Expanding DR Strategy Question(s)

Hi, simply build a target core at your off site. Then replicate your critical servers from your source core to the off site target core, and set up virtual standby to the local hypervisor.

Time maybe an issue as now there is a replication job that has to run also and it sounds like this core is already busy. 

Adding an offsite Core should work. Then configure the offsite core to run an export to the offsite hypervisor. Maybe add 2 cores, make both new cores perform the export so your primary core is not burdened with that task (but does have to run 1 replication, make sure your dedup cache is set correctly)

I wonder if there would be any performance improvements if the export was run to a local disk (vmware workstation) I set this up once awhile ago where we ran the export to local disk and turned around and imported the resulting .vmdk into vShere so it was available to vmware. 

Since your Core seems very busy, I would try to get the replication to happen outside of RR like you did with Vmware replication. See if there is a way past the issue with exports failing if there is a pending replication

Wouldn't I need twice the storage then? Storage for the core and storage for the Hypervisor to run the VM's.

The core really isn't that busy. It sits idle most of the time providing it's not doing a base image or an export. My problem with another core is now I need twice the storage. I need core storage and Hypervisor storage.

You mentioned that one export takes 20 hours, so I assumed the core may not have time to run other jobs.

Yes and No. Set the retention on the second core(s) very low. Just enough to hold the incoming replication then push it to vmware. 

So you will need more storage, but not double/triple

That makes sense. Dumb question (and I'm reading now) how do I manage the second core or don't I? Do I need to install Core software at the remote site or do I ust control it all from my existing one? What happens if this one dies?

The Central Console used to be able to manage multiple cores but they removed it and you have to use the quest portal now. It sounds like they are going to try and monetize this portal moving forward. I don't have a ton of experience with the portal, just talked with one of the PM's involved

This should get you started with fail over and back of replication cores

- support.quest.com/.../how-to-perform-failover-failback

So the seeding process instructions seem to indicate that I should have a core there.

On the target Core, open the Rapid Recovery Core Console, and from the icon bar, click Replication.

So this is from the portal now? I assume after I dedicate a server because it's not there now.

Is it possible to have one there? Like buy another instance?

The portal is used to manage multiple cores at once.

You still manage a single core from the normal Core Console. So setting up replication is done from the local core using the Core Console (not the portal)

Yes you would. If you want to replicate all your machine to your DR site, the DR sire would require that same storage requirements your prod site has.