Disk Protection Cancelled (CFO Protected Domain)

This article applies to all JSDR software versions.

Problem

Disk protection fails when attempting to add a new disk to a protected VM that is part of a CFO (Continuous Failover) protected domain. In the example scenario below, a newly added disk reports initial sync for an extended period of time and then subsequently transitions to a “Cancelled” protection status without any replication status.

The protection status of the VM is still recoverable, but its icon turns yellow highlighting a problem with newly added disk.

Solution

When a CFO domain is configured, VM settings and data at the protected site must remain synchronized with the recovery site. Any issue that impedes this synchronization will generate warning alerts. Check the following to diagnose the possible cause of the problem.

1. Confirm the disk added to the VM at the primary site is visible on the corresponding RVM at the recovery site.
    
2. If the corresponding disk cannot be found on the RVM, ensure the MSA is operational and connected. The MSA is essential in managing the synchronization of VM settings between the RVM and the protected site VM.
    
3. After resolving any MSA issues at the recovery site, it is necessary to either:
   • Re-protect the virtual machine containing the newly added disk.
   • Or, detach then reattach the new disk to the protected VM (JSDR version 4.2.x and above).

Examples

MSA Issue

1. A new disk Hard disk 7 is added to a protected VM in a CFO domain.
   
    
2. The hard disk begins initializing…
   
    
3. After a period of time, the protection status of the hard disk becomes “Cancelled.”
   
    
4. The protection status of the VM remains recoverable, but its icon appears yellow, highlighting an issue with the disk.
   
    
5. Checking hardware details of the RVM at the recovery site exposes the fact that Hard disk 7 had actually not been added to the RVM. This likely indicates a problem with the MSA.
   

DRVA Issue

1. A new disk Hard disk 7 is added to a protected VM in a CFO domain.
   
    
2. The hard disk is initialized.
   
    
3. The hard disk is successfully added and appears in the RVM at the recovery site.
   
    
4. The protection status of the VM remains recoverable, but its icon appears yellow highlighting an issue with the disk. A warning message appears indicating “Protected Domain recovery is not running.” and data does not get synchronized between the protected and recovery sites. This likely indicates a problem with the DRVA.
   
    

If the DRVA is not operational, newly added disks can still appear in the RVM. However, the DRVA must be fully functional in order for data to be synchronized between the primary site and the RVM.

E.g., In a protected domain with CFO active, if the DRVA is offline and a new disk is added to the protected VM, the new disk will still become visible in the RVM. However, when failover is initiated the contents of that disk will not actually be present in the recovered VM because the data has not been synchronized with the object store.

Related article: Protected Domain Recovery Fails on CFO Recovery Domain