3.5 Synchronizing Workloads with Server Sync

The Server Sync feature enables you to control the scope of data that is transferred from your source to your target. For example, when setting up a job for a workload portability or protection operation, you can choose to update an existing physical or virtual machine to match the state your source workload without transferring volume data in its entirety. Portability Suite compares the target physical or virtual workload with the selected source and transfers only data that is different between the two, overwriting files on the target with those on the source workload.

You can use Server Sync for:

The capability depends on your product license.

Server Sync is useful in situations where the size of volume data or network conditions are prohibitive for a direct workload virtualization over the network.

To perform a Server Sync job:

  1. Discover your source workload. See Discovering Source Workloads and Migration Targets.

  2. (Conditional) If your intended target is a virtual machine:

    1. Create a target virtual machine by using one of the following methods:

    2. Discover and prepare the target VM for synchronization. See Discovering and Preparing a Windows VM for a Server Sync Job.

  3. (Conditional) If your intended target is a physical machine, discover your physical target by using the Take Control ISO boot image. See Discovering and Registering Target Physical Machines.

  4. In the Servers view, drag your source workload and drop it on the required target (Server Sync target or discovered physical machine under control).

    If an operating system is detected on the target, and if the detected operating system matches that of the source, the system prompts you to select the scope of data to transfer (complete source volume data or only files that are different between the source and the target).

  5. Select the Server Sync option, then click Start.

    A Server Sync job starts in Advanced mode.

  6. Configure the parameters of the job as dictated by the purpose of the operation. Make sure that you map the required volumes on the source to those on the target.

  7. (Optional) If you are protecting a workload to a VM, enable incremental synchronizations. See Scheduling and Synchronization.

  8. Click Start.

    Portability Suite starts the job and lists it in the Jobs view.