Introduction

VMware Site Recovery Manager (SRM) is a robust disaster recovery (DR) automation solution for vSphere environments, offering automated failover and testing. However, configuring, maintaining, and troubleshooting SRM requires in-depth technical expertise.

This post focuses on advanced troubleshooting, debugging failures, optimizing performance, and automation techniques to enhance SRM operations in enterprise environments.

1. Understanding SRM Architecture & Common Failure Points

SRM Components Overview

• SRM Server – Installed at both protected and recovery sites.
• Storage Replication Adapter (SRA) – Communicates with storage arrays.
• vSphere Replication (VR) – For hypervisor-based replication.
• Recovery Plans & Protection Groups – Define failover workflows.

Common Failure Points in SRM

2. Troubleshooting SRM Replication Failures

Debugging Storage Replication Issues

1. Validate SRA Connectivity

• Check SRM logs (vmware-dr.log in C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware DR\Logs).
• Restart SRM & SRA services.
• Verify the storage vendor’s SRA logs (/var/log/sra.log for Linux-based adapters).

2. Check Replicated LUN Mappings

• Use esxcli storage nmp device list to check LUN IDs.
• Validate that datastores appear at both sites (esxcli storage core device world list).

3. vSphere Replication (VR) Sync Failures

• Run service-control --status --all to check vSphere Replication status.
• Ensure RPO violations are within acceptable limits.
• Analyze VR logs (/var/log/vmware/hbrsrv.log).

3. SRM Recovery Plan Debugging & Fixes

1. Debugging Failed VM Power-On Scenarios

• Check recovery.log under C:\ProgramData\VMware\VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager\Logs.
• Verify permissions on VM folders at the recovery site.

2. Recovery Plan Stuck at “Preparing Storage”

• Run esxcli storage vmfs extent list to verify datastore visibility.
• Check if the LUN is inconsistent or in a snapshot state.
• Restart SRM services (service-control --restart vmware-dr).

4. Optimizing SRM for Faster Recovery (RTO & RPO Best Practices)

1. Tuning vSphere Replication Performance

• Use multiple vSphere Replication Appliances for scalability.
• Optimize the replication interval (RPO) based on workload patterns.
• Allocate dedicated vSphere Replication networks to avoid congestion.

2. Reducing Storage Promotion Time

• Ensure storage snapshots are preloaded at the DR site.
• Use array-based replication with instant clone promotion.
• Increase storage I/O limits during failover to speed up VM recovery.

5. Performance Tuning for Large-Scale SRM Deployments

1. Scale SRM with Multiple Instances

• Deploy multiple SRM servers for high availability (HA).
• Use load balancers if using external databases.

2. Optimize VM Recovery Order

• Adjust VM dependencies in recovery plans.
• Ensure database servers start before application VMs.

6. SRM Log Analysis & Diagnostic Tools

1. Key Log Files for Debugging

2. Using PowerCLI for SRM Log Analysis

Run the following PowerCLI script to fetch SRM recovery events:

Get-SrmRecoveryPlan -Name "Production Recovery" | Get-SrmRecoveryStep | Select-Object Name, State, StartTime, EndTime

7. Automation & Scripting with PowerCLI for SRM Optimization

1. Automating SRM Failover Testing

Use the following PowerCLI script to initiate an automated SRM test failover:

$SrmServer = Connect-SrmServer -Server "srm.domain.com"
$RecoveryPlan = Get-SrmRecoveryPlan -Name "Production Recovery"
Start-SrmRecoveryPlanTest -RecoveryPlan $RecoveryPlan

2. Automating SRM Health Checks

Run this script to check the status of all SRM recovery plans:

Get-SrmRecoveryPlan | Select-Object Name, State, LastTestTime

Conclusion

VMware SRM is a powerful DR orchestration tool, but proper troubleshooting and optimization are essential to maximize efficiency. By analyzing logs, optimizing replication settings, automating tasks with PowerCLI, and fine-tuning recovery plans, you can ensure a fast, reliable, and scalable disaster recovery strategy.