In App Volumes, storage groups can be used to automatically replicate packages from one storage to another. To ensure that all App Volumes instances have the same application and package information after replication, App Volumes uses synchronization.
Synchronization occurs only from a source App Volumes instance to a target App Volumes instance. An instance must be registered as a target on the source. As part of the App Volumes infrastructure, the App Volumes Manager admin UI has an Instances tab where you can add (register) target instances to the source, manage source and target instances, and perform other synchronization related operations.
When the packages are replicated from the source to the target using storage groups and these application packages are imported on the target, a synchronization relationship is established between the source and target. If there are changes to the replicated packages or the associated application on the source, then these changes are automatically synchronized to the target.
For information about storage groups and their configuration, see Configure Storage Groups.
Terminologies used in the context of App Volumes Application Synchronization
- App Volumes Manager Instance
- An App Volumes install bound by an SQL database. Multiple App Volumes Manager servers can access a single SQL database.
- Source Instance
- App Volumes instance that synchronizes replicated applications and packages to other App Volumes instances.
- Target Instance
- App Volumes instance with replicated applications and packages that are synchronized by another App Volumes instance.
- Related Instance
- A target instance or a source instance with reference to a current App Volumes Manager instance.
- Replication
- An App Volumes feature which enables the copying of applications and packages ( .vmdk and .vhd) between storage locations.
- Synchronization
- An App Volumes feature which ensures information about the replicated applications and packages remain the same across App Volumes Manager instances.
To read through the summary about how changes on the source instance impact the target instance, see Impact on the Target Instance Due to Application Synchronization.
