Hello,

I am going to Deploy DPM2012 R2 in HA as Cyclic Protection Scenario as VM.

DPM1 Protects DPM2 and DPM2 Protect DPM1.DBs are located on Remote SQL Cluster.

Can any one guide me what will be the Deployment Design.How will i Configure VHDx and DPM Storage.

what will be the installation method.is there any option during installation to configure for Cyclic ,Channing and Primary and 2ndry Protection 

OR

Everything will be configured after installation during Backup time.

n how will i protect SQL CLuster DPM Database.

Kindly help....

Hi,

If you are going to virtualize DPM you mind as well take advantage of Dedup to help reduce dpm storage pool consumption.  Please review this blog which has pointer to whitepaper.

For cyclic protection, you will need to pick one of the DPM servers to be the primary backup server for the two DPM sql databases since they will both be on the same sql server.  Cyclic protection is enabled after DPM servers are setup and protecting data sources.  The DPM server not protecting the two SQL databases can act as secondary DPM server for both databases.  This way both DPM servers have copies of both SQL databases. 

Thanks Mr Mike for responce.

Well i didn't deployed DPM in HA before.I am confuse in deployment Design.I Checked on Tech-net but there is no proper Documentation for DPM2012R2 in HA.

Can you give me answer to the following question.

1.e.g, I have 2 DPM,DPM01 and DPM02.Both DPM will create separate DBs or No like SQL CLUSter ,VMM and other System Center Products they have same DB on SQL CLuster Shared with Both node of DPM01 and DPM02.

2.If Yes,DPM01 primary DPM will protect SQL Server Database(DPMs DBs) of Both DPM Server and other VMs in my environment, I will calculate the storage requirements for Primary DPM.

3.Now DPM02? what will be the requirements for DPM02 in Cyclic Protection.what will it protect.

it will protect the same sql server databases and other VMs or it will only protect DPM01.can you explain for DPM02 and what will be my storage requirements for DPM02.

Hi,

Q1. e.g, I have 2 DPM,DPM01 and DPM02.Both DPM will create separate DBs or No like SQL CLUSter ,VMM and other System Center Products they have same DB on SQL CLuster Shared with Both node of DPM01 and DPM02.

A1. - correct, both DPM servers will create a new database on the SQL instance you specify when installing DPM.  So a single SQL instance in a cluster will host two DPM Databases. But you also need a separate standalone SQL instance used for the DPM reporting, which again can be shared for both DPM Servers.

Q2.If Yes,DPM01 primary DPM will protect SQL Server Database(DPMs DBs) of Both DPM Server and other VMs in my environment, I will calculate the storage requirements for Primary DPM.

A2. - If you want cyclic protection, then you will want to protect some workloads on DPM1 and some workloads  on DPM2, then have each DPM server secondarily protect some or all of those workloads.  If one DPM server goes down, the other can continue protection.   However you can not add secondary protection if you are using scale out protection for large hyper-v cluster as per this blog. 

Q3.Now DPM02? what will be the requirements for DPM02 in Cyclic Protection.what will it protect.

A3. Each DPM server can secondarily protect any data source that is already protected by the other DPM server.  You just push the DPM agent from each DPM server to the other DPM server, then when you expand the data sources - you will see the protected data sources which you can select for secondary protection.

Thanks Mr Mike for quick response and your time.

Let me explain...if I am correct...
1__SQL Cluster-with reporting service Installed or no it is recommended with separate instance for reporting server.
2--For DPM Storage and Protection,
for example I have 10 VMs to Protect with DPM01 and DPM02
DPM01 will protect 5 VMs and DPM02 will protect 5 VMs.
but i have to calculate Storage requirement for 10 VMs for one dpm.

3-- To Protect DPM and enabling Cyclic Protection., DPM02 agent will be installed on
DPM01 and DPM01 on DPM02.
That why DPM01 Storage will be equal to 10VMs as it is also protecting DPM02 Vms and all protcted VMs by DPM02 and Vice Verse.

4-- For SQL Server DBs.

DPM01 DB will be protected by DPM02 and DPM02 by DPM01.

if I am going well, what will be the failover process,

If DPM01 one goes offline.....
All load and protected VMs will be automatically transfer to DPM02 or no i have to do it manually

and DPM01 can be restored from DPM02? and what will be the procedure for Recovery of DPM01.

• Edited by Asfand yar Thursday, January 22, 2015 6:49 PM

Thanks Mr Mike for quick response and your time.

Let me explain...if I am correct...
1__SQL Cluster-with reporting service Installed or no it is recommended with separate instance for reporting server.
2--For DPM Storage and Protection,
for example I have 10 VMs to Protect with DPM01 and DPM02
DPM01 will protect 5 VMs and DPM02 will protect 5 VMs.
but i have to calculate Storage requirement for 10 VMs for one dpm.

3-- To Protect DPM and enabling Cyclic Protection., DPM02 agent will be installed on
DPM01 and DPM01 on DPM02.
That why DPM01 Storage will be equal to 10VMs as it is also protecting DPM02 Vms and all protcted VMs by DPM02 and Vice Verse.

4-- For SQL Server DBs.

DPM01 DB will be protected by DPM02 and DPM02 by DPM01.

if I am going well, what will be the failover process,

If DPM01 one goes offline.....
All load and protected VMs will be automatically transfer to DPM02 or no i have to do it manually

and DPM01 can be restored from DPM02? and what will be the procedure for Recovery of DPM01.

• Edited by Asfand yar Thursday, January 22, 2015 6:49 PM

Hi,

Q1.2__SQL Cluster-with reporting service Installed or no it is recommended with separate instance for reporting server.

A2.2 -- You must have SQL reporting in order to install DPM.  SQL Reporting server cannot be clustered, so it must be a standalone SQL instance to use for reporting.

Q2.2--For DPM Storage and Protection,
for example I have 10 VMs to Protect with DPM01 and DPM02
DPM01 will protect 5 VMs and DPM02 will protect 5 VMs.
but i have to calculate Storage requirement for 10 VMs for one dpm.

A2.2 - Yes, if you want cyclic protection for all 10 VM's then each DPM server must have storage in the storage pool to accommodate that. You can pick and choose what you want to add to secondary protection, maybe just critical VM's.

Q3.2 -- To Protect DPM and enabling Cyclic Protection., DPM02 agent will be installed on
DPM01 and DPM01 on DPM02.
That why DPM01 Storage will be equal to 10VMs as it is also protecting DPM02 Vms and all protcted VMs by DPM02 and Vice Verse.

A3.2- correct.

Q4.2 -- For SQL Server DBs.

DPM01 DB will be protected by DPM02 and DPM02 by DPM01.

if I am going well, what will be the failover process,

If DPM01 one goes offline.....
All load and protected VMs will be automatically transfer to DPM02 or no i have to do it manually

and DPM01 can be restored from DPM02? and what will be the procedure for Recovery of DPM01.

A4.2 - You can only install a single DPM agent on the SQL Cluster hosting the two DPM databases, so you will need to have one DPM server protect both DB's as primary protection, and the other DPM server can be the secondary DPM server.   In case DPM1 goes down, nothing is automatically switched - you must switch protection manually from the DPM2 server so the workloads protected by DPM1 continue to be protected by DPM2.   After repairing DPM1 you can switch protection back.

Some useful links:

Back up DPM using a secondary server

Recover a backed up DPM server

Thanks Mike for your information.

One more question, what will be my DB Storage requirements for Both DPM.

What factors effects DBs storage for SQL Server not backup....

Does DPM DBs Storage effect during backup>?

Thanks again.....

• Edited by Asfand yar Friday, January 23, 2015 4:44 AM

Thanks Mike for your information.

One more question, what will be my DB Storage requirements for Both DPM.

What factors effects DBs storage for SQL Server not backup....

Does DPM DBs Storage effect during backup>?

Thanks again.....

• Edited by Asfand yar Friday, January 23, 2015 4:44 AM

Hi,

DPMDB size can vary from DPM server to DPM server - anywhere from a couple GB on up.  Contributing factors include:

1 - How may protected data sources and frequency of jobs. - DPM keeps 30 days history of all jobs and alerts.
2 - SharePoint protection - DPM keeps a catalog of all recoverable objects within the farm, the more objects, the larger the catalog.
3 - Tape backups - DPM keeps catalog of all files included on tape backups. You can configure DPM on how long to keep the catalog.

 I have about 15 VMs to backup with both DPM.

3 SQL Cluster..... 100GB will be more enough for both DPM DBs...I search but there is no storage calculator for DPMDBs.

In DPM DBs requirment on Technet they mention 900MB for DPMDB....

100GB is more engough...

• Edited by Asfand yar Friday, January 23, 2015 5:32 PM

 I have about 15 VMs to backup with both DPM.

3 SQL Cluster..... 100GB will be more enough for both DPM DBs...I search but there is no storage calculator for DPMDBs.

In DPM DBs requirment on Technet they mention 900MB for DPMDB....

100GB is more engough...

• Edited by Asfand yar Friday, January 23, 2015 5:32 PM

Hi,

Yes, you can probably do OK with half that much.

Thanks....for your information and time...

Hello Mr Mike,

I install agent on each dpm but during creation of Protection Group for DPM1 from DPM2 or for DPM2 from DPM1 ,I cannot get protected workload in DPM...waht i am missing

How will I protect DPM and Replica  by another DPM....

and also switch disaster is not enable in both dpm....How will I enable this option....