After Upgrading to vCenter 6.5 Rapid Recovery Snapshots are Failing

If you’ve recently upgraded your VMware vCenter environment to version 6.5, you might have noticed that rapid recovery snapshots are no longer functioning as expected. This issue can be particularly concerning for organizations relying on vSphere’s built-in snapshot capabilities for data protection and disaster recovery.

Symptoms of Failed Rapid Recovery Snapshots

When upgrading to vCenter 6.5, you may encounter the following symptoms:

Rapid recovery snapshots are no longer being created or updated.
VSphere is unable to recover virtual machines from failed snapshots.
Data loss or corruption occurs due to the failure of rapid recovery snapshot mechanisms.

Common Causes of Failed Rapid Recovery Snapshots in vCenter 6.5

To troubleshoot and resolve this issue, it’s essential to understand the common causes:

Versions Conflicts

Mismatched versions between vCenter Server, ESXi hosts, and VMware Tools can lead to rapid recovery snapshot failures. Ensure that all components are running compatible versions.

Configuration Issues

Incorrectly configured snapshot policies, inadequate storage resources, or poorly optimized VMFS datastores might cause rapid recovery snapshots to fail.

Best Practices for Resolving Failed Rapid Recovery Snapshots in vCenter 6.5

To overcome this challenge and ensure the reliability of your rapid recovery snapshots:

Verify that all components are running compatible versions.
Review and adjust snapshot policies to optimize storage usage and minimize I/O latency.
Ensure sufficient storage resources are allocated for VMFS datastores and snapshot repositories.
Monitor vSphere performance and troubleshoot any potential issues using built-in tools like esxtop or vm-support.

Additional Troubleshooting Steps for Failed Rapid Recovery Snapshots

If the issue persists, you can try the following advanced troubleshooting steps:

Check vCenter Server logs for errors related to rapid recovery snapshots.
Verify that VMware Tools are installed and configured correctly on affected virtual machines.
Run the vm-support command with the -d option to generate a detailed support bundle.

Conclusion: Ensuring Rapid Recovery Snapshot Reliability in vCenter 6.5

After upgrading to vCenter 6.5, it’s crucial to verify the reliability of your rapid recovery snapshots. By understanding common causes and implementing best practices for troubleshooting and resolution, you can ensure the integrity of your virtual infrastructure and maintain data protection and disaster recovery capabilities.

For further assistance or to learn more about optimizing your vSphere environment, consider consulting official VMware documentation or reaching out to a qualified VMware professional.