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Nutanix Metro Availability - Setup Guide


Nutanix Metro Availability (MA):

This new feature introduced on NOS 4.1 (Nutanix Operating System) which is really useful for the customers who is looking inexpensive DR solution especially VDI use case.  This feature allows replicate data synchronously between two sites.

Lets see requirements for implementing this feature:

NOS Version:

NOS 4.1 or later


Networking:
1.     <=5ms RTT latency
2.     <400 between="" both="" distance="" kms="" o:p="" sites="">
3.     Bandwidth depends on “data change rate”
4.     Redundant  physical network connection

Hardware:

1.     2 Nutanix clusters at each site
2.     mix/match models (eg: NX3000 at primary site and NX6000 at DR Site)

Hypervisor:

1.     ESXi 5.x supported
2.     KVM/Hyper-V not now, maybe later

Nutanix License:

1.     Ultimate

MA supports compression-over-the-wire which reduces bandwidth utilization significantly during replication.

Though it is only few clicks to configure the Metro Availability feature, but it requires few other configurations. Technically, the container is getting replicated to the DR site. So, the container name must be same for both sites (reason behind this the same datastore name maintained in VM configuration file to avoid re-registering the VMs in the DR site).

Step 1:

Create the Container on the both sites using the same name.  Select the “Storage” from Prism UI, click the Container option.  The Data de-duplication and compression supported on the containers for MA.


Step 2:

Create the Remote Site, Select the “Data Protection” from the Prism UI, and then click “Remote Site”

Enter the name for Remote site and enter IP Address of CVMs of the target site.


Select the Use SSH Tunnel if you are planning to use the SSH tunnel between both sites.  Select the “Disaster Recovery”  without fail. VStore name mapping not required.

Repeat the same setup on the DR site, but enter IP address of Primary site CVMs. After the configuration, test the connection between both sites using Test Connection option

Step 3:

Time to configure the Metro Availability (MA), select the Data Protection from Prism UI, click the “Protection Domain” and select “Metro Availability”

Enter name for MA, press Next.

Select the container to replication,  you cannot select multiple containers.


Then select the remote site from compatible Remote site (Upper window)


In the VM Availability screen, select the method to disable the MA either manually or automatically after specified time when a network or any other problem interrupts the connection between both sites.


Press Next, in the “Review” screen verify the all the configuration and click the “Create” button.


Step 4:

Activate the Metro Availability , click the “Metro Availability” in the “Protection Domain”, select the target container, Click the “Activate” button. Make sure that target container is empty, else MA will delete the data from the container.



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