Q. What is required for Data Protection Manager 2016 to use Resilient Change Tracking?
A. Windows Server 2016 introduced Resilient Change Tracking (RCT) as a new way for backup applications to track the changes to a Hyper-V VM which removed the need for backup vendors to create their own change filters to track changed blocks that needed to be backed up. For DPM 2016 to use RCT the Hyper-V server must be running Windows Server 2016 and the VM version must be 6.0 or higher which really means 8.0 or above for RTM of Windows Server 2016 (Windows Server 2012 R2 VMs were version 5.0). The VM version is not 6.0 or higher then the DPM filter will continue to be used. Additionally existing protected VMs will not switch to RCT even after the requirements are met without performing the following:
- Stop the protection of the VM but retain the replica (the VM will be placed in an inactive protection group)
- Re-protect the VM but during the protection perform a refresh which will ensure DPM detects the new VM version number
- A new replica will be created using RCT
