HP StorageWorks Storage Mirroring user's guide (T2558-96073, February 2008)

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7 X Providing High Availability for an Entire Server
Providing High Availability for an Entire Server
With the Storage Mirroring Full-Server Failover feature, you can protect the entire server, including your data and the server’s
system state, which is the server’s configured operating system and applications. Using the Full-Server Failover Manager,
Full-Server Failover automatically creates a replication set for you, selecting all of the data and system state data on the source.
Additionally, Full-Server Failover automatically established failover monitoring, providing high availability for the source. In the
event the source fails, the target can become the source after a reboot.
Finding a compatible target
The target you select must be suitable for becoming the source, in the event the source fails. Full-Server Failover will validate
the target and identify any incompatibilities. Errors will disqualify the target as a suitable server. To find a compatible target,
check the table below for each of the requirements.
Compatibility
Level
Requirement Configuration
Error Operating
System
Version
The target must have the same operating system as the source. For example, you
cannot have Windows 2000 on the source and Windows 2003 on the target. The two
servers do not have to have the same level of service pack or hotfix.
File System The source and target file systems must be identical. For example, an NTFS volume
cannot be sent to a FAT volume.
Domain
Controllers
The source and target cannot both be domain controllers. Only one or the other can
be a domain controller.
System
Volume
The target must have the same system volume as the source. The system volume is
the disk volume that contains the hardware-specific files that are needed to start
Windows. The system volume might be the same volume as the boot volume, but that
configuration is not required.
Boot Volume
Configuration
The target boot volume cannot be a dynamic disk configuration. The boot volume is
the disk volume that contains the Windows operating system and supporting files. By
default, the operating system files are in the \Windows folder, and the supporting files
are in the \Windows\System32 folder. The boot volume might be the same volume as
the system volume, but that configuration is not required.
System Path The target must have the same system path as the source. The system path is the
location of the Windows files.
Storage
Mirroring Path
The target must have Storage Mirroring installed on the same path as the source.
Storage Mirroring must be installed on the system path on the source and target.
HAL Type and
Version
The Windows hardware abstraction layer (HAL) refers to a layer of software that deals
directly with your computer hardware. The HAL type and version do not have to be
identical, but they must be compatible between the source and target. If the two are
incompatible, Full-Server Failover will warn you. In that case, you must upgrade or
downgrade the source or target.
Volume There are no limits to the number of logical volumes, although you are bound by
operating system limits. The target must have the same number of logical volumes as
the source. The target must have the same drive letters as the source. For example, if
the source has drives C: and D:, the target cannot have drives D: and E:. In this case,
the target must also have drives C: and D:.
Network
Adapters
You must map at least one NIC from the source to one NIC on the target. If the
source has more NICs than the target, some of the source NICs will not be mapped
to the target. Therefore, the IP addresses associated with those NICs will not be
available after failover, unless you configure the advanced options. If there are more
NICs on the target than the source, the additional NICs will still be available after
failover.