FlexApp: Mirroring VMDK-Based Layers Across vCenter Servers and Storage Volumes

When your environment is made up of multiple vCenter Servers and/or multiple storage volumes, a problem arises with how to get a FlexApp Layer from one virtual center to another or from one storage volume A to another storage volume B. Cloning the application layer and using it separately from the original layer adds yet another layer of management overhead. FlexDisk allows mirroring of these VMDK-based FlexApp layers across vCenters or datastores without requiring additional layer management. With FlexApp Mirroring, administrators can also throttle the bandwidth so that network connections are not compromised.

Important: FlexApp Layers have an additional bit-level requirement. The bit-level of the operating system on which you package applications with the FlexApp Packaging Console needs to match the operating system of the desktop to which you deploy applications. If you are packaging applications to be used in a 32-bit environment, you must use the Packaging Console on a 32-bit OS. If you are packaging applications to be used in a 64-bit environment, you must use the Packaging Console on a 64-bit OS. This also applies to mirroring FlexApp Layers to other datastores or vCenters. The target environment needs to match the environment in which the FlexApp Layer was packaged.

To configure VMDK-based FlexApp mirroring, complete the following steps:

  1. Open the ProfileUnity Management Console.
  2. Click the FlexDisk Management option in the left column.

    • Note: Beginning with version 6.8.5, FlexDisk Management is hidden by default. If you do not see it in the left column, click your username in the top right corner of the screen and click the Administration option. In the Settings tab, scroll down to and click to open the Miscellaneous section. Deselect the Hide FlexDisk checkbox, then click Update in the top right corner of the screen. Lastly, refresh your screen and the FlexDisk Management option should appear in the left column.

  4. Click the (Mirror) icon to the right of the VMDK-based FlexApp Layer that you want to use across another datastore or another Virtual Center.
  5. On the Mirror Disk screen that opens, click inside the Datastores field and then click the name of the datastore or Virtual Center that you want to mirror to.
  6. Click the Add Mirrors button.