What does the vSphere Replication service handle?

The vSphere Replication service is specifically designed to manage the outgoing replication of data from the source ESXi host to the vSphere Replication server. This service enables the replication of virtual machine data to a secondary site, ensuring that an up-to-date copy of the virtual machine exists for recovery purposes.

This functionality is crucial for disaster recovery scenarios, as it allows organizations to protect their virtual machines by ensuring that they can recover them from an alternate location in the event of a failure or disaster affecting the primary site. The service allows for near-continuous data protection, providing configurable recovery point objectives (RPOs), which is essential for maintaining business continuity.

The replication process includes a variety of features such as incremental updates, which minimize the amount of data transferred after the initial replication, and support for different network connections. These aspects collectively ensure efficient data transfer and minimal disruption to running virtual machines during the replication process.