Chapter 4. Preparing for data loss with VM snapshots
Virtual machine (VM) snapshots are an integral component of a data recovery strategy, since they preserve the full state of an IdM server:
- Operating system software and settings
- IdM software and settings
- IdM customer data
Preparing a VM snapshot of an IdM Certificate Authority (CA) replica allows you to rebuild an entire IdM deployment after a disaster.
If your environment uses the integrated CA, a snapshot of a replica without a CA will not be sufficient for rebuilding a deployment, because certificate data will not be preserved.
Similarly, if your environment uses the IdM Key Recovery Authority (KRA), make sure you create snapshots of a KRA replica, or you might lose the storage key.
Red Hat recommends creating snapshots of a VM that has all of the IdM server roles installed which are in use in your deployment: CA, KRA, DNS.
Prerequisites
- A hypervisor capable of hosting RHEL VMs.
Procedure
Configure at least one CA replica in the deployment to run inside a VM.
- If IdM DNS or KRA are used in your environment, consider installing DNS and KRA services on this replica as well.
- Optional: Configure this VM replica as a hidden replica.
- Periodically shutdown this VM, take a full snapshot of it, and bring it back online so it continues to receive replication updates. If the VM is a hidden replica, IdM Clients will not be disrupted during this procedure.
Additional resources
