PlateSpin Protect defines the following workflow for workload protection and recovery:
Preparation: This step involves preparatory steps to ensure that your workloads, containers, and environment meet the required criteria.
Make sure that PlateSpin Protect supports your workload.
Make sure that your workloads and containers meet access and network prerequisites.
See Access and Communication Requirements across your Protection Network.
(Linux only)
(Conditional) If you plan to protect a supported Linux workload that has a non-standard, customized, or newer kernel, rebuild the PlateSpin blkwatch module, which is required for block-level data replication.
See KB Article 7005873.
(Recommended) Prepare LVM snapshots for block-level data transfer. Ensure that each volume group has sufficient free space for LVM snapshots (at least 10 % of the sum of all partitions).
See KB Article 7005872.
(Optional) Prepare your freeze and thaw scripts to execute on your source workload upon each replication.
See Using Freeze and Thaw Scripts for Every Replication (Linux).
Inventory: This step involves adding workloads and containers to the PlateSpin Server database.
Workloads that you want to protect and containers that host failover workloads must be properly inventoried. You can add workloads and containers in any order; however, every protection contract requires a defined workload and container that were inventoried by the PlateSpin Server. See Adding Containers (Protection Targets) and Adding Workloads for Protection.
Definition of the protection contract: In this step, you define the details and specifications of a protection contract and prepare the replication.
See Configuring Protection Details and Preparing the Replication.
Initiating the Protection: This step commences the protection contract according to your requirements.
Optional Steps in the Protection Lifecycle: These steps are outside the automated replication schedule but are often useful in different situations or might be dictated by your business continuity strategy.
Manual incremental. You can run an incremental replication manually, outside the workload protection contract, by clicking .
Testing. You can test failover functionality in a controlled manner and environment. See Using the Test Failover Feature.
Failover: This step carries out a failover of your protected workload to its replica running in your VM container. See Failover.
Failback: This step corresponds to the business resumption phase after you have addressed any problems with your production workload. See Failback.
Reprotection: This step enables you to redefine the original protection contract for your workload. See Reprotecting a Workload
Most of these steps are represented by workload commands on the Workloads page. See Workloads and Workload Commands.
A command becomes available following a successful Failback operation.