Installing Zerto in Clustered vSphere Environments

What is Zerto’s Failover Cluster?

When you have a Zerto system, you want your system to always be up and running, and to never go down. But, as with all systems, your Zerto system will need maintenance, (like security patches, and operating system updates) and will need to be upgraded with the latest Zerto releases.

In order to perform these maintenance procedures, Zerto has integrated with Microsoft’s Failover Cluster feature and now allows their customers to install Zerto Virtual Manager in a clustered environment.

With a clustered ZVM environment running, you are then able to easily perform the following:

■ Operating System maintenance

■ Change an existing Zerto Virtual Manager to a clustered Zerto Virtual Manager

■ Upgrade your Zerto Virtual Manager

Clustered Concepts

Term or phrase	Definition
clustered role	Clustered applications and services
node	Clustered nodes (meaning, servers) are connected by physical cables and by software. If one or more of the cluster nodes fail, other nodes begin to provide service continuously.
Active/passive node	A resources cluster where only one instance is active at any given time.
Zerto Failover Cluster Role Mover	The Zerto Failover Cluster Role Mover tool facilitates an unobtrusive move of the clustered role from one node to the other, with minimal consequences to Zerto Virtual Manager.
switch node
Microsoft Failover Clustering	A Windows Server feature that enables you to group multiple servers together into a fault-tolerant cluster (renamed in Windows Server 2008 from Microsoft Cluster Service (MSCS))
Minimal downtime	The time it takes for the ZVR to start.

Workflow: Installing Zerto on Clustered Nodes

Step	Description	Link to Procedure
1.	Review the prerequisites; this includes what you need to prepare on your virtual machines, before you can install Zerto Virtual Manager on the clustered nodes.	Prerequisites: Before Installing Zerto Virtual Manager Clusters
2.	Create a Role for the Zerto services.	Creating a Role for the Zerto Services
3.	Install the first Zerto Virtual Manager clustered node.	First Clustered Node - Installing Zerto Virtual Replication
4.	Install the second Zerto Virtual Manager clustered node.	Second Clustered Node - Installing Zerto Virtual Replication
5.	Add Zerto services to the role, and configure the role.	Configuring the Role with Zerto Services
Additional Cluster Procedures
	Uninstall a cluster.	Uninstalling a Zerto Cluster

Note:

After the ZVM Cluster is installed and running, you can perform any of the following procedures:

■ Manually move a cluster role from Active to Passive using the Zerto Failover Cluster Role Mover tool.

■ Switch your ZVM machine from a non-clustered mode, to a clustered mode.

■ Switch your clustered environment to a non-clustered environment.

For the procedures, see Zerto Virtual Manager Administration Guide for the VMware vSphere Environment, in the section Managing a Zerto Virtual Manager Cluster.

Prerequisites: Before Installing Zerto Virtual Manager Clusters

Before preparing for, and installing Zerto Virtual Manager Clusters, ensure the following:

■ There is an external database.

■ There is an existing cluster, created according to Microsoft’s procedure.

■ The domain user has the required privileges.

Continue to Creating a Role for the Zerto Services