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Updated atDecember 20, 2023   05:58 AM

Installing and configuring Hystax DR

You can set up data recovery and IT infrastructure in case of unforeseen circumstances using the service Hystax Acura Disaster Recovery without suspending applications. Using the service allows you to optimize the indicators:

  • Recovery Point Objective (RPO) — the time between the creation of the last backup and the moment of the accident. It can be configured individually for each resource.
  • Recovery Time Objective (RTO) — the time between the response to an accident and the restoration of infrastructure. The service allows you to minimize this indicator.

After completing all the steps of a instruction, you will:

  1. Deploy the Cloud Disaster Recovery service in VK Cloud.
  2. Install the agent on the VM and perform data replication for it.
  3. Create a backup infrastructure using a backup recovery plan.
  4. Restore the reserved infrastructure in VK Cloud.

By using the Hystax Acura Disaster Recovery service, you agree to the license agreements of Marketplace and Hystax Acura Disaster Recovery.

Preparatory steps

  1. Register at VK Cloud.

  2. Configure two-factor authentication (2FA) for the account on whose behalf the restored infrastructure will be deployed.

  3. Create a VM for which recovery will be applied. As part of the quick start, the Ubuntu-DR VM with the Ubuntu 18.04 operating system will be used.

  4. Connect Hystax Acura Disaster Recovery service.

    Wait for the installation to complete — a link with a username and password will be sent to your email. The service will be deployed at https://dr.mcs-cloud.ru (Hystax Acura personal account).

2. Make data replication

  1. Log in to Hystax Acura personal account using the received username and password.

  2. Click the Install replication agents button.

  3. In the “Agent selection” step, select Linux and click Next.

  4. At the “Agent settings” step, specify the parameters:

    • Machines group: Default.
    • Select target Linux distribution: Debian/Ubuntu (.deb package).
    • Snapshot driver deployment type: DKMS.
  5. Click the Next button.

  6. Install the agent on the target VM, following the instructions for the Ubuntu distribution.

    After installing the VM agent, Ubuntu-DR will appear on the main page of Hystax Acura personal account with Unprotected status.

  7. Expand the Ubuntu-DR VM menu in the Machines Groups list and select the Edit Replication settings option. In the window that opens, specify the parameters:

    • Use custom Replication schedule settings: select an option.
    • Volume availability zone: MS1.
    • Volume type: HDD.
  8. Click the Save button.

  9. Open the Ubuntu-DR VM menu and select the Start Protection option.

  10. Wait for the operation to complete — the VM status will change to Protected.

3. Create a disaster recovery plan

  1. Click the Create DR plan button.

  2. In the Name field, specify the name of the plan DR-plan.

  3. Go to the Expert tab and click Generate DR plan from all machines button.

    A JSON file with the Ubuntu-DR VM will be generated.

  4. Adjust the plan according to the requirements for VM recovery after failures:

    • In the subnet_id parameter, specify the network ID for the Ubuntu-DR VM.
    • In the flavor parameter, specify the name of the VM template, specify it using the openstack flavor list command.

    Detailed description of the parameters in the official documentation Hystax Acura.

  5. Click the Save button.

4. Run the plan

  1. Go to Recover.

  2. Select the DR-plan plan and click Next button.

  3. In the Cloud Site Name field, specify the value VK-Cloud-infra and click Run Recover button.

    The creation of a backup infrastructure will begin.

    • If the process completes successfully, VK-Cloud-infra will appear in the Cloud Site block with Active status.

    • If the process ended with errors, restart it:

      1. In the Cloud Sites block, click the Delete button for the process that failed and confirm the deletion.
      2. In the DR plans block, for the DR-plan plan, click the Edit button.
      3. Make the necessary changes (in basic or expert mode).
      4. Click the Save button.
      5. Restart the plan.

5. Restore infrastructure in VK Cloud

  1. Go to Failback.

  2. In the “Select target cloud type” step, select the OPENSTACK option and click Next button.

  3. At the “Select target environment” step, select the New OpenStack option and specify the parameters:

    • Cloud name: VK Cloud.
    • Keystone API endpoint: Keystone value from endpoints list, https://infra.mail.ru:35357/v3/ for VK Cloud.
    • User domain: value User Domain Name of project settings.
    • Username: user name with API access and a role not lower than the Project administrator.
    • Password: the user's password.
    • Target project domain: value Project Domain ID of project settings.
    • Target project ID: value Project ID of project settings
    • Hystax Service Network: The UUID of the network to which the VM will be deployed.
    • Floating IP Network: external network ext-net.
  4. Click the Next button.

  5. At the “Select resource” step, select VK-Cloud-infra from the list From Cloud Site.

  6. Click the Next button.

  7. At the “Failback settings” step, specify the name of the structure being restored.

  8. Click the Start Failback button.

    The infrastructure in VK Cloud will be brought to the state corresponding to 'VK-Cloud-infra'.

6. Check the functionality of the restored VM

Find the restored VM in VK Cloud (<project ID>_cloud_agent), perform arbitrary operations on it.

Delete unused resources

Running VMs consume computing resources. If you don't need them anymore:

  • Delete Ubuntu-DR VM.
  • Delete the backup infrastructure VK-Cloud-infra via Hystax Acura personal account.
  • Delete floating IP address if it was created during recovery.