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Mirror Creation and Cluster Configuration

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Using Microsoft iSCSI Target With DataKeeper on Windows 2012 » Mirror Creation and Cluster Configuration

Create your DataKeeper volumes and your cluster. See Creating a DataKeeper Volume Resource in WSFC for reference. *IMPORTANT: The iSCSI Target Role only supports DataKeeper Volumes that are mirrors of Simple Volumes placed on Basic Disks. If any of your mirrors are…

Manual Creation of a Mirror in WSFC

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Clustering » Creating a DataKeeper Volume Resource in WSFC » Manual Creation of a Mirror in WSFC

!Before creating an Empty Role, verify that your mirror(s) are Highly Available by confirming that they are listed in the Failover Cluster Manager\Storage Disk as Available Storage. If you do NOT see your mirror(s) listed as Available Storage, they are NOT Highly…

Setup of iSCSI Initiator on Windows 2012

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Using Microsoft iSCSI Target With DataKeeper on Windows 2012 » Setup of iSCSI Initiator on Windows 2012

Once the virtual disks/targets are created, each of the cluster servers must initiate a connection to them via Microsoft’s iSCSI Initiator. From “Administrator Tools” in “Server Manager”, start “iSCSI Initiator”. Select the “Targets” tab and…

Windows Server 2016 Specific Issues

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Known Issues and Workarounds » Windows Server 2016 Specific Issues

For issues related to Windows Server 2016, see the following topic: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Occasional Job Creation Failure WSFC 2016 File Shares Cannot be Created…

Server 2012: Server Manager “File and Storage Services” Disk Status

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » FAQs » Server 2012: Server Manager “File and Storage Services” Disk Status

Question Why are DataKeeper Volumes that are being used in a Microsoft Failover Cluster not shown by Server Manager as “Clustered”? Answer On Server 2012, the new Server Manager tool is capable of detecting if a complete “Disk” is being used by Failover…

Mirror Properties

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Working With Mirrors » Mirror Properties

Select a job in the Job Summary pane and right-click to choose Mirror Properties. This dialog displays the following information about the job, source and target systems: Job Name State (current state of the job; for example, Active) Source…

Installing and Using DataKeeper Cluster Edition on Windows Server 2008 R2 / 2012 Core Platforms

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Clustering » Installing and Using DataKeeper Cluster Edition on Windows Server 2008 R2 / 2012 Core Platforms

Prepare the servers. Install Windows Server 2008 R2/2012 Core on two servers, configure IP, join a domain, configure firewall for remote administration, configure the server for remote access and install the Failover Cluster feature. Server Core Installation…

Using Microsoft iSCSI Target With DataKeeper on Windows 2012

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Using Microsoft iSCSI Target With DataKeeper on Windows 2012

The following topics will guide you in setting up Microsoft iSCSI Target with DataKeeper via the user interface. *NOTE: This configuration is not supported in a VMware ESX environment. …

Deleting a Mirror

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Working With Mirrors » Deleting a Mirror

This action discontinues replication and removes the mirror from the associated job. The target volume is unlocked and made fully accessible. Select the job that contains the mirror you want to delete. Right-click on the mirror and choose Delete Mirror or…

Mirror State Definitions

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » Using EMCMD with SIOS DataKeeper » Mirror State Definitions

The following numbers are used by the system to internally describe the various states. They are used by EMCMD, and they are also the state numbers found in event log entries. -1: Invalid State 0: No Mirror 1: Mirroring 2: Mirror is resyncing 3: Mirror is…

Creating a Mirror

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Configuring Mirrors » Creating a Mirror

Preparing Storage for Datakeeper Usage Summary: This video explains the procedure for creating/preparing storage for Datakeeper. It also addresses creating a mirror between both Source and Target nodes. For additional information regarding storage in conjunction…

Change Mirror Endpoints

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » FAQs » Change Mirror Endpoints

Question Can I change the mirror endpoints (IP address) of a system currently associated with an existing mirror? Answer Yes. The EMCMD called CHANGEMIRRORENDPOINTS allows you to change the endpoints of a mirrored volume that is configured on 3 nodes or fewer. (If…

Change Mirror Type

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » FAQs » Change Mirror Type

Question Can you change the mirror type of an existing mirror from Synchronous to Asynchronous or vice-versa? Answer Yes, you can change the mirror type using the EMCMD CHANGEMIRRORTYPE command.

Deleting a Mirror

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » FAQs » Deleting a Mirror

Question What actually happens when you delete a mirror? Answer The data remains on both sides, but the target and source data are no longer synchronized. The target volume is unlocked and made fully accessible.

Switching Over a Mirror

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Working With Jobs » Switching Over a Mirror

The Switchover Mirror function enables you to switch over all the mirrors in a job or just one of the mirrors in a job. A “mirror” includes all variants for mirrors such as standard single-target replication and complex geometries such as multi-target…

Failed to Create Mirror

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Known Issues and Workarounds » Failed to Create Mirror

User Interface – Failed to Create Mirror – Application Event Log Error/Message Logged in the Application Event Log: File: .\GuiThread.cpp Line: 3099 Attempt to connect to remote system REMOTESERVER failed with error 5. Please ensure that the local…

Occasional Job Creation Failure

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Known Issues and Workarounds » Windows Server 2016 Specific Issues » Occasional Job Creation Failure

Occasionally, new job creation on Windows 2016 systems can fail. If this occurs, retry the create.

Remove DataKeeper Storage from a Windows Server Failover Cluster Role

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » FAQs » Remove DataKeeper Storage from a Windows Server Failover Cluster Role

To remove an existing DataKeeper Resource/Mirror from Windows Server Failover Clustering: Without impacting the existing role in WSFC, i.e. File Shares, SAP, Oracle, SQL Without having to run various emcmd commands, e.g. deletelocalmirroronly,…

Inability to Create a Mirror

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » FAQs » Inability to Create a Mirror

Question Why can’t I create a mirror? Answer The common cause of this problem is that the volume on either source or target is in use by another process. Stop the process that is accessing the volume and try again. The SIOS DataKeeper software requires…

Creation of iSCSI Virtual Disks

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Using Microsoft iSCSI Target With DataKeeper on Windows 2012 » Creation of iSCSI Virtual Disks

Perform the following on the primary server, wherever the iSCSI Target server is online at the moment. From Server Manager, navigate to File and Storage Services and select iSCSI. Click on the link “To create an iSCSI virtual disk, start the New iSCSI Virtual Disk…

Secondary Server Failures

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » Administration » Secondary Server Failures

In the event there is a failure affecting the secondary (target) system, the affected mirror is marked Paused. It is necessary to correct the condition that caused the secondary to fail and then resync the volumes. There are no write attempts made to the target after…

Primary Server Shutdown

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » Administration » Primary Server Shutdown

On a graceful shutdown of the source server, all pending writes to the target are completed. This ensures that all data is present on the target system. On an unexpected source server failure, the Intent Log feature eliminates the need to do a full resync after the…

User Interface – Failed to Create Mirror

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Known Issues and Workarounds » User Interface – Failed to Create Mirror

User Interface – Failed to Create Mirror, Event ID 137 Error/Message Failed to create the mirror. Event Id: 137 System Event Log Unable to initialize mirror on the target machine. Volume Device: Source Volume: E Target Machine: 10.17.103.135 Target Volume:…

Using DKCE to Enable Multi-Site File Share Resources with Windows Server 2008R2 WSFC

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Clustering » Using DKCE to Enable Multi-Site File Share Resources with Windows Server 2008R2 WSFC

Use the following procedure to protect File Share resources using SIOS DataKeeper and Microsoft Failover Cluster (WSFC). *IMPORTANT NOTE: DataKeeper Cluster Edition registration with Failover Cluster is automatic and occurs 60 seconds after detecting a Failover…

Connecting to a Server

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Getting Started » Connecting to a Server

Use this dialog to connect to the server of your choice. You may enter the IP address, system NetBIOS name or the full system domain name for the server. Click Connect to select it.

Disconnecting from a Server

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Getting Started » Disconnecting from a Server

Use this dialog to disconnect from a server. You may use this option if you no longer wish to view the server in the Administration Window. From the list of servers, select the server(s) that you wish to disconnect from and click Disconnect.

Changing the Compression Level of an Existing Mirror

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Working With Mirrors » Changing the Compression Level of an Existing Mirror

The compression level of the mirror is set during mirror creation and applies to that specific mirror only. To change the compression level of an existing the mirror, edit the properties of the mirror from within the DataKeeper GUI. Select the mirror and click on…

Running chkdsk on Cluster Volumes during Cluster Volume Online

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Clustering » Running chkdsk on Cluster Volumes during Cluster Volume Online

DataKeeper runs chkdsk on all mirrored volumes prior to the volume being available for use. There is a numeric Cluster Property named DiskRunChkDsk associated with each DataKeeper Volume resource created. DataKeeper now creates a new flag DiskRunChkDsk in Windows…

Safe Creation of a Shared-Storage Volume Resource

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Configuring Mirrors » Safe Creation of a Shared-Storage Volume Resource

DataKeeper allows mirrors to be created on shared volumes where more than one system has access to the same physical storage. The shared volume can be on the source side of the mirror or on the target side. Note: Dynamic disks are not supported with Shared Storage…

Creating the SQL Server FCI

Step by Step SQL Server 2019 FCI in OCI » Creating the SQL Server FCI

Install DataKeeper Cluster Edition Before you can proceed with the next steps, you must install DataKeeper Cluster Edition on SQL1 and SQL2. Download the setup executable and run the DataKeeper setup on both nodes. Refer to the SIOS documentation for specific guidance…

System Event Log – Create Mirror Failed in the GUI

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Known Issues and Workarounds » System Event Log – Create Mirror Failed in the GUI

Error/Message Create Mirror Failed in the GUI. Description This can result if a vmms.exe program is holding on to volume and preventing SIOS DataKeeper from locking it.

User Interface – Shows Only One Side of the Mirror

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Known Issues and Workarounds » User Interface – Shows Only One Side of the Mirror

If the SIOS DataKeeper UI shows a volume as a source and its corresponding target as available or a volume as a target with the corresponding source volume as available, you can use the command line utility to force an update to the SIOS DataKeeper GUI or delete the…

Awareness of Windows Filenames and Directory Names

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » FAQs » Awareness of Windows Filenames and Directory Names

Question Is SIOS DataKeeper aware of Windows filenames and directory names? Answer SIOS DataKeeper is implemented with a Windows kernel mode filter driver that sits above the physical disk driver but below the file system. As a result, the SIOS DataKeeper driver…

Creating Other Server Resource in WSFC

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Clustering » Creating Other Server Resource in WSFC

When creating an Other Server resource in WSFC, you will be prompted for a storage resource (DataKeeper resource) twice. You will check the first one, but do not need to check the second dialog. Click the “checkbox” for the first dialog “Select…

Server Login Accounts and Passwords Must Be Same on Each Server in the Cluster

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Known Issues and Workarounds » Server Login Accounts and Passwords Must Be Same on Each Server in the Cluster

The DataKeeper GUI cannot connect to the target server in a cluster if server Login Accounts and Passwords are different on each server. Error Message An Error Code 1326 will appear in the Application log (Note: The Error Code may also be a 2 with Event ID…

DataKeeper Does Not Support Lowercase Drive Letters as Mirror Endpoint for Jobs

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Known Issues and Workarounds » DataKeeper Does Not Support Lowercase Drive Letters as Mirror Endpoint for Jobs

Lowercase volume letters for jobs in Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ExtMirr\Parameters\Jobs is not compatible with DataKeeper. If the drive letters become lowercase, they will need to be manually changed to uppercase in the registry. If…

Create a Mirror and Rename Job and Delete Job Actions Grayed Out

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » FAQs » Create a Mirror and Rename Job and Delete Job Actions Grayed Out

Question Why are the Create a Mirror, Rename Job and Delete Job actions grayed out? Answer If a node that is part of the job is down, these actions will not be enabled.

Antivirus Software, Malware, etc. Exclusions for DataKeeper for Windows

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Known Issues and Workarounds » Antivirus Software, Malware, etc. Exclusions for DataKeeper for Windows

Description Antivirus software, Malware tools and other system security monitoring tools could interfere with the proper running of DataKeeper and stop DataKeeper from updating a DataKeeper registry key. All of the following should be considered as some can also…

Dangling Sources

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Known Issues and Workarounds » Dangling Sources

Mirror Broken – Notification Icon Indicates “dangling sources”, GUI shows Red X Solution By default, Windows configures virtual memory so that page files are automatically created on volumes as the Operating System determines is best. This Virtual…

Split-Brain Issue and Recovery

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Clustering » Split-Brain Issue and Recovery

When protecting DataKeeper volume resources in Microsoft WSFC, if all nodes are included in the cluster split-brain recovery should occur automatically. However, in a Node Outside the Cluster scenario a split-brain may occur if network connectivity is lost to the DR…

WSFC 2016 File Shares Cannot be Created for File Server Role Using Server Manager or Failover Cluster Manager

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Known Issues and Workarounds » Windows Server 2016 Specific Issues » WSFC 2016 File Shares Cannot be Created for File Server Role Using Server Manager or Failover Cluster Manager

Description Once a cluster File Server role is created, neither Server Manager nor Failover Cluster Manager can be used to initially create the share. Suggested Action Microsoft Article 2804526 provides a high level overview of several WSFC Server 2016 issues…

Manual Deployment of a SQL Server Failover Cluster Instance

DataKeeper Cluster Edition in a Cloud Environment » Deploying DataKeeper Cluster Edition in AWS » Manual Deployment of a SQL Server Failover Cluster Instance

*DISCLAIMER: While the following completely covers the high availability portion within the scope of our product, this is a setup “guide” only and should be adapted to your own configuration. *Please refer to the AWS Marketplace for a list of supported…

Step by Step SQL Server 2019 FCI in OCI

Introduction *The steps in this guide are very similar on all currently supported versions of Windows and SQL Server. If you are deploying business-critical applications in Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), it’s crucial to understand and leverage the…

Extending a Single SQL Server Node to a Cluster

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Clustering » Extending a Single SQL Server Node to a Cluster

This guide explains how to install a single SQL Server node and extend it to a clustered node. Please read this document carefully prior to installation. Planning Steps: Start with a Microsoft SQL Server standalone node, where data resides on the C drive. Note:…

Deploying a File Server Failover Cluster Instance using the Azure Portal

DataKeeper Cluster Edition in a Cloud Environment » Configure a File Server Cluster in Azure Spanning Multiple Availability Zones(AZ) » Deploying a File Server Failover Cluster Instance using the Azure Portal

To build a 2-node File Server Failover Cluster Instance in Azure, we are going to assume you have a basic Virtual Network based on Azure Resource Manager and you have at least one virtual machine up and running and configured as a Domain Controller. Once you have a…

Configure a File Server Cluster in Azure Spanning Multiple Availability Zones(AZ)

DataKeeper Cluster Edition in a Cloud Environment » Configure a File Server Cluster in Azure Spanning Multiple Availability Zones(AZ)

This step by step guide contains detailed steps that are required to deploy a 2-node File Server Failover Cluster that spans the new Availability Zones in a single region of Azure. The guide assumes that you have basic knowledge of Azure as well as Failover Clustering.…

How to cluster SAP ASCS and ERS on Windows in AWS using WSFC with SIOS DataKeeper

DataKeeper Cluster Edition in a Cloud Environment » How to cluster SAP ASCS and ERS on Windows in AWS using WSFC with SIOS DataKeeper

Introduction The following is a detailed, step-by-step guide on how to cluster SAP ASCS and ERS running on Windows in the AWS cloud. The examples assume that there are two nodes in the cluster (SIOS1, SIOS2) and each node resides in a different availability zone in…

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Release Notes

SIOS DataKeeper Cluster Edition Release Notes Version 8.11.0 Released June 26, 2025 !IMPORTANT: End of Support for 2012/2012 R2 SIOS has ended support for Microsoft Windows Server 2012/2012 R2 on October 10, 2024. LifeKeeper for Windows Version 8.9.2 is the…

Extending a Traditional 2-Node WSFC SQL Server Cluster to a Third Node via DataKeeper

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Clustering » Extending a Traditional 2-Node WSFC SQL Server Cluster to a Third Node via DataKeeper

When replicating from a WSFC SQL Server 2-node cluster to a third node via DataKeeper, the following tasks are required: Replace the existing WSFC physical disk resource with a DataKeeper volume resource that supports data replication. Change the quorum type to…

Resources cannot Failover after a Target NODE/SYSTEM has been replaced

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Known Issues and Workarounds » Resources cannot Failover after a Target NODE/SYSTEM has been replaced

Error message: Log Name: System Source: Microsoft-Windows-FailoverClustering Date: 2/12/2020 6:14:29 PM Event ID: 1205 Task Category: Resource Control Manager Level: Error Keywords: User: SYSTEM Computer: servername.FQDN Description The Cluster service failed to…

Resources cannot Failover after a Target VOLUME has been replaced

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Known Issues and Workarounds » Resources cannot Failover after a Target VOLUME has been replaced

Description When a target volume is replaced, there is no data on the new target volume. However, DataKeeper will re-establish the mirror when the Source node is able to communicate with the Target, and will perform a partial resync. This results in incomplete and…

Clustering

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Clustering

Running chkdsk on Cluster Volumes during Cluster Volume Online Creating a DataKeeper Volume Resource in WSFC Manual Creation of a Mirror in WSFC DataKeeper Volume Resource Health Check DataKeeper Volume Resource Private Properties Extending a Clustered DataKeeper…

Performance Monitor Counters

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » Understanding Replication » Performance Monitor Counters

SIOS DataKeeper provides counters that extend Performance Monitor with statistics about the status of mirroring on volumes. The counters are installed during the full installation of SIOS DataKeeper software. To access the counters, do the following: On a…

Creating a DataKeeper Volume Resource in WSFC

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Clustering » Creating a DataKeeper Volume Resource in WSFC

Automatic Creation of a Mirror in WSFC Use the SIOS DataKeeper GUI to configure a mirror. At the completion of the mirror creation operation, the following dialog box will pop up which will allow you to automatically add the mirror as a DataKeeper volume…

Most Common DKCE Clustering Solutions

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Solutions » DKCE Common Solutions » Most Common DKCE Clustering Solutions

The following are the most commonly requested clustering related solutions. Perform a Health Check How do I add/register an existing DataKeeper Volume to a cluster? Why has my Role FAILED in WSFC (e.g. SQL, SAP, FileShare, Hyper-V, Generic App)? For…

Access to Designated Volume Denied

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Known Issues and Workarounds » Access to Designated Volume Denied

If access to the designated volume is denied, then check whether you are attempting to create the mirror while other applications are accessing the volume. During Mirror Creation, the volumes must be locked on the target system for exclusive access by the SIOS…

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Quick Start Guide

This topic provides step-by-step instructions for installing and configuring DataKeeper Cluster Edition. The series of steps includes links to the documentation that describe each step in detail. Prerequisites and Installation Read the DataKeeper Cluster Edition…

Extending a Traditional 2-Node Cluster to a Shared-Replicated Configuration

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Clustering » Extending a Traditional 2-Node Cluster to a Shared-Replicated Configuration

Add a Shared Node Using Windows Server 2008R2 or 2012 When using Windows Server 2008R2 or 2012, a 1×1 2-Node replicated cluster using DataKeeper Volumes can be extended to a 2×1 shared and replicated 3-Node cluster by using either of the following…

Most Common DKCE Networking Solutions

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Solutions » DKCE Common Solutions » Most Common DKCE Networking Solutions

The following are the most commonly requested networking related solutions. SIOS DataKeeper Service Will Not Start DataKeeper Service Stopped Unexpectedly Issues/Symptoms: The DataKeeper Service periodically stops. The System Event Viewer will produce the…

FAQs

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » FAQs

Refer to this section for answers to the most frequently asked questions about SIOS DataKeeper and SIOS DataKeeper Cluster Edition. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Add a New Disk / DK…

Most Common DKCE Installation Solutions

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Solutions » DKCE Common Solutions » Most Common DKCE Installation Solutions

The following are the most commonly requested installation related solutions. How do I get and install my license(s)? Where can I get the latest software? (Log into the Customer Portal to access) Why can’t I create a new mirror? Firewall…

Volume Considerations

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » Understanding Replication » Volume Considerations

SIOS DataKeeper primary and secondary systems have three types of volumes: system, non-mirrored and mirrored. During mirroring operations, system and non-mirrored volumes are not affected and the user has full access to all applications and data on these…

Most Common DKCE Storage Solutions

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Solutions » DKCE Common Solutions » Most Common DKCE Storage Solutions

The following are the most commonly requested storage related solutions. Preparing Storage for DataKeeper Usage Preparing Storage for DataKeeper Usage Summary This video explains the procedure for creating/preparing storage for Datakeeper. It also addresses…

Deploying DataKeeper Cluster Edition in Azure

DataKeeper Cluster Edition in a Cloud Environment » Deploying DataKeeper Cluster Edition in Azure

DEPLOYING MICROSOFT SQL SERVER 2017 FAILOVER CLUSTERS IN AZURE RESOURCE MANAGER (ARM) Before beginning, make sure you read the DataKeeper Cluster Edition Release Notes for the latest information. It is highly recommended that you read and understand the DataKeeper…

DKCE Support Matrix

Server Components Supported Operating System v8.9.0 v8.9.1 v8.9.2 v8.10.0 v8.10.1 v8.10.2 v8.11.0 Note: The operating system versions listed above are supported for guests running on the following…

DataKeeper GUI (SDRSnapIn) Message Catalog

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Message Catalogs » DataKeeper GUI (SDRSnapIn) Message Catalog

Use Control F to search for a specific error code. Code Severity Message Cause Action 0 Error SDRDataKeeperService: Mirror creation failed, rolling back the job endpoint. 0 Warning…

DataKeeper Target Snapshot

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » DataKeeper Target Snapshot

Overview *The TAKESNAPSHOT command does not work with mirrors that have different drive letters. DataKeeper’s target snapshot feature, integrated with both DataKeeper and DataKeeper Cluster Edition, is the process of creating point in time copies of replicated…

Solutions

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Solutions

- Cloud Environment - How to properly use AWS instance storage (ephemeral storage/disk) If SIOS AMIs are not being deployed on an AWS server, these disk initialization steps must be considered. This was introduced with Windows 2016 and continues in later…

Error Messages Log

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » FAQs » Error Messages Log

Question Where does DataKeeper log error messages? Answer DataKeeper events are logged in the Windows Application Event Log and the Windows System Event Log. Here is a breakdown of the messages you can look for. Application Event Log: Source = ExtMirrSvc –…

DataKeeper Driver (ExtMirr) Message Catalog

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Message Catalogs » DataKeeper Driver (ExtMirr) Message Catalog

Use Control F to search for a specific error code. Code Severity Message Cause Action 1 Info The SteelEye DataKeeper driver version 7.0 has started successfully. 2 Error The…

Resynchronization

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » Understanding Replication » Resynchronization

SIOS DataKeeper Resynchronization SIOS DataKeeper performs resynchronization through the use of a bitmap file (intent log). It allocates memory that is used to keep track of “dirty” or “clean” blocks. When a full resync begins, SIOS DataKeeper…

DataKeeper Notification Icon

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » DataKeeper Notification Icon

Mirror Status Notification The DataKeeper Notification Icon is an application that will show a summary of your DataKeeper mirrors in the Windows Notification Tray. The icon displayed indicates what conditions have been detected, with the following priority. Error:…

Best Practices

DataKeeper Cluster Edition in a Cloud Environment » Deploying DataKeeper Cluster Edition in AWS » Best Practices

The following recommendations should be followed for optimal performance. They include considerations specific to both the Windows operating system and AWS Cloud configuration. The primary component of SIOS DataKeeper is an upper filter volume driver. This driver…

High-Speed Storage Best Practices

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » Configuration » High-Speed Storage Best Practices

Configure Bitmaps If the DataKeeper default bitmap location (%ExtMirrBase%\Bitmaps) is not located on high-speed storage, you should move the bitmaps to a high-speed storage device in order to eliminate I/O bottlenecks with bitmap access. To do this, allocate a small…

Network Bandwidth

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » Configuration » Network Bandwidth

Because DataKeeper can replicate data across any available network, special consideration must be given to the question, “Is there sufficient bandwidth to successfully replicate the volume and keep the mirror in the mirroring state as the source volume is updated…

Known Issues and Workarounds

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Known Issues and Workarounds

Included below are known issues open against DataKeeper and DataKeeper Cluster Edition as well as possible workarounds and/or solutions. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Access to…

How to create a DK Replicated Volume that has Multiple Targets via CLI

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Clustering » How to create a DK Replicated Volume that has Multiple Targets via CLI

The environment in this example looks like this: PRIMARY (10.0.2.100) – in AZ1 SECONDARY (10.0.3.100) – in AZ2 DR (10.0.1.10) – in a different Region *The Goals: • To create a synchronous mirror from PRIMARY to SECONDARY and an…

ReadOnly Host Caching

DataKeeper Cluster Edition in a Cloud Environment » Deploying DataKeeper Cluster Edition in Azure » ReadOnly Host Caching

According to this Microsoft article, caching is not recommended on disks hosting SQL/Server log files. If the workload is heavily utilizing the underlying disks (any other application than SQL/Server), disk caching should also be set to none. Please refer to…

Registry Entries

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » Administration » Registry Entries

The following registry entries are associated with the SIOS DataKeeper service or driver and can be viewed and edited using Regedt32. *No values in any DataKeeper registry key should be modified unless they are listed here. *Lowercase volume letters for jobs in…

New-DataKeeperMirror

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » Using DKPwrShell with SIOS DataKeeper » New-DataKeeperMirror

This cmdlet is used to create a new DataKeeper mirror. Mirrors created with this cmdlet will be visible in the DataKeeper SnapIn (Reports > Server Overview). If a job exists that includes information that matches this mirror (systems, IP Addresses, Volumes, and Sync…

CHKDSK

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Restrictions » CHKDSK

If you must run CHKDSK on a volume that is being replicated by SIOS DataKeeper, it is recommended that you PAUSE the mirror before initiating the CHKDSK. After running CHKDSK, CONTINUE the mirror. A partial resync occurs (updating those writes generated by the CHKDSK)…

DataKeeper Service (ExtMirrSvc) Message Catalog

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Message Catalogs » DataKeeper Service (ExtMirrSvc) Message Catalog

Use Control F to search for a specific error code. Code Severity Message Cause/Action 17 Info The SIOS DataKeeper Service version %1 is starting. 18 Warning The SIOS DataKeeper Service has been…

Deleting a Job

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Working With Jobs » Deleting a Job

Select the job in the left Console Tree pane of the main DataKeeper window. You can select Delete Job from the Actions pane or right-click on the selected job and choose Delete Job from the menu that displays. Select Yes to delete the selected job and…

Components

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » Components

DataKeeper Components SIOS DataKeeper for Windows is comprised of the following components: DataKeeper Driver (ExtMirr.sys) – The DataKeeper Driver is a kernel mode driver and is responsible for all mirroring activity between the mirror…

Deploy an Active Directory Domain Controller in Azure

DataKeeper Cluster Edition in a Cloud Environment » Configure a File Server Cluster in Azure Spanning Multiple Availability Zones(AZ) » Deploy an Active Directory Domain Controller in Azure

Deploy a Virtual Machine that will work as a Domain Controller for the cluster that is going to be deployed. This step can be skipped if there is a Domain Controller already configured. *This Virtual Machine running a Domain Controller should be in a different…

Installing Core

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Installation Guide » Installation » Installing Core

Installing the DataKeeper Cluster Edition Core Software SIOS DataKeeper Cluster Edition uses the Flexera InstallShield product to provide a standard installation interface. A license must be obtained and installed for each server in the cluster. We recommend that you…

User Interface

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Interface

SIOS DataKeeper User Interface The SIOS DataKeeper User Interface uses a standard MMC snap-in interface. The left pane displays the Console Tree view. This includes the Jobs and Reports. Currently, there are two reports available – Job Overview and Server…

Summary

Step by Step SQL Server 2019 FCI in OCI » Summary

This technical guide provides a comprehensive overview of setting up a SQL Server 2019 Failover Cluster Instance (FCI) in Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). It begins by highlighting the importance of understanding OCI’s availability SLAs, which differ based on…

Using SIOS DataKeeper Standard Edition To Provide Disaster Recovery For Hyper-V Virtual Machines

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Using SIOS DataKeeper Standard Edition To Provide Disaster Recovery For Hyper-V Virtual Machines

Considerations When preparing a Hyper-V environment that spans subnets, subnetting may need to be taken into consideration for any applications that are running inside the virtual machine. Some applications “hard code” IP addresses into their…

DataKeeper Service Log On ID and Password Selection

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » Components » DataKeeper Service Log On ID and Password Selection

During a new DataKeeper installation setup, the user will be prompted for a DataKeeper Service Log On ID and Password. The DataKeeper Service uses authenticated connections to perform volume switchovers and make mirror role changes across multiple servers. The Log On…

Replacing a Target

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Working With Mirrors » Replacing a Target

When replacing the target volume, you must delete the mirror in order to ensure a full resync of the data from the source volume to the target volume when the target volume is back in place. Deleting the mirror discontinues replication altogether removing the mirror…

Using DataKeeper Cluster Edition to Enable Multi-Site Hyper-V Clusters

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Clustering » Using DataKeeper Cluster Edition to Enable Multi-Site Hyper-V Clusters

Prerequisite Familiarity with Microsoft Windows Server, Microsoft Windows Failover Cluster Server Management and Hyper-V Virtual Management procedures and commands is highly recommended. Note: DataKeeper ClusterCluster Edition does not support Cluster Shared Volumes;…

AWS Cross Region Support

DataKeeper Cluster Edition in a Cloud Environment » Deploying DataKeeper Cluster Edition in AWS » AWS Cross Region Support

Step By Step Configuring Amazon Ec2 For Business Critical Applications The diagram above generally shows an active/source node (in green) synchronously replicating to a passive node, both existing in the same region (Region A). Synchronous replication can also be…

Read and Write Operations

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » Understanding Replication » Read and Write Operations

After the volume mirror is created and the two drives on the primary and secondary servers are synchronized, the following events occur: The system locks out all user access to the target volume; reads and writes are not allowed to the target volume. The source…

Switchover and Failover with Multiple Targets

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Configuring Mirrors » Switchover and Failover with Multiple Targets

In a multiple target configuration, it is important to understand how DataKeeper mirrors will work in the following scenarios: Manual switchover to a target server Source server failure followed by a manual switchover to a target server Example: In the…

Relocation of Intent Log

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » Understanding Replication » Relocation of Intent Log

To relocate the Intent Log (bitmap file), please perform the following on all servers involved: *LEAVE THE MIRROR IN THE MIRRORING STATE! Do not pause it and then move the bitmap file. *Note: DataKeeper only supports bitmaps on NTFS filesystems. If the bitmaps…

CREATEMIRROR

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » Using EMCMD with SIOS DataKeeper » CREATEMIRROR

EMCMD CREATEMIRROR [options] This command creates a mirror between two machines, using the same drive letter on each. *If the CREATEMIRROR command is executed in a shared storage configuration, the configuration mask must be updated using the SETCONFIGURATION…

MaxResyncPasses Value

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Known Issues and Workarounds » MaxResyncPasses Value

If, during a volume resynchronization, the number of passes made through the intent log exceeds the MaxResyncPasses registry value (200 by default), SIOS DataKeeper logs a message to the Event Log indicating that the resync process is taking too many passes and…

Mirroring with Dynamic Disks

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Known Issues and Workarounds » Mirroring with Dynamic Disks

When changing from a Basic Disk to a Dynamic Disk, the underlying volume GUID may be changed by the OS upon reboot. This will cause a DataKeeper mirror to break. Suggested Action When mirroring with dynamic disks, your dynamic volumes should be created and a reboot…

Video Solutions

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Solutions » Video Solutions

Frequently Asked Questions How do you resize a Volume? Summary: ISSUE: How do you resize a Datakeeper Volume? DataKeeper allows users to extend and shrink their DataKeeper volumes dynamically while retaining mirror settings. Once the resize is complete, a…