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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. …

Bitlocker Does Not Support DataKeeper

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Restrictions » Bitlocker Does Not Support DataKeeper

According to Microsoft, Bitlocker is not supported to work with Software RAID configurations. Since DataKeeper is essentially a software RAID 1, Microsoft does not support Bitlocker working with DataKeeper. * EFS (Encrypting File System) , *TDE (Transparent Disk…

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…

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…

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…

Installation of the iSCSI Target

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

From the Server Manager menu, select “Add Roles and Features” from the “Manage” drop-down. Select the “Role-based or feature-based installation” option. From the list of servers presented, select the appropriate server. On the…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Product Support Schedule

For customers under an annual support agreement, SIOS Technology provides full support for its products for three years from their General Availability date. This support period is extended in situations where simple upgrade paths do not exist to later versions of SIOS…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Stop Replication Between Source and Target

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » FAQs » Stop Replication Between Source and Target

Question How do I stop the replication between the Source and Target volumes? Answer Replication occurs at the driver level and can only be stopped or interrupted by sending a command from the DataKeeper GUI or the DataKeeper command line (EMCMD) to the DataKeeper…

Reclaim Full Capacity of Target Drive

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » FAQs » Reclaim Full Capacity of Target Drive

Question How do I reclaim the full capacity of my target drive when I no longer need it for mirroring? Answer The file system on the target drive is overlaid by SIOS DataKeeper, thereby making it smaller than the actual partition size. Although Disk Management…

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.

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…

DataKeeper Volume Not Available as Cluster Resource Type

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Known Issues and Workarounds » DataKeeper Volume Not Available as Cluster Resource Type

WSFC Server – The DataKeeper Volume is Not Available as a Cluster Resource Type After DataKeeper is Installed in a Microsoft WSFC Environment Error/Message The DataKeeper Volume is not available as a cluster resource type after DataKeeper is installed in a…

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…

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…

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…

Add a New Disk / DK Volume to an Existing Clustered SQL Role

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » FAQs » Add a New Disk / DK Volume to an Existing Clustered SQL Role

When adding an additional disk to an existing cluster, the dependency relationship must be verified and configured manually based on the following requirements: The IP Address and the Disk Resource/DataKeeper Volume do not depend on anything The SQL Network Name…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

User Guide

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide

The topics in this section are designed to be a reference for you as you get started using SIOS DataKeeper Cluster Edition, helping you identify the type of configuration you are interested in implementing and providing detailed instructions for effectively using your…

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…

Disk-to-Disk

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Getting Started » Disk-to-Disk

This is a simple one server, two disks configuration, mirroring Volume X on Server A to Volume Y on Server A. The volumes that are used for Disk-to-Disk replication can’t also be configured to replicate to another system. *Disk to Disk does not support mirrors…

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…

DataKeeper Volume Resize

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Working With Mirrors » DataKeeper Volume Resize

DataKeeper allows users to extend and shrink their DataKeeper volumes dynamically while retaining mirror settings. Once the resize is complete, a partial resync will be performed. Note: This resize procedure should be performed on only one volume at a time. !WARNING …

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…

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;…

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…

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 Intent Log files on AWS Ephemeral Storage

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » DataKeeper Intent Log files on AWS Ephemeral Storage

DataKeeper systems that are running on AWS instances which are configured with local instance storage (i.e. ephemeral disks) can use the instance storage to store DataKeeper intent log files (i.e. bitmap files). It is important to be sure that when using AWS ephemeral…

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 Mirrors With Shared Volumes

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Configuring Mirrors » Creating Mirrors With Shared Volumes

In order to properly configure DataKeeper in a shared volume configuration, use the DataKeeper GUI to connect to all systems where the shared volumes are configured. When connected, the DataKeeper GUI uses hardware signatures to automatically detect which volumes are…

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…

Install DataKeeper

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

After the cluster is created, DataKeeper is installed. It is important to install DataKeeper after the initial cluster is created so the custom cluster resource type can be registered with the cluster. If you installed DataKeeper before the cluster was created you will…

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…

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…

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…

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…

IMPORTANT NOTICE

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Release Notes » IMPORTANT NOTICE

During a review of the current releases of LifeKeeper for Windows and DataKeeper Cluster Edition, we discovered a memory leak issue in ExtMirrSvc.exe within DataKeeper. This issue is limited to LifeKeeper for Windows and DataKeeper versions 8.8.0 and…

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation

DataKeeper with High Availability – Cluster Edition Overview SIOS DataKeeper is a highly optimized host-based replication solution which ensures your data is replicated as quickly and as efficiently as possible from your source server across the network to one…

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…

Unexpected Order of the Upper Filters List May Cause Inability to Boot or Inability to Create Page Files

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Known Issues and Workarounds » Unexpected Order of the Upper Filters List May Cause Inability to Boot or Inability to Create Page Files

Description If the Upper Filters registry key has the Upper filters listed in any order that does not have ExtMirr last, problems can occur. On Windows Server 2022, the server will not be able to boot. On Windows Server 2025, the server will not be able to create page…

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…

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…

Network Adapter Settings

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » Configuration » Network Adapter Settings

*DataKeeper supports SMB1, SMB2 and SMB3, however the Transparent Failover feature which became available in SMB3 is NOT supported. !These paths may not work for some platforms (Windows 2012 R2, 2016, 2019), but to ensure the GUI operates properly be sure to have…

Sector Size

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » Configuration » Sector Size

Beginning with DataKeeper Version 7.2.1, disks with sector size not equal to 512 bytes are supported. However, DataKeeper requires that the mirror source volume be configured on disk(s) whose sector size is the same as the disk(s) where the mirror target is configured.…

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…

Network Disconnect

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » FAQs » Network Disconnect

Scenario #1 In a 2-Node, non-clustering configuration (1×1) replicating a 100TB volume between Source server and Target server over a WAN connection, the network goes down for twenty minutes. Question In this scenario, what would happen to the Mirror State with…

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…

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…

GETMIRRORVOLINFO

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

EMCMD GETMIRRORVOLINFO This command provides a very terse output of the state of mirror. The command GETMIRRORVOLINFO can return multiple lines of output (one per target). It provides essentially the same information as the GETVOLUMEINFO command does. The…

Firewall Configurations

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » Configuration » Firewall Configurations

SIOS DataKeeper cannot function properly if the firewall settings for the source and target machines are not configured correctly. This means you will need to configure a rule for inbound and outbound connections on each server running SIOS DataKeeper as well as any…

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…

TAKESNAPSHOT

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

*The TAKESNAPSHOT command does not work with mirrors that have different drive letters. EMCMD TAKESNAPSHOT […] This command, run on the target system, will notify DataKeeper to establish a snapshot of the given volume(s) on the given system. If no snapshot…

How to Obtain a License

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Installation Guide » About DataKeeper Licensing » How to Obtain a License

Obtaining and Installing the License Activating Your License The final screen of the InstallShield installation utility displays the Host ID of your server. The Host ID, along with the Entitlement ID (Authorization Code) that was provided with your DataKeeper…

AWS Issues and Workarounds

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » FAQs » AWS Issues and Workarounds

Question What is the best practice for shutting down clustered VMs in AWS? Answer If shutting down the primary source node, all cluster roles depending on a SIOS DataKeeper Volume Resource should be placed in the Offline state. Also make sure all mirrors are in the…

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…

DKHEALTHCHECK

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » Administration » DKHEALTHCHECK

DKHealthCheck.exe, found in the \DKTools directory, is a tool that can provide basic mirror status and problem detection of mirror issues. SIOS Support may request that you run this tool as part of the Support process. Note: DKHEALTHCHECK output is captured by…

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…

Non-mirrored Volume Resource

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Clustering » Non-mirrored Volume Resource

A non-mirrored volume resource is a DataKeeper resource where no data is replicated to any node in the cluster. This resource type should only be used where the data is temporary and/or non-critical such as MS SQL Server tempdb space. In this case, when MS SQL restarts…

Upgrading SIOS DataKeeper Cluster Edition

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Installation Guide » Upgrading SIOS DataKeeper Cluster Edition

!Before upgrading to v8.11.0 or v10.0, see this Known Issue. !Before upgrading from v8.10.2 to v10.0 or v8.11.0 to v10.0, see this Known Issue. Upgrading DataKeeper Cluster Edition from previous versions of DataKeeper Cluster Edition is very straightforward. Simply…

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…

Adding a Shared System

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » User Guide » Working With Shared Volumes » Adding a Shared System

To add a shared system to either the source or target side of a mirror, you must be connected to that system. You can connect to the system prior to starting the Manage Shared Volumes dialog, or you can click Connect to Server from within the dialog. In either case,…

Using Disk Management

DataKeeper Cluster Edition Technical Documentation » Administration » Using Disk Management

When using the Windows Disk Management utility to access SIOS DataKeeper volumes, please note the following: Using Disk Management to delete partitions that are being mirrored is not supported. Deleting a partition that is part of a SIOS DataKeeper mirror will yield…

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…

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…

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…

CLEARSWITCHOVER

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

EMCMD CLEARSWITCHOVER This command should be run on a target system where a mirror has been previously deleted with the DELETELOCALMIRRORONLY command and now needs to be re-established. This command clears the SIOS DataKeeper switchover flag that is set for a volume…

New-DataKeeperJob

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

This cmdlet is used to create a DataKeeper job consisting of two nodes. Jobs created using this cmdlet will be added to the DataKeeper SnapIn the next time it is loaded. Parameters Parameter Type Required Position Notes JobName …