4.8 Workloads

1. In the PlateSpin Migrate Web Interface, click Workloads > Add Workload.

   Alternatively, you can click the Add Workload option on the Dashboard page.

2. Specify the hostname or the IP address of the workload you want to add.

3. Select the type of workload.

4. Specify the credentials to connect to the workload.

5. Click Add Workload to discover the workload and list it on the Workloads page.

To modify the listing of the workloads:

1. In the Workload Status option, select one of the following:

   • All Workloads: Displays all the discovered workloads.

   • Ready For Cutover: Displays the workloads that are replicated at least once.

   • Pending: Displays the workloads on which some action is still in progress.

   • Failed Workloads: Displays the workloads that have failed an operation such as configuring migration, preparing migration, or running migration.

   • Not Configured: Displays all the workloads that are not yet configured.

2. In the Tag option, select the tag associated with the workloads you want to list.

   For information about how to create tags and associate them with workloads, see Section 4.12.1, Using Tags to Help Sort Workloads.

1. Launch the PlateSpin Migrate Web Interface.

2. On the Workloads page, select the workload you want to configure.

3. Click Configure Migration.

4. Select one of the following based on the scope of data you want to transfer from the source to the target:

   • Full Replication: A full volume of data transfer takes place from the source to the target.

   • Incremental Replication: Only differences are transferred from the source to the target, provided they have similar operating system and volume profiles.

     NOTE:Incremental Replication of data to Microsoft Azure is not supported.

5. Select the target to which you want to migrate the source data.

6. Click Configure Migration.

7. Configure the following settings:

   Setting Name	Description
   Schedule Settings
   Incremental Recurrence	Specify the following: Start of Recurrence: The date when you want to start the replication. You can specify the date or click the calendar icon to select the date. By default, the time is 12.00 a.m. Recurrence Pattern: The pattern to follow for the recurrence of the replication. For example: To use incremental recurrence everyday, select Daily. To never use incremental recurrence, select None. NOTE:When you schedule incremental recurrence, the replication takes place for a maximum period of 60 days from the starting time of replication. For example: If you select Daily, then the replication takes place for 60 days from the time the replication starts. If you select Weekly, then the replication takes place for 8 weeks from the time the replication starts. If you select Monthly, then the replication takes place for 2 months from the time the replication starts.
   Full Replication	Do one of the following: To specify a schedule for the replication, click Start and specify the date when you want to start the full replication. To start full replication manually without setting a schedule, click None. NOTE:You must prepare the workload prior to the scheduled time. If the workload is not prepared by the scheduled time, then full replication is skipped.
   Blackout Window	Use these settings to force a replication blackout. The replication blackout suspends scheduled replications during peak utilization hours or prevents conflicts between VSS-aware software and the PlateSpin VSS block-level data transfer component. To specify a blackout window, click Edit and do the following: Specify the start and end time for the blackout period. Select one of the blackout recurrence pattern such as daily, weekly, or monthly. If you do not want to force a replication blackout, select None. NOTE:The blackout start and end times are based on the system clock on the PlateSpin Server.
   Compression Level	These settings control how workload data is compressed before transmission. See Section 1.5.2, Data Compression. Select one of the following options: Fast: Consumes the least CPU resources on the source, but yields a lower compression ratio. Optimal: Consumes optimal CPU resources on the source and yields an optimal compression ratio. This is the recommended option. Maximum: Consumes the most CPU resources on the source, but yields a higher compression ratio.
   Bandwidth Throttling	These settings control the bandwidth throttling. PlateSpin Migrate enables you to control the amount of available bandwidth consumed by direct source-to-target communication over the course of a workload migration. You can specify a throughput rate for each migration job. This provides a way to prevent migration traffic from congesting your production network and reduces the overall load of your PlateSpin Server. To throttle replications to a specified rate, specify the required throughput value in Mbps and the time pattern.
   Migration Settings
   Transfer Method	(Windows) Select a data transfer mechanism and security through encryption.See Section 1.3, Supported Transfer Methods. To enable encryption, select the Encrypt Data Transfer option. See Section 1.4, Security and Privacy NOTE:The Offline Transfer with Temporary Boot Environment transfer method is not applicable for the Web interface.
   Transfer Encryption	(Linux) To enable encryption, select the Encrypt Data Transfer option. See Section 1.4, Security and Privacy.
   Source Credentials	Specify the credentials required for accessing the workload. See Section 3.3.8, Discovery Guidelines for Machine Types and Credentials.
   Cloud Instance Size	(For migration to Azure) Select the cloud instance size appropriate for your workload. By default, the cloud instance size that most closely matches your workload is selected. The default selection is based on Azure’s definition of instance for the following component types: Number of cores Amount of RAM Number of data disks Number of NICs The default instance either meets or exceed the settings for these components on the source workload. However, you can choose an instance based on your requirements. For example: To reduce the number of cores or amount of RAM on the target workload, select a smaller cloud instance size in the list. To migrate only some of the data disks, select a cloud instance size with fewer data disks that best fits your need. Deselect the data disks that should not be migrated until the number of disks for migration fits the selected instance
   CPU	(VM containers using VMware 5.1, 5.5, and 6.0 with a minimum VM hardware Level 8) Specify the number of sockets and the number of cores per socket for the target workload. It automatically calculates the total cores. This parameter applies on the initial setup of a workload with an initial replication setting of Full Replication. NOTE:The maximum number of cores the workload can use is subject to external factors such as the guest operating system, the VM hardware version, VMware licensing for the ESXi host, and ESXi host compute maximums for vSphere (see vSphere 5.1 Configuration Maximums). Some distributions of a guest OS might not honor the cores and cores per socket configuration. For example, guest OSes using SLES 10 SP4 and OES 2 SP3 retain their original cores and sockets settings as installed, whereas other SLES, RHEL, and OES distributions honor the configuration.
   Number of CPUs	(VM containers using VMware 4.1) Specify the required number of vCPUs (virtual CPUs) to assign to the target workload. This parameter applies on the initial setup of a workload with an initial replication setting of Full Replication. Each vCPU is presented to the guest OS on the VM container as a single core, single socket.
   Replication Network	Separate replication traffic based on virtual networks defined on your VM container. For this setting, you can also specify an MTU value that the PlateSpin Migrate Linux RAM Disk (LRD) replication network can use. Setting a low value helps to avoid jabber over networks. For example: a VPN. The default value is an empty string. When networking is configured in the LRD, it allows the network device to set its own default, which is usually 1500. However, if you specify a value, PlateSpin Migrate adjusts the MTU when it configures the network interface.
   Networks Allowed for Replication	Specify one or more network interfaces (NIC or IP address) on the source to use for replication traffic.
   Resource Pool for Target VM	(VM container is part of a DRS Cluster.) Specify the Resource Pool location where the migrated VM is to be created.
   VM Folder for Target VM	(VM container is part of a DRS Cluster.) Specify the VM folder location where the migrated VM is to be created.
   Virtual Machine Name	Specify a display name for the new virtual machine.
   Configuration File Datastore	Select a datastore associated with your VM for storing VM configuration files.
   Virtual Machine Configuration Path	Specify the path to the configuration file on the target virtual machine.
   Disks	Specify the path to the hard disk on the target virtual machine. Select Thin Disk to enable the thin-provisioned virtual disk feature. The virtual disk then appears to the VM to have a set size, but only consumes the amount of disk space that is actually required by data on that disk.
   Volumes	Select volumes to be included in the target for migration.
   Converted Logical Volumes	(Linux) Specify one or more LVM logical volumes to be migrated for a Linux workload.
   Non-volume Storage	(Linux) Specify a non-volume storage, such as a swap partition, that is associated with the source workload. This storage is re-created in the migrated workload.
   Disks For Volume Groups	(Linux) Specify the datastore name and the path where the virtual disk must be created on the target machine. You can choose to retain the path specified by default.
   Volume Groups	(Linux) Specify the LVM volume groups to be migrated with the LVM logical volumes listed in the Converted Logical Volumes section of the settings.
   Services to Stop Temporarily on Source Before Any Replication	(Windows) We recommend that all the non-VSS compliant services or anti-virus are stopped temporarily on the source while the VSS snapshot is being captured on the source. Select the Windows services that you want to be temporarily stopped on the source workload while the VSS snapshot is being captured on the source. These services are restored back as soon as the VSS snapshot creation completes.
   Services to Stop Permanently on Source For Cutover With Any Replication	(Windows) Select the Windows services that should be permanently stopped on the source workload throughout the cutover process to ensure application data consistency. The services stopped on the source machine during the cutover process are not restored after the cutover process is complete even if you do not choose to shut down the source machine during the cutover process.
   Daemons to Stop During Replication	(Linux) Select Linux daemons to be automatically stopped during the replication.
   Target Workload Settings (These settings are applied during the Run Cutover.)
   VM Memory	Specify the amount of memory allocated to the target workload.
   VM Tools	To install the VM tools, select the Install VM Tools option. This option is selected by default.
   Hostname	Do one of the following: To retain the same hostname, select No Change. To change the hostname, select Set To and specify the new name.
   System Identifier (SID) - (This Setting is applicable only for Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista)	Before you generate a new SID for the Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2000, or Windows XP target workload computer, you must do the following: Enable the SID generation: Open a web browser and go to: https://hostname or IP_address/platespinconfiguration Replace hostname or IP_address with the DNS hostname or IP address of your PlateSpin Migrate Server. If SSL is not enabled, use http in the URL. On the PlateSpin Server Configuration page, set alwaysGenerateNewSid to True. Ensure that the hostname of the source and target workloads are different. To generate a new system identifier for the target workload, select Generate New System Identifier (SID) in the Target Workload Test Settings section of the Web Interface. For Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista, you must specify the local Administrator account credentials. If this account has been locally renamed on the source, provide the new name. If this account is disabled on Windows Vista (by default), you must first enable it.
   Domain / Workgroup	(Windows) Depending on whether the source workload belongs to workgroup or domain, one of the following displays: Workgroup: Workgroup_name where Workgroup_name is the workgroup name to which the source belongs. Domain: Domain_name where Domain_name is the domain name to which the source belongs. Do one of the following depending on where you want the target workload to join: When the source workload belongs to a workgroup: Assume that the source workload belongs to a workgroup named WorkGroup1. For the target workload to join the same workgroup (WorkGroup1), retain the following existing selection: Workgroup: Workgroup1 For the target workload to join a different workgroup (say WorkGroup2), select Join Workgroup and specify the name as WorkGroup2. For the target workload to join a domain, select Join Domain and specify the domain name you want the target to join. When the source workload belongs to a domain: Assume that the source workload belongs to a domain named Domain1. For the target workload to join a workgroup, click Join Workgroup and specify the name of the workgroup you want the target to join. For the target workload to join the same domain (Domain1) with the domain registration settings preserved, retain the following existing selection: Domain: Domain1 For the target workload to join the same domain (Domain1) without preserving the domain registration settings, select Join Domain and specify the domain name as Domain1. For the target workload to join a different domain, select Join Domain and specify the domain name you want the target to join.
   Domain Credentials	(Windows) If you select Join Domain, specify the domain administrator credentials.
   Network Connections	Select the local area connection and then select one of the following: DHCP: Obtain an IP address automatically assigned by a DHCP server. Static: Specify a static IP address. For Windows workloads that have more than one NIC, select the connection for each NIC. (For migration to Azure) For Windows workloads that have more than one NIC, the Primary option displays (by default) next to the first network name in the list. To make any other network as primary, click the Make Primary option next to the corresponding network name. For more information, see Section 4.3, Azure Networking Guidelines.
   DNS Servers	Specify the DNS Servers for the target workloads. This is applicable only if you select Static in the Network Connections option: Primary DNS server: Specify the primary DNS server address. Alternative DNS server: Specify an alternate DNS server address. Additional DNS server: To specify additional DNS server addresses: Click Advanced. Specify the DNS server address. Click Add to add the server in the DNS Server Addresses list. Click OK.
   Services States on Target VM	(Windows) Select Windows services that must be automatically stopped on the target VM.
   Daemons States to Change	(Linux) Select Linux daemons that must be automatically stopped on the target VM.
   Target Workload Test Settings (These settings are applied during the Test Cutover)
   VM Memory	Specify the amount of memory allocated to the target workload.
   VM Tools	To install the VM tools, select the Install VM Tools option. This option is selected by default.
   Hostname	Do one of the following: To retain the same hostname, select No Change. To change the hostname, select Set To and specify the new name.
   System Identifier (SID) - (This Setting is applicable only for Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista)	Before you generate a new SID for the Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2000, or Windows XP target workload computer, you must do the following: Enable the SID generation: Open a web browser and go to: https://hostname or IP_address/platespinconfiguration Replace hostname or IP_address with the DNS hostname or IP address of your PlateSpin Migrate Server. If SSL is not enabled, use http in the URL. On the PlateSpin Server Configuration page, set alwaysGenerateNewSid to True. Ensure that the hostname of the source and target workloads are different. To generate a new system identifier for the target workload, select Generate New System Identifier (SID) in the Target Workload Test Settings section of the Web Interface. For Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista, you must specify the local Administrator account credentials. If this account has been locally renamed on the source, provide the new name. If this account is disabled on Windows Vista (by default), you must first enable it.
   Domain / Workgroup	(Windows) Depending on whether the source workload belongs to workgroup or domain, one of the following displays: Workgroup: Workgroup_name where Workgroup_name is the workgroup name to which the source belongs. Domain: Domain_name where Domain_name is the domain name to which the source belongs. Do one of the following depending on where you want the target workload to join: When the source workload belongs to a workgroup: Assume that the source workload belongs to a workgroup named WorkGroup1. For the target workload to join the same workgroup (WorkGroup1), retain the following existing selection: Workgroup: Workgroup1 For the target workload to join a different workgroup (say WorkGroup2), select Join Workgroup and specify the name as WorkGroup2. For the target workload to join a domain, select Join Domain and specify the domain name you want the target to join. When the source workload belongs to a domain: Assume that the source workload belongs to a domain named Domain1. For the target workload to join a workgroup, click Join Workgroup and specify the name of the workgroup you want the target to join. For the target workload to join the same domain (Domain1) with the domain registration settings preserved, retain the following existing selection: Domain: Domain1 For the target workload to join the same domain (Domain1) without preserving the domain registration settings, select Join Domain and specify the domain name as Domain1. For the target workload to join a different domain, select Join Domain and specify the domain name you want the target to join.
   Domain Credentials	(Windows) If you select Join Domain, specify the domain administrator credentials.
   Network Connections	Select the network connection and then select one of the following: DHCP: Obtain an IP address automatically assigned by a DHCP server. Static: Specify a static IP address.
   DNS Servers	Specify the DNS Servers for the target workloads. This is applicable only if you select Static in the Network Connections option: Primary DNS server: Specify the primary DNS server address. Alternative DNS server: Specify an alternate DNS server address. Additional DNS server: To specify additional DNS server addresses: Click Advanced. Specify the DNS server address. Click Add to add the server in the DNS Server Addresses list. Click OK.
   Services States on Target VM	(Windows) Select Windows services that must be automatically stopped on the target VM.
   Daemons States to Change	(Linux) Select Linux daemons that must be automatically stopped on the target VM.
   Tag
   Tag	Select a tag to assign to the workload. For more information about tags, see Section 4.12.1, Using Tags to Help Sort Workloads.

8. (Optional) To change the target, click Change Target.

   NOTE:If you change the target, all the settings you specified will be cleared.

9. Do one of the following:

   • Click Save to save the settings.

   • Click Save and Prepare to save the settings and start preparing the workload migration.

   • Click Cancel to exit.

1. On the Workloads page, select the workload you want to migrate.

2. Click Prepare Migration, and then click Execute.

1. On the Workloads page, select the workload you want to migrate.

2. Click Run Migration.

3. (Optional) To boot and configure the target workload immediately after full replication, select Run cutover after successful replication, and then select the following if required:

   • (Optional) Select Shutdown source after cutover to shutdown the source after cutover.

   • (Optional) Select Shutdown target after cutover to shutdown the target after cutover.

4. Click Execute.