Restoring before failing back allows your users to continue accessing their data on the failed over target, which is standing in for the source, while you perform the restoration process. The key to this process is to keep the users off of the source, but allow the source and target to communicate to perform the restoration.
From the Replication Console, select Tools, Restoration Manager.
Select the Restore From machine. This is the target machine where the copy of the data is stored.
Note: If your target is a cluster, you can specify just one node in the cluster and restore only from that node. If you need to have the cluster functionality (Microsoft failover from node to node) available during the restoration process, you will have to create a resource, like you did for your original connection, for the restoration process. See Protecting a standard cluster. Keep in mind when restoring, your target will function as your source, sending data to the target, which will be your original or new source.
The Restore To Server Path and Restore From Server Path paths will automatically be populated when the replication set is selected. The restore to path is the directory that is the common parent directory for all of the directories in the replication set. If the replication set crosses volumes, then there will be a separate path for each volume. The restore from path is the path on the target server where the replicated files are located.
Note: Restoring across a NAT router requires the ports to be the same as the original connection. If the ports have been modified (manually or reinstalled), you must set the port numbers to the same values as the last valid source/target connection.
Only if backup copy is more recent—This option restores only those files that are newer on the target than on the source. The entire file is overwritten with this option.
Note: If you are using a database application, do not use the newer option unless you know for certain you need it. With database applications, it is critical that all files, not just some of them that might be newer, get mirrored.
Click Restore to begin the restoration. You can identify a restoration connection because it is enclosed in parenthesis ( ) and it has _Restore appended to the end of the replication set name. The initial restoration is complete when the Mirror Status is Idle. After the Mirror Status is Idle, the connection will continue replicating any on-going data changes from the target to the source.
Note: During the restoration, only the data is restored back to the source. Shares are not created on the source during the restoration. Shares that were created on the target during failover will need to be created manually on the source.
Select the failed source and click Failback.
Note: If the target is a cluster, you will need to determine the active node and failback from that node. Then you will need to failback from each of the other nodes to synchronize all of the nodes of the cluster.
Since failback has occurred, your restoration connection is no longer valid and will be marked with a red X. Disconnect the restoration connection.
Note: If your target is a cluster, take the Double-Take Source Connection resource offline to disconnect the connection.
At this time, you can go back to the dialog box in the Failover Control Center. Select Continue or Stop to indicate if you want to continue monitoring the source. After you have selected whether or not to continue monitoring the source, the source post-failback script, if configured, will be started.
Note: The source must be online and Double-Take Availability must be running to ensure that the source post-failback script can be started. If the source has not completed its boot process, the command to start the script may be lost and the script will not be initiated.