How does the new Fault Tolerance feature work? (4234965)

This feature uses the RMAD Portal Access Service and RMAD PowerShell cmdlets. When the replication feature is enabled the current console connects to the Portal Access Services on the remote RMAD server and exports the relevant data. For example: Collection info, backup schedule task info, backup info, etc. After the current console gets the data, the PowerShell cmdlets are used to import it.

In Full mode, the following information is replicated:
-    Global settings
-    Computer collection and computer collection settings (including collection credentials and backup file password if set)
-    computer collection item
-    Retention between computer collection and computer collection items.
-    Backup schedule task.
  o    If the user account is a domain user or local user, it will be changed to “SYSTEM” due to the fact that Windows will not permit retrieving the password for the account from the Scheduled Task
  o    If the user account is Managed Service Account, ensure that MSA works in current console, otherwise, it will be changed to “SYSTEM”
  o    Schedule task is disabled.
-    Retention between backup schedule and computer collection.
-    Backup information.
  o    Backup info only, don’t include the backup file
  o    If the path of backup is an absolute path, for example: “C:\backups\b1.bkf”, it will be changed to a UNC path, such as: \\CurrentConsoleName\C$\ backups\b1.bkf.
-    Retention between Backup information and Computer Collection

In Backup Mode only the Backup Information is replicated.

The Full mode works in single-master mode. Only one replication item can be set to enabled so there is no conflict.
The Backup mode works in multi-master mode, but it only copies the backup info only so there is no conflict with the exception of the following scenario:
 
- Given there are two RMAD consoles: ConsoleA and ConsoleB, and a user manually copies a Backup file from ConsoleA to ConsoleB and registers the backup on ConsoleB. When replication is enabled, (regardless if it is Backup mode or Full mode) then the backup info will be set to the same as ConsoleB. The reason for this is because the backup info on ConsoleB has later modified time stamp.

If a discrepancy is detected occurs, the config is changed without any notification.

There are no additional network port requirements. The permissions needed are:

For Full mode"
-    The account used for the replication task must be a member of the local Administrators group on the local and remote RMAD consoles.
-    The account must be a member of the Domain Users group on each target domain.
-    The account must be a member of the local Administrators group on the computer hosting the AD LDS (ADAM) instances.

For the Backups mode"
-    The account used for the replication task must be a member of the local Administrators group on the local RMAD console.

It would be better to stagger the backup schedule task and replication schedule task. Also, it would be best to ensure good network connectivity between RMAD servers.

Please see the Fault Tolerance section of the 9.0 User Guide for more information.