Glossary

See Recovery Point Actual.

See Recovery Time Actual.

See Test Time Actual.

A Windows machine used externally from the Appliance host to perform the upgrade. We recommend that you use a laptop for this process because the Forge Hardware Appliance build and the configuration procedure requires a direct connection to the Dell Hardware that is used as the Forge Appliance Host.

See container.

Software that uses either a terminal console (getty) or a proprietary, browser-based interface (Forge Appliance Configuration Console or Forge ACC) to connect directly to an appliance for installation and configuration purposes (for example, setting the Host/VM IP addresses, Hostnames, and user password configuration).

The version of appliance management software used to manage network settings on the Forge ESX Host and the Forge Appliance VM. Appliance (version) 1 uses a getty interface, appliance (version) 2 uses the Django Web framework and the ACC interface. Appliance version updates are motivated primarily by changes to the underlying VMware ESX version.

You can determine the appliance version of your Forge unit by using one of the following methods:

The process of exporting existing database data, which includes existing workloads and contracts. This process also backs up the VMs that reside on the datastore local to the Forge Appliance Host.

The VM host that contains the failover workload (a protected workload’s bootable virtual replica).

Exported data for the protection contracts. The upgrade utility stores this in a .zip file.

See also protection contract.

A PlateSpin Server message that contains information about important steps throughout the workload protection lifecycle.

Restoration of the business function of a failed workload in its original environment when the business function of a temporary failover workload within PlateSpin Forge is no longer required.

Taking over the business function of a failed workload by a failover workload within a PlateSpin Forge VM container.

A protected workload’s bootable virtual replica.

A Forge Appliance Host containing a virtual machine running a Microsoft Windows OS with Forge software installed.

The executable file that upgrades the Forge Appliance software. The executable (also referred to as an “upgrade utility,”) is included in the Forge 11.1 Upgrade Kit.

PlateSpin software engineered to protect a specific virtual workload (that is, an ESX VM’s operating system, middleware, and data) by using virtualization technology. If there is a production server outage or disaster, a virtualized replica of a workload can be rapidly powered on within the target container (a VM host), and continue to run as normal until the production environment is restored.

1. (noun) An individual scheduled transfer or manual transfer of a protected workload to its ‘blank’ replica (the failover VM), or from a failover workload to its original virtual or physical infrastructure.

2. (adjective) Describes the scope of replication (1), in which the initial replica of a protected workload is created based on all of its data.

1. (noun) An individual scheduled transfer or manual transfer of differences between a protected workload and its replica (the failover workload).

2. (adjective) Describes the scope of replication (1), in which the initial replica of a workload is created differentially, based on differences between the workload and its prepared counterpart.

The management virtual machine containing the PlateSpin Forge software.

(Also output folder). The network location where important backup data is stored on the administrative computer. For example, D:\forge_backup\out.

A PlateSpin Forge operation that boots the failover workload in preparation of a full Failover operation.

A collection of currently-active settings pertaining to the complete lifecycle of a workload’s protection (Add-inventory, initial and ongoing Replications, Failover, Failback, and Reprotect).

A customizable collection of workload protection parameters that define the frequency of replications and criteria for the system to consider a workload as failed.

The process of configuring the Forge Dell hardware, the Forge ESX Host, and the Forge Appliance that is running a Windows Server operating system.

A point-in-time snapshot, allowing a replicated workload to be restored to a previous state.

Actual data loss measured in time and defined by the actual measured interval between incremental replications of a protected workload that occurs during a failover test.

Tolerable data loss measured in time and defined by a configurable interval between incremental replications of a protected workload. That is, in the event of a major IT outage, how much data are you prepared to lose? The RPO is affected by current utilization levels of PlateSpin Forge, the rate and scope of changes on the workload, your network speed, and the chosen replication schedule.

A measure of a workload’s actual downtime defined by the time a failover operation takes to complete.

A measure of a workload’s tolerable downtime defined by the time a failover operation takes to complete. The RTO is affected by the time it takes to configure and execute the failover operation (10 to 45 minutes).

The schedule that is set up to control the frequency and scope of replications.

A PlateSpin Forge command that reestablishes a protection contract for a workload following the failover and failback operations.

The process of importing existing database data (including workloads and contracts) as it existed prior to backup. The process also restores all local VMs that formerly resided on the Forge Appliance Host.

A workload or its infrastructure that is the starting point of a PlateSpin Forge operation. For example, upon initial protection of a workload, the source is your production workload. In a failback operation, it is the failover workload in the container.

See also target.

A workload or its infrastructure that is the outcome of a PlateSpin Forge command. For example, upon initial protection of a workload, the target is the failover workload in the container. In a failback operation, it is either your production workload’s original infrastructure or any supported container that has been inventoried by PlateSpin Forge.

See also source.

A PlateSpin Forge operation that boots a failover workload in an isolated networking environment for testing the functionality of the failover and verifying the integrity of the failover workload.

A measure of the actual time in which a disaster recovery plan can be tested. It is similar to Actual RTO, but includes the time needed for a user to test the failover workload.

A measure of the ease with which a disaster recovery plan can be tested. It is similar to RTO, but includes the time needed for a user to test the failover workload. You can use the Test Failover feature to run through different scenarios and generate benchmark data.

The network location where the Forge upgrade kit is copied. For example, D:\forge_backup\11.0_kit.

The basic object of protection in a data store. An operating system, along with its middleware and data, decoupled from the underlying physical or virtual infrastructure.