A method for using a reference volume for initial synchronization of a replicated volume group. The method includes initiating a replication and synchronization operation between a parent virtual machine and a child virtual machine, and specifying a parent virtual machine to be used for replication and a subsequent synchronization. The method further includes accessing a point in time snapshot of the parent virtual machine, coordinating with a secondary site to obtain an image of the parent reference volume at said point in time, and copying the common regions from a parent reference volume to a new volume. The differences between the parent reference volume and the new volume are transmitted and are applied to the new volume to synchronize the child virtual machine on the secondary site to the child virtual machine on the primary site, wherein the child and the parent may be in different virtual machine groups.