Search - LifeKeeper for Windows LIVE

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Quick Start Guide

This topic provides step-by-step instructions for installing and configuring the SIOS Protection Suite (SPS) for Windows. SIOS Protection Suite is a software bundle that includes DataKeeper (DK), LifeKeeper (LK) and the optional SIOS Protection Suite…

DataKeeper User Guide

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper User Guide

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

DataKeeper

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper

Your information resource for SIOS DataKeeper Cluster Edition SIOS Technology Corp. maintains documentation for all supported versions of SIOS DataKeeper Cluster Edition. We welcome your suggestions and feedback. To help us continue to improve our documentation,…

User Guide

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » User Guide

The User Guide is a complete, searchable resource containing detailed information on the many tasks that can be performed within the LifeKeeper GUI. The User Guide is broken up into the following areas: LifeKeeper GUI – These topics give an overview and…

DataKeeper Troubleshooting

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper Troubleshooting

The topics in this section contain important information about known issues and restrictions offering possible workarounds and/or solutions. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Known Issues…

DataKeeper Configuration

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper Configuration

Requirements/Considerations The topics in this section identify several prerequisites to be aware of before implementing your DataKeeper configuration. Sector Size Network Bandwidth Network Adapter Settings DataKeeper Service Log On ID and Password…

DataKeeper Administration

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper Administration

The topics in this section provide detailed instructions for performing DataKeeper administration tasks. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DataKeeper…

DataKeeper Components

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » Introduction » 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 endpoints. DataKeeper Service…

DataKeeper Volume Resize

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper 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 …

DataKeeper Notification Icon

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper User Guide » DataKeeper Notification Icon

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: An error condition, such as…

DataKeeper Target Snapshot

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper User Guide » DataKeeper Target Snapshot

Overview DataKeeper’s target snapshot feature, integrated with both DataKeeper and DataKeeper Cluster Edition, is the process of creating point in time copies of replicated volumes allowing access to data on a standby cluster node without interrupting data…

DataKeeper Volume Resize Restriction

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Restrictions » DataKeeper Volume Resize Restriction

The DataKeeper volume resize procedure should be performed on only one volume at a time.

SIOS DataKeeper Intent Log

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » Introduction » Understanding Replication » SIOS DataKeeper Intent Log

SIOS DataKeeper uses an intent log (also referred to as a bitmap file) to track changes made to the source, or to target volume during times that the target is unlocked. This log is a persistent record of write requests which have not yet been committed to both…

DataKeeper Event Log Notification

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper Administration » DataKeeper Event Log Notification

The Event Log notification is a mechanism by which one or more users may receive email notices when certain events occur. The Windows Event Log can be set up to provide notifications of certain DataKeeper events that get logged. *Note: This option is only available…

Setting Up SIOS DataKeeper

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper User Guide » Setting Up SIOS DataKeeper » Setting Up SIOS DataKeeper

Setting Up SIOS DataKeeper Follow these steps to start using SIOS DataKeeper: Connect to the servers you wish to configure for replication. You can select Connect to Server from the Action pull down menu, right-click on the job folder in the left panel tree…

Setting Up SIOS DataKeeper

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper User Guide » Setting Up SIOS DataKeeper

Follow these steps to start using SIOS DataKeeper: Connect to the servers you wish to configure for replication. You can select Connect to Server from the Action pull down menu, right-click on the job folder in the left panel tree display and select Connect to…

SQLAgent Service Fails to Start

Application Recovery Kits » SIOS Protection Suite Microsoft SQL Server Recovery Kit Introduction » Troubleshooting » SQLAgent Service Fails to Start

SQLAgent Service Fails to Start Sometimes for Named Instances Symptom: On named instances of Microsoft SQL Server where SIOS Protection Suite is protecting the SQLAgent service, when the resource is originally brought in service, a SQL problem prevents this service…

SIOS Protection Suite Installation Guide

The topics in this Installation Guide will assist in defining your SIOS Protection Suite cluster environment. Once your requirements have been determined and your SIOS Protection Suite configuration has been mapped, these topics will assist you in setting up, licensing…

Bitlocker Does Not Support DataKeeper

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » 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. Note: EFS (Encrypting File System) and TDE (Transparent Disk…

Using DKPwrShell with SIOS DataKeeper

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper Administration » Using DKPwrShell with SIOS DataKeeper

SIOS DataKeeper includes a powershell module (DKPwrShell) that allows a user to manipulate a DataKeeper mirror using Microsoft Powershell. Commands are passed to a SIOS DataKeeper service and will fail if the service is not running. With Microsoft Powershell v3 or…

Using EMCMD with SIOS DataKeeper

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper Administration » Using EMCMD with SIOS DataKeeper

The EMCMD utility that ships with SIOS DataKeeper provides users with a command line method to manipulate the mirror. Because these scripts run in situations where the “normal” validation rules may not apply, EMCMD does not perform the same kinds of sanity…

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…

LifeKeeper Single Server Protection for Windows Installation Guide

LifeKeeper Single Server Protection for Windows » LifeKeeper Single Server Protection for Windows Installation Guide

About LifeKeeper Single Server Protection for Windows LifeKeeper Single Server Protection (SSP) allows for application monitoring in a single node configuration (i.e., no cluster requirements or restraints). Single node environments may be physical or virtual…

DataKeeper Volume Not Available as Cluster Resource Type

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » 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…

DataKeeper Service Log On ID and Password Selection

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper Configuration » 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…

DataKeeper Service Log On ID and Password Selection

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » Introduction » DataKeeper 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…

Modifying Quick Check Interval, Deep Check Interval and Local Recovery

Application Recovery Kits » SIOS Protection Suite Microsoft Internet Information Services Recovery Kit Introduction » IIS Hierarchy Administration » Modifying Quick Check Interval, Deep Check Interval and Local Recovery

The default values for the quick check interval, deep check interval and local recovery may be modified after the resource has been placed under LifeKeeper protection by using the LifeKeeper GUI. To change the default values, right-click on the resource and select the…

Start and Stop PostgreSQL Server Only Through SIOS Protection Suite

Application Recovery Kits » SIOS Protection Suite PostgreSQL Server Recovery Kit Introduction » PostgreSQL Server Hierarchy Administration » Start and Stop PostgreSQL Server Only Through SIOS Protection Suite

Although most of the administrative tasks for the PostgreSQL Server are done through the PostgreSQL tools, starting and stopping of the PostgreSQL Server should not be one of them: Consistent state – When SIOS Protection Suite stops and starts the PostgreSQL…

Start and Stop SQL Server Only Through SIOS Protection Suite

Application Recovery Kits » SIOS Protection Suite Microsoft SQL Server Recovery Kit Introduction » SQL Server Hierarchy Administration » Start and Stop SQL Server Only Through SIOS Protection Suite

Although much of your administration of the Microsoft SQL Server is done through the Microsoft SQL Enterprise Manager, you derive two distinct benefits from bringing the Microsoft SQL Server in service and out of service using the SIOS Protection Suite administration…

Using Microsoft iSCSI Target With DataKeeper on Windows 2012

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper 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. …

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

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper 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…

Installing and Configuring IIS with LifeKeeper

Application Recovery Kits » SIOS Protection Suite Microsoft Internet Information Services Recovery Kit Introduction » Installation » Installing and Configuring IIS with LifeKeeper

Before proceeding, you should have already configured your storage and networking according to the recommendations in the previous chapters of this guide. Installation Checklist The installation and setup sequence should be performed in the following order (more…

Hyper-V Host Cluster Error

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Known Issues and Workarounds » Hyper-V Host Cluster Error

Failover Cluster Error After Changing Virtual Machine Configuration While VM Is Clustered Description If Failover Cluster Manager is used to modify the VM configuration while the VM is clustered such as adding a Network Interface to the VM, “Refresh Virtual…

Before Installing Oracle

Application Recovery Kits » SIOS Protection Suite Oracle Recovery Kit Introduction » Installation » Before Installing Oracle

Before you install the Oracle software, the servers and storage must be configured and LifeKeeper must be installed on each server in the cluster. By doing so, you can then install Oracle onto a volume that is already LifeKeeper-protected. Replicated Storage…

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Release Notes

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Release Notes Version 8.7.0 (Version 8 Update 7) Released November 22, 2019 !IMPORTANT: If using Windows 2008 R2 SIOS DataKeeper includes a kernel-mode driver (ExtMirr.sys) which is signed…

Installation – Replicated Storage Systems

Application Recovery Kits » SIOS Protection Suite Microsoft SQL Server Recovery Kit Introduction » SQL Server Installation » Installation – Replicated Storage Systems

On the Primary Server Use the Windows Disk Management tool to configure your disk resources and define the replicated volumes that you want to use. (Be sure the volume size is adequate.) It is recommended that you use Windows Explorer to unshare from the network…

Changing the Network Interface Card (NIC)

Application Recovery Kits » SIOS Protection Suite Microsoft Internet Information Services Recovery Kit Introduction » IIS Hierarchy Administration » Changing the Network Interface Card (NIC)

The procedure for changing the Network Interface Card (NIC) will interrupt the web service. The basic reason for this is that the LifeKeeper IP hierarchy data includes the NIC model number. That piece of data cannot easily be changed, so the procedure is to remove and…

Upgrading SIOS Protection Suite

SIOS Protection Suite Installation Guide » Installing SIOS Protection Suite » Upgrading SIOS Protection Suite

You may upgrade from previous versions of SIOS Protection Suite for Windows while preserving your resource hierarchies and mirrors by using the procedure below. Upgrade Procedure The following scenario illustrates the upgrade process when upgrading both LifeKeeper…

Manual Creation of a Mirror in WSFC

Creating a DataKeeper Volume Resource in WSFC » Manual Creation of a Mirror in WSFC

Wait until the mirrors are in the Mirroring state. Create an Empty Application. Open the Microsoft Windows Failover Cluster GUI Right-click on Services and Applications (in Windows 2012, right-click on Roles) Expand More Actions (not in Windows…

Mirror Creation and Cluster Configuration

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper 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…

Safe Creation of a Shared-Storage Volume Resource

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper 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…

Installing Core

SIOS Protection Suite Installation Guide » Installing SIOS Protection Suite » Installing Core

Installing the SIOS Protection Suite Core Software SIOS Protection Suite 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 read the SIOS…

Switchover and Failover with Multiple Targets

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper 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…

User Interface – Shows Only One Side of the Mirror

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » 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…

Creating Mirrors With Shared Volumes

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper 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…

Firewall Configurations

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper 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…

User Interface – Failed to Create Mirror

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » 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 Disk Management

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper 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…

Creating a Generic Application Resource Hierarchy

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » Administration » Working With Resource Hierarchies » Creating Resource Hierarchies » Creating a Generic Application Resource Hierarchy

Use this option to protect an application that has no associated recovery kit. Before Creating a Resource Hierarchy The first task is to create scripts for the five basic SIOS Protection Suite action functions: • Restore • Remove • Quick…

Network Adapter Settings

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper Configuration » Network Adapter Settings

DataKeeper requires that “File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks” be enabled on the network interfaces to make a NAMED PIPE connection and be able to run DataKeeper’s command line tool (EMCMD). To test if you can make a Named Pipe connection,…

Break

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper User Guide » Working With Mirrors » Break

Breaking a mirror is similar to the Pause and Unlock function. It suspends mirror operation and unlocks the target volume for read/write access. The difference is that the Break operation marks all bits in the DataKeeper Intent Log as dirty, which forces a full…

Creating Mirrors With Multiple Targets

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper User Guide » Configuring Mirrors » Creating Mirrors With Multiple Targets

SIOS DataKeeper provides the ability to replicate data from a single source volume to one or more target volumes. In addition, DataKeeper also allows you to switch over control and make any of the target volumes become the source. Assuming you have already created a…

Renaming a Job

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper User Guide » Working With Jobs » Renaming a Job

Select the job in the left Console Tree pane of the main DataKeeper window. You can select Rename Job from the Actions pane or right-click on the selected job and choose Rename Job from the menu that displays. Enter the new Job Name and new Job…

Deleting a Job

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper 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…

Silent Installation of SIOS Protection Suite

SIOS Protection Suite Installation Guide » Installing SIOS Protection Suite » Silent Installation of SIOS Protection Suite

*Note: To perform the silent installation for SIOS Protection Suite for Windows, you must contact Support to get separate LifeKeeper and DataKeeper installation files. You can install SIOS Protection Suite for Windows silently through the use of the -silent command…

GETSERVICEINFO

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper Administration » Using EMCMD with SIOS DataKeeper » GETSERVICEINFO

EMCMD GETSERVICEINFO This command retrieves version and other information about the SIOS DataKeeper service and driver that is running on the specified machine. The parameters are: This can be either the source or the target systems. Sample…

Event Log Considerations

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper Administration » Event Log Considerations

It is important that SIOS DataKeeper be able to write to the Event Log. You should ensure that the Event Log does not become full. One way to accomplish this is to set the Event Log to overwrite events as needed: Open the Event Log. Right-click on System Log…

Continue and Lock

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper User Guide » Working With Mirrors » Continue and Lock

This action locks the volume on the target system and then resumes the mirroring process. While the mirror is paused, writes on the source system are recorded in the SIOS DataKeeper Intent Log. When the Continue and Lock operation occurs, these changed blocks –…

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

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » 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…

Uninstalling SIOS Protection Suite for Windows

SIOS Protection Suite Installation Guide » Installing SIOS Protection Suite » Uninstalling SIOS Protection Suite for Windows

Before Removing LifeKeeper Included below are the requirements for removing LifeKeeper software. Move or stop applications. Before removing the software, verify that applications requiring SIOS Protection Suite protection are not on the server. Never remove…

Uninstalling SPS for Windows

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » User Guide » Maintenance Tasks » Uninstalling SPS for Windows

Before Removing LifeKeeper Included below are the requirements for removing LifeKeeper software. Move or stop applications. Before removing the software, verify that applications requiring SIOS Protection Suite protection are not on the server. Never remove…

Recovering From a SIOS Protection Suite Server Failure in a 1 × 1 Configuration

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » Troubleshooting » Recovering From a SIOS Protection Suite Server Failure in a 1 × 1 Configuration

If a server in your SIOS Protection Suite cluster experiences a failure that causes re-installation of the operating system (and thus SIOS Protection Suite), you will have to re-extend the resource hierarchies from each server in the cluster. If a server in the cluster…

Setup of iSCSI Initiator on Windows 2012

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper 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…

Network Bandwidth

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper 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…

Additional Setup Tasks for Extended Configurations

Application Recovery Kits » SIOS Protection Suite Microsoft SQL Server Recovery Kit Introduction » SQL Server Installation » Additional Setup Tasks for Extended Configurations

If your configuration uses a shared storage device or you are using SIOS DataKeeper, you may choose a configuration that will be extended to a third (or more) server(s). Configure two systems following the steps given in Installing and Configuring SQL Server with…

Install and Configure SIOS Protection Suite and Recovery Kits

Application Recovery Kits » SIOS Protection Suite Microsoft Internet Information Services Recovery Kit Introduction » Installation » Install and Configure SIOS Protection Suite and Recovery Kits

The next step is to install the SIOS Protection Suite Core, which includes the IP Recovery Kit and Microsoft IIS Recovery Kit, on all servers. See the SIOS Protection Suite Installation topics for details on installing SIOS Protection Suite. You must have the same…

Synchronous and Asynchronous Mirroring

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » Introduction » Understanding Replication » Synchronous and Asynchronous Mirroring

SIOS DataKeeper employs both asynchronous and synchronous mirroring schemes. Understanding the advantages and disadvantages between synchronous and asynchronous mirroring is essential to the correct operation of SIOS DataKeeper. Synchronous Mirroring With synchronous…

Health Check Timeouts

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » Troubleshooting » Health Check Timeouts

SYMPTOM: Occasionally, SIOS Protection Suite is installed on a system that is not performing well. There are tell-tale signs of abnormal system behavior that SIOS Protection Suite can detect such as the health check processes not starting or ending properly. The most…

Initial Synchronization of Data Across the LAN or WAN

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper Configuration » WAN Considerations » Initial Synchronization of Data Across the LAN or WAN

When replicating large amounts of data over a WAN link, it is desirable to avoid full resynchronizations which can consume large amounts of network bandwidth and time. DataKeeper avoids almost all full resyncs by using its bitmap technology. However, the initial…

Performance Monitor Counters

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » Introduction » 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…

Creation of iSCSI Virtual Disks

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper 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…

Changing the Compression Level of an Existing Mirror

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper 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…

Performing CHKDSK on a protected volume

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » User Guide » Maintenance Tasks » Performing CHKDSK on a protected volume

Disk volumes that are under LifeKeeper protection do not have automatic boot-time CHKDSK performed on them. Administrators should occasionally perform CHKDSK on their volumes manually. To do this, follow these instructions: Take all resources that depend on the…

Relocation of Intent Log

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » Introduction » 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. If you have more than one DataKeeper mirror, all mirrors must be moved to be the…

Using Volume Shadow Copy

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » FAQs » Using Volume Shadow Copy

Question Can Volume Shadow Copy (VSS) be Used with DataKeeper Volumes? Answer VSS Shadow Copy can be enabled for DataKeeper volumes. However, the following guidelines apply: VSS snapshot images must not be stored on a DataKeeper volume. Storing VSS snapshots on…

Verifying Network Configuration

SIOS Protection Suite Installation Guide » Setting Up Your SIOS Protection Suite Environment » Verifying Network Configuration

It is important to ensure that your network is configured and working properly before you install SIOS Protection Suite. There are several tasks you should do at this point to verify your network operation: You must ensure that every network interface card (NIC) has…

Error Messages Log

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » 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 –…

Unable to Determine Previous Install Path

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Known Issues and Workarounds » Unable to Determine Previous Install Path

Installation – Fatal Error: Unable to Determine Previous Install Path Error/Message Fatal Error: Unable to determine previous install path. DataKeeper cannot be uninstalled or reinstalled. Description When performing a “Repair” or…

CLEANUPMIRROR

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper Administration » CLEANUPMIRROR

C:\Program Files (x86)\SIOS\DataKeeper\Support>cleanupmirror This command can only be run locally on a node and will remove all remnants of the mirror. When to use: For mirrors that were not removed from WSFC or the DataKeeper GUI To remove mirror remnants…

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…

Using the -proxy option with EMCMD

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper Administration » Using EMCMD with SIOS DataKeeper » Using the -proxy option with EMCMD

All EMCMD requests can be routed through a “proxy” DataKeeper service. To do this, append the options -proxy - to the end of the EMCMD command line. The should be given using the same format as the option. EMCMD will open a connection to the …

Sector Size

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper 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.…

Restrictions

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper Troubleshooting » Restrictions

Included below are restrictions associated with DataKeeper and DataKeeper Cluster Edition as well as possible workarounds and/or solutions. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Bitlocker…

DKSUPPORT

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper Administration » DKSUPPORT

DKSUPPORT .cmd, found in the \SUPPORT directory, is used to collect important configuration information and event log files and put them in a zip file. SIOS Support Engineers will commonly request this zip file as part of the support process. To run this utility,…

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…

High-Speed Storage Best Practices

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper 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…

Resize or Grow Mirrored Volumes

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » FAQs » Resize or Grow Mirrored Volumes

Question Can you resize or grow mirrored volumes? Answer Yes, beginning with Version 7.4, users can extend and shrink their DataKeeper volumes dynamically while retaining mirror settings. See DataKeeper Volume Resize for more information.

Bandwidth Throttle

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper Configuration » WAN Considerations » Bandwidth Throttle

DataKeeper attempts to utilize all of the available network bandwidth. If DataKeeper is sharing the available bandwidth with other applications, you may wish to limit the amount of bandwidth DataKeeper is allowed to use. DataKeeper includes a feature called Bandwidth…

Extensive Write Considerations

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper Administration » Extensive Write Considerations

SIOS DataKeeper allows a volume that is being resynced to be accessed and written to. During Resync, DataKeeper makes multiple passes through the bitmap, synchronizing the data corresponding to each dirty bit found. While this is happening, writes that occur on the…

ins_setchkint

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » Administration » Man Pages » LCDI Instances » ins_setchkint

ins_setchkint [-d destsys] -t tag -c {q=quick|d=deep} -v interval This command modifies the quick check or deep check interval for the resource specified by the tag name “-t”. The interval must be entered in seconds. Examples: To change the quick check…

Awareness of Windows Filenames and Directory Names

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » 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…

Performance Tuning

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper Configuration » Performance Tuning

Please refer to the following topics for ways to improve SIOS DataKeeper performance. SIOS DataKeeper Intent Log – SIOS DataKeeper uses an intent log (also referred to as a bitmap file) to track changes made to the source, or to the target volume when the target…

Core Software

SIOS Protection Suite Installation Guide » Installing SIOS Protection Suite » Core Software

SIOS Protection Suite Core Software The SIOS Protection Suite Core software is available via ftp download. The SIOS Protection Suite Core is comprised of: The basic LifeKeeper software, including: Perl (CPAN v5.8.8) Cygwin 2.8 International version of Adopt…

Access to Designated Volume Denied

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » 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…

DKHEALTHCHECK

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » DataKeeper 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…

Resynchronization

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » Introduction » 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…

Data Transfer Network Protocols

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » FAQs » Data Transfer Network Protocols

Question What are the network protocols used for SIOS DataKeeper Data Transfer? Answer SIOS DataKeeper uses named pipe communication and TCP Sockets.

Set Server Shutdown Strategy

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » Administration » Administrator GUI Tasks » Set Server Shutdown Strategy

The Shutdown Strategy is a configuration option that governs whether or not resources are switched over to a backup server when a server is shut down. The options are: Do Not Switch Over Resources (default) SIOS Protection Suite will not switch over…

Introduction

SIOS Protection Suite for Windows Technical Documentation » DataKeeper » Introduction

SIOS DataKeeper 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 or more target servers. Features Some…

Configuring Your Storage

SIOS Protection Suite Installation Guide » Setting Up Your SIOS Protection Suite Environment » Configuring Your Storage

SIOS Protection Suite may be used with either shared storage or with replicated storage. Follow the instructions that apply to your configuration below. Shared Storage Configuration If you are using shared storage, then after your Windows environment is installed,…