VMware Site Recovery Manager

VMware Site Recovery Manager
Name	VMware Site Recovery Manager
Developer	VMware, Inc.
Initial release	2008
Latest release	8.x
Operating system	VMware ESXi, vCenter Server
Genre	Disaster recovery, orchestration
Website	VMware

VMware Site Recovery Manager VMware Site Recovery Manager (SRM) is a disaster recovery orchestration product from VMware, Inc. that automates failover, failback, and site recovery testing for virtualized infrastructures. It integrates with VMware vSphere, VMware vCenter Server, and storage ecosystems to provide coordinated recovery across datacenters and cloud environments such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and third‑party managed services. SRM is used by enterprises, service providers, and government agencies to meet recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs).

Overview

SRM is designed to coordinate recovery workflows between a protected site and a recovery site, leveraging VMware ESXi hosts, vSphere Distributed Resource Scheduler, and vSphere High Availability features. It pairs with storage replication technologies from vendors like Dell EMC, NetApp, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, IBM, and Hitachi Vantara to replicate datastores and enable consistent failover. SRM supports orchestration of applications running on virtual machines that may rely on Microsoft Exchange, Oracle Database, SAP SE systems, and multi‑tier services in enterprise environments such as Fortune 500 companies and financial institutions regulated under frameworks like Sarbanes‑Oxley Act.

Architecture and Components

SRM architecture centers on paired SRM instances at a protected and recovery site coordinated via VMware vCenter Server instances. Key components include the SRM Server (orchestrator), the vCenter Server, the SRM Plug‑in for vSphere Web Client, and storage adapters such as the Storage Replication Adapter (SRA) from array vendors. The solution interacts with storage replication platforms including RecoverPoint and vendor‑specific replication like VPLEX and NetApp SnapMirror. SRM uses inventory mappings, protection groups, and recovery plans stored in the SRM database and may integrate with VMware vRealize Automation and VMware Cloud Director for cloud catalog and tenant workflows.

Features and Capabilities

SRM provides automated failover and automated failback, planned migration, and non‑disruptive recovery testing using isolated networks and test recovery plans. Features include support for array‑based replication, vSphere Replication (host‑based replication), scripted recovery steps via guest OS customizations, and support for cross‑vCenter vMotion and storage vMotion during planned migrations. SRM supports network customization, IP address mapping, and integration with network orchestration from vendors like Cisco Systems and Juniper Networks to reconfigure routing and firewall rules during recovery.

Deployment and Configuration

Deploying SRM requires installing SRM servers at both sites and registering them with respective vCenter Server instances, configuring inventory mappings, datastore mappings, and protection groups, and installing the vendor‑specific SRA or enabling vSphere Replication appliances. Administrators often follow operational runbooks aligned with standards from organizations such as National Institute of Standards and Technology and practices used by cloud providers including Google Cloud Platform for hybrid models. Configuration steps include setting up secure connectivity, certificate management often referencing Let's Encrypt or enterprise PKI systems, and storage replication tuning for RPO guarantees.

Recovery Plans and Operations

Recovery plans in SRM define ordered workflows for powering on VMs, running custom scripts, and reconfiguring network settings; they can include pre‑ and post‑power on operations and manual steps for human approval. SRM supports planned migration (coordinated shutdown and resynchronization), unplanned recovery (failover after outage), and test recovery using isolated networks such as those defined by NSX-T Data Center and NSX. Operational testing is used by organizations referenced in audit regimes like PCI DSS and ISO/IEC 27001 to validate business continuity and disaster recovery (BC/DR) programs.

Integration and Compatibility

SRM integrates with a broad ecosystem: storage arrays from Dell EMC, NetApp, HPE, and IBM Storage via SRAs; replication technologies like RecoverPoint and Array-Based Replication; cloud providers including Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure for DRaaS scenarios; and orchestration tools such as Ansible and Terraform for infrastructure as code. Compatibility matrices map supported vSphere versions, ESXi builds, and vCenter Server releases, and SRM aligns with supplier ecosystems including VMware Carbon Black for security during failover and VMware Tanzu for containerized application strategies.

Licensing and Editions

SRM licensing historically has been offered in editions corresponding to enterprise, standard, and provider models, plus bundles with vSphere suites and vCloud Director for service providers. Licensing options include per‑CPU and subscription models, and DRaaS offerings by managed service providers bundle SRM orchestration with replication and network services. Large customers and service providers often negotiate enterprise agreements with vendors such as VMware and channel partners including Dell Technologies and IBM.

History and Version Roadmap

SRM was first released in the late 2000s and has evolved through major versions to support new vSphere capabilities, cross‑vCenter operations, and tighter integration with cloud platforms. Significant milestones include support for vSphere 6.0 cross‑vCenter workflows, integration with vSphere Replication for host‑based replication, and later alignment with VMware Cloud on AWS and other cloud partners. The roadmap has emphasized automation, network automation with VMware NSX, and hybrid cloud interoperability with providers like Microsoft and Google LLC.

Category:VMware