Nutanix Asynchronous (Async) replication is a foundational data protection technology that allows for the periodic transfer of virtual machine snapshots from a primary cluster to a remote site. When using Async replication between two ESXi-based Nutanix clusters, the primary objective is data persistence rather than deep integration with the vSphere management hierarchy. Because Async replication operates at the storage level, it captures the virtual disk (vDisk) data and the VM ' s configuration files (.vmx) but does not natively synchronize the logical inventory metadata maintained by the vCenter Server, such as VM folders, resource pools, or specific vApp configurations.
When a failover is executed, the Nutanix cluster registers the VM to the remote ESXi host and vCenter. Since the inventory mapping details (original folder and resource pool) are not part of the standard Async replication payload, the vCenter Server treats the failing-over VM as a new registration and places it into the default root folder and the default cluster resource pool. To maintain consistent organizational structures during a disaster recovery event, administrators typically rely on Prism Central-based " Recovery Plans. " Recovery Plans offer advanced orchestration that allows for the manual definition of inventory mappings, ensuring that VMs are placed in the correct folders and resource pools upon recovery. Understanding this limitation of legacy Async replication is crucial for administrators designing BCDR solutions that require high levels of organizational consistency post-failover.