Suggestions needed on product selection.

[Addammer]

We're going to be configuring a new server and would like to know if VMWare offers anything that can do the following...

We'd like to do a fresh install of Windows Server 2003 Ent. on a physical machine and also on a VM located on a different piece of hardware.

Then, any changes we make to the physical machine would be duplicated the the .vmdk file.

In the case of a hardware failure on our physical machine, we would simply be able to go to our other piece of hardware and turn on our VM inside VM Server.

Can this be accomplished?

[MR-T]

You can use PowerConvert from platespin to keep physical and virtual servers in sync for DR.

Also, you've got vReplicator from Vizioncore which I think fits in the category.

[O_o]

I can recommend powerconvert from Platespin as well, it would suit your needs, just in case, here's a link: http://www.platespin.com/products/powerconvert/

[PhilipArnason]

If this is a server with data that frequently changes, a product from XOSoft would fit the mold best----Using converter software will only get you an image of the time you converted the image, and that is a manual process.

Philip

[kukacz]

You should also consider DiskSafe with CDP Virtual Appliance by FalconStor. DiskSafe running on the physical server can continuously transfer all block-level changes on local drives to CDP VA running on ESX which will store them into a LUN which can be used to boot a VM from it.

If you think of mirroring the system drives too, it can also be done with DiskSafe but you might need to use some tool to change the Windows drivers, as the virtual hardware will probably differ from your physical one.

--

Lukas Kubin

[ctfoster]

I know of a number of sites that do just that using the NeverFail product.

The failover would be automated based on the lost of a heatbeat between the two servers - in a similar way to HA. The IP address is carried across to VM and the replication is carried by standard ethernet.