Good alternatives to SRM?

[DSeaman]

We are doing a market survey for a comprehensive business continunity/disaster recovery product. Because we don't want hypervisor lock-in and also need to protect some phyiscal servers we've ruled out SRM. Basic environment is Windows servers, a few Linux, mostly running ESXi 4.1 and ESXi 5.0. Like I said, a few phyiscal servers too. Major applications include the typical Microsoft stack of Exchange, SQL, SharePoint, Active Directory, etc.

Some desired features are:

• Centralized console to manage dozens/100+ VMs that need protection
  
• Integration with vCenter to easily protect VMs
  
• Some type of WAN optimization/compression to minimize bandwidth
  
• Replication distances are 1000+ miles
  
• RPOs can be 15+ minutes, RTOs 15+ minutes
  
• Provide application consistent shapshots for our major MS apps (Exchange, SQL, SharePoint)
  
• Reliable fail-over/fail-back between primary/DR site
  
• Storage array indepenent
  
• No low-level unsupported mucking around with AD like DoubleTake does
  
• Highly reliable
  

I've had my eye on "InMage" but seem little in terms of press, reviews, or customer feedback. I like the hyprid write-splitter/appliance approach. There must be other solutions out there with tight VMware integration but I'm not have a lot of luck finding them. Functionality/integration is the primary objective, not cost. 

What non-SRM type of solutions are people using? What else besides InMage should I be looking at?

[regnak]

Hi,

The only one that comes to mind is Veeam. It doesn't tick all the boxes you need but it's pretty close. Works well for typical VMs and content, not so well for VMs with Database however. Plus it has a decent pricing model. they are getting more application aware in recent versions and support for Hyper-V is coming shortly. Worth a look if SRM doesn't fit.

Mike

[DSeaman]

I view Veeam and just a replication product, not a failover product. For example, the product needs to do application specific tasks such as updating DNS pointers, etc. In short I want a platform independent SRM-like product that has decent vCenter integration.

Zerto is another product, like InMage, that seems to try and fit the bill. Zerto actually seems more virtualization aware than InMage. Anyone have experience with Zerto?

[Datto]

Because we don't want hypervisor lock-in

So you'd be satisfied with a lesser solution if it wasn't from VMware?

As someone who has been through a disaster I can tell you this -- if you experience a true disaster the words "vendor lock-in" will never cross your mind.

If your business continuity / disaster recovery plan works, you'll be a hero. If it doesn't work, you'll have three questions:

1) Who can I blame for this?

2) Where is that resume of mine?

3) Can I get by building toasters near the beach in Puerto Rico?

Moral: Choose the best BC/DR solution you can afford, regardless of religion. Forget about vendor lock-in -- figure out what will work best if a disaster were to occur and buy that. Let someone else take the religious road less travelled to Puerto Rico.

Datto

[marchlam]

Hi,

Does any body consider Double-take?

I saw some case that users didn't choose SRM but double take instead!

I don't fully understand the reason. It seems that the user interface is much more better ? is it ?

Thanks!

MC

(From Hong Kong)

[JSchuurkamp]

Hi DSeaman,

Full disclosure: I work for the European distributor for Zerto.

Zerto is completely aimed at VMware vSphere 4.x replication. It ticks the boxes and betters them on some points like the RPO/RTO:

• Managed from vCenter itself (plugin)
  
• Easily handles 100's of VM's
  
• WAN optimization/compression
  
• Replication distance unaware: flexible synchronization settings based on the available bandwidth and latency
  
• RPO's of seconds, RTO less than a few minutes
  
• Virtual Protection Groups provide point-in-time sync across multiple VM's
  
• Reliable, fail-over/fail-back (manually, 'big red button', from both sides)
  
• Test fail-over while protection remains completely active
  
• Storage /type/ independent (you can use different types of storage from different vendors and even different connection types on both sides.)
  
• Very clean: it works at the storage-driver level in Vmware
  
• Guest-OS agnostic
  

It doesn't do physical replication and it isn't Hypervisor agnostic /just yet/.
Given your requirements, I don't think there's a better match out there than Zerto, though.

If you want the complete low-down, I suggest you register for one of our webinars given by one of our technicians: http://www.consolidate-it.nl/pub/webinars/zerto/  ** We can always arrange a webinar on a differtent time if you like.

Jarno