How To Clone A Primary Server Deployed As Hyper-V Machine For Building A Secondary Server Without Neverfail EMS Web Console

How To Clone A Primary Server Deployed As Hyper-V Machine For Building A Secondary Server Without Neverfail EMS Web Console

Summary

This Knowledgebase article provides the step-by-step procedure necessary to replace a server when the server is a Hyper-V Virtual Machine.

More Information

Initial Assumptions:
  • The Primary/Active server is healthy and will be used as source for cloning.

Note: Before you begin please read this entire article and then start performing any steps!

Procedure

  1. On the Primary (active) server:
      1. Shutdown Neverfail Engine by selecting Leave the protected applications running option.
      2. Open Windows Service Control Manager and set the Neverfail Engine service to Manual.
      3. Open the Neverfail Configure Server Wizard by choosing Stop Web Services option when prompted.
            

      4. Select the Machine tab and change the Physical Hardware Identity of the server to Secondary

5. Click the Finish button to save the change.

Start cloning the Primary machine.
      1. From Hyper-V Manager, select the Primary virtual machine that is to be cloned (can be in running state).
      2. Right click on the virtual machine, and select Export.
      3. Specify the location where you want to save the exported VM. You can click on Browse button to select a folder.

      4. Click Export when done.
      5. The selected virtual machine will be saved in the location you specified.
      6. In Hyper-V Manager, select Import Virtual Machine in the Actions pane.
      7. Click the Next button.

      8.  Select the folder which the source virtual machine is exported to, then click the Next button.

      9. Select virtual machine to import, then click the Next button.



      10. Select the radio button of Copy the virtual machine (create a new unique ID) and click the Next button.

      11. Specify a folder location to store the virtual machines configuration files. You can leave it as default as Hyper-V will create a unique ID for the cloned VM. Click the Next button.



      12. Specify a folder location to store the virtual hard disks for the cloned virtual machine. You must specify a folder location which is different from virtual hard disks of source virtual machine if you’re cloning the VM on the same host, otherwise you will encounter Hyper-V error while copying virtual hard disks to destination folder due to files already existing. Click on Next button when done.



      13. Click on the Finish button on the summary page to start the import.



      14. Once import operation completed, a clone virtual machine that is identical to the original virtual machine is created and listed in Hyper-V Manger.
    1. Once the clone is completed, on the Primary server open the Neverfail Configure Server Wizard by choosing Stop Web Services when prompted.
      1. Select the Machine tab and change the Physical Hardware Identity back to Primary
      2. Make sure that the Active Server has the Primary value selected.
      3. Click the Finish button.
    2. Open Windows Service Control Manager and set the Neverfail Engine service to Automatic.
  1. On the newly cloned Secondary (Passive) server:
    1. Virtually disconnect the virtual Network Adapters for Public and Channel of the VM from Hyper-V Manager.
    2. Start the newly cloned Secondary machine.
    3. After the OS boots up, go in the Properties window of each network card, verify that the IP address settings are correct.
    4. Open the Neverfail Configure Server Wizard -> go to Machine tab -> make sure that the Physical Hardware Identity is set to Secondary and that Active Server is configured to be the Primary.
    5. Also, in the Neverfail Configure Serve Wizard -> go to Public tab and verify that the Public IP is correct for Secondary.
    6. If this is a WAN installation then open a command prompt window and use the route print command to check if all WAN routes are correctly configured. For more details, read Neverfail Knowledgebase article #115001926928.
    7. From Hyper-V Manager, virtually reconnect the virtual NICs for Public and Channel of the Secondary VM.
    8. In the System Tray, right click on the Neverfail Engine icon and select Start Neverfail Engine.
    9. From Windows Service Control Manager, set the Neverfail Engine service to Automatic.

Applies To

Neverfail Heartbeat

Related Information

None 
KBID-2990