production
environment. All those involved should be aware of and comfortable with the recovery procedures
in the event of data disaster.

Hyper-V Protection with ASM/ME 13

ASM/ME lets you validate all backup documents when it starts. This process makes sure that there
are valid Smart Copies located on the PS Series SAN for every backup document listed on the
backup document share. You can also validate these documents at any time by right-clicking Smart
Copies and selecting Validate Backup Documents. If ASM/ME determines there are broken
documents or documents that do not associate with any Smart Copies, they are placed in a node
called Broken in the Smart Copies object tree.
Best Practice: Remove any broken backup documents by deleting the backup document Broken
node. This ensures that all the Smart Copies listed are valid and usable for restore and recovery
operations.

Off-Host Backup and Recovery

ASM/ME is bundled with the PS Series VSS provider. The ASM/ME VSS provider is fully
compatible with third-party backup applications for off-host backup operations (Figure 11).

Figure 11: Off-Host Backup Flow

One advantage of using snapshots for long term backup and recovery operations is that they can
provide a stable copy of data for copying to backup media. Also, snapshots provide a space-
efficient way of backing up data, compared to clones or full backups. Once the snapshot is created,
the application server can continue application operations, and the snapshot can be backed up by a
backup server to offload any additional processing from the production server. This may safely
extend the backup window.

14 Hyper-V Protection with ASM/ME

SUMMARY
Auto-Snapshot Manager / Microsoft Edition can substantially increase Virtual Machine protection
and availability by using PS Series snapshot technologies. Hyper-V VSS Snapshots coordinated
with Smart Copy operations play a vital role in robust Virtual Machine protection scenarios
enabling on-demand data recovery and Virtual Machine restores. By using ASM/ME with regular
backup methods, you can ensure your SQL Server, Exchange Server, Hyper-V and NTFS data is
protected and available at all times.

Hyper-V Protection with ASM/ME 15

APPENDIX A GLOSSARY
PS Series Group Manager GUI A Java-based user interface to manage the PS Series storage
group.
ASM/ME GUI A host-based management interface to create and manage Smart Copies of
Hyper-V Virtual Machines, SQL Server databases, Exchange Storage Groups and NTFS volumes.
Smart Copy An application-consistent VSS-based copy of a Hyper-V Virtual Machine, SQL
Server database, Exchange Storage Group or NTFS volume. Smart Copy types can include
snapshots, clones and replicas.
Snapshot Smart Copy A PS Series volume-based snapshot of a Hyper-V Virtual Machine, SQL
Server database, Exchange Storage Group or NTFS volume created through Microsoft Volume
Shadow Copy Service.
Clone Smart Copy A PS Series copy of a SQL Server database, Exchange Storage Group, or
NTFS volume created through Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service that is a complete
duplicate of the original volume or volumes that make up the database and its attributes.
Replica Smart Copy A PS Series volume snapshot of a SQL Server database, Exchange Storage
Group or NTFS volume created through Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service that is stored on
a replication partner. Replication must be set up on the PS Series group and on the volume before
you can create a replica Smart Copy.
Torn Smart Copy A Smart Copy Set of an individual object that shares a PS Series volume with
other objects. Torn Smart Copies will not harm the original VM or base volume.
Smart Copy Collection A group of object components added to a single Smart Copy operation.
Smart Copy Schedule A schedule set up though ASM/ME to create ongoing Smart Copies of an
object.
Backup Document An XML file with a .bcd extension created by the VSS requestor that stores
all the metadata from the VSS writer during the creation of a Smart Copy.

16 Hyper-V Protection with ASM/ME

APPENDIX B COMMAND LINE OPTIONS
If you have existing scripts for running backups or performing other background operations, you
can also schedule the creation of smart copy sets by adding an ASM/ME command to the script.
Note: With ASM/ME v3.0, the only operation you can perform using a script is creating smart
copy sets through a schedule. To perform all other operations, you must use the ASM/ME GUI.
ASM/ME versions 3.1 and later have enhanced the command line capabilities enabling all the
functions available to users from the GUI.

Scripting ASM/ME v3.1 and Later

ASM/ME 3.1 and later include all the functionality of the GUI into the command line interface.
Additionally the ASM/ME GUI includes options to automate script creation by allowing users to
run through Smart Copy processes in the GUI and generate the commands needed to perform these
operations via command line.
To initiate the script creation process highlight the object you want to work with. Either right click
or use the Actions pane to the right to Generate [command type] Command as in Figure 12.

Generate [command
type] Command

Figure 12: Generate Command

This will run through the process of creating a Smart Copy Set and at the end instead of creating
the Smart Copy, generate the script used as in Figure 13. This command can then be copied and
used to create the Smart Copy from a script or batch file.

Hyper-V Protection with ASM/ME 17

 Figure 13: Generated Command
Scripts like this can be created for other Smart Copy operations and used accordingly. For a
detailed description of script commands and sample usage, see the Host Integration Tools User
Guide.

18 Hyper-V Protection with ASM/ME

APPENDIX C ASM/ME ICONS
Icon Component or State

Supported VSS application writer.

Unsupported VSS application writer.
Application server instance installed on the host.
Application object hosted on one or more PS Series volumes. Includes databases restored
as new.

Application object not hosted on a PS Series volume.

Volume hosted on a PS Series group. Includes volumes restored as new.

Volume not hosted on a PS Series group

Collection of objects.
Snapshot type Smart Copy.
Clone type Smart Copy.
Replica type Smart Copy.
In use Snapshot Smart Copy.
In use Clone Smart Copy.
In use Replica Smart Copy.

In use Smart Copy volume.

Existing Smart Copy of a corrupt or damaged database or volume.

Broken Smart Copy Backup document with no associated storage.

Hyper-V Protection with ASM/ME 19

FOR MORE INFORMATION
For detailed information about PS Series arrays, groups, and volumes see the following
documentation:
Release Notes. Provides the latest information about PS Series storage arrays and groups.
QuickStart. Describes how to set up the hardware and start using a PS Series storage array.
Group Administration. Describes how to use the Group Manager GUI to manage a PS Series
group. This manual provides comprehensive information about product concepts and
procedures.
CLI Reference. Describes how to use the Group Manager command line interface to manage a
group and individual arrays.
Hardware Maintenance. Provides information on maintaining the PS Series storage array
hardware.
The QuickStart and Hardware Maintenance manuals are printed and shipped with the PS Series
array.
They are also located on the documentation CD-ROM that is shipped with the array, along with the
Group Administration and CLI Reference manuals and the Group Manager online help.

The Host Integration Tools kit and documentation will be available on the support website
(support.dell.com/EqualLogic) and on a CD-ROM that is shipped with the PS Series array.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND CUSTOMER SERVICE

Dell's support service is available to answer your questions about PS Series arrays. If you have an
Express Service Code, have it ready when you call. The code helps Dell's automated-support
telephone system direct your call more efficiently.
Contacting Dell
Dell provides several online and telephone-based support and service options. Availability varies
by country and product, and some services may not be available in your area.
For customers in the United States, call 800-945-3355.
Note: If you do not have an Internet connection, you can find contact information on your purchase
invoice, packing slip, bill, or Dell product catalog.
To contact Dell for sales, technical support, or customer service issues:
1. Visit support.dell.com.
2. Verify your country or region in the Choose A Country/Region drop-down menu at the
bottom of the window.
3. Click Contact Us on the left side of the window.
4. Select the appropriate service or support link based on your need.
5. Choose the method of contacting Dell that is convenient for you.
Online Services

20 Hyper-V Protection with ASM/ME

You can learn about Dell products and services on the following websites:
www.dell.com/
www.dell.com/ap/ (Asian/Pacific countries only)
www.dell.com/jp (Japan only)
www.euro.dell.com (Europe only)
www.dell.com/la (Latin American countries)
www.dell.ca (Canada only)
You can access Dell Support through the following websites:
support.dell.com
support.dell.com/EqualLogic
support.jp.dell.com (Japan only)
support.euro.dell.com (Europe only)

Hyper-V Protection with ASM/ME 21