VNX-5300 to NS-120 replication

can you run "nas_license -l" on the control station on VNX and NS-120 ? If both are licensed for Replicator then you are ok from licensing perspective.

msassedatalink wrote: Not necessarily.  Licensing for File Replication is as simple as checkmarking a box, that doesn't mean you own the license.

it should not be checkmarked if you have not purchased it in the first place.

Not necessarily.  Licensing for File Replication is as simple as checkmarking a box, that doesn't mean you own the license.

OP, talk with EMC or your EMC partner to ensure you have purchased the correct licenses for VNX Replicator and Celerra Replicator.  Those will allow you to replicate your CIFS data.  If you want to replicate your block level LUNs you'll also need Mirrorview and Snapview enablers installed on the VNX and the CX4-120 backing your NS-120.  Looks like you have Mirrorview installed on the VNX already.  VNX Replicator, Celerra Replicator, and Mirrorview are all part of the Remote Protection Suite offered for your VNX and NS-120.  Snapview is part of the Local Protection Suite.

I'd recommend replicating your VDM and CIFS file systems from the VNX to the NS-120.  This will ensure your CIFS server settings are preserved in replication.  You'll also want to consider how to handle usermapper.  Right now I'm sure your VNX is the primary usermapper for its CIFS shares.  If it stays that way and you make the NS-120 a secondary usermapper, in the event of a failover anyone who has already accessed a CIFS share previously on the VNX will already have a usermapping on the NS-120.  However, in the event of a failover, anyone who has never accessed the CIFS shares on the VNX cannot access them on the NS-120 since the primary usermapper on the VNX would be unavailable.

For that reason, I usually make the DR site the primary usermapper and the production site secondary.  During normal usage when the WAN is up the VNX can hit the NS-120 as the primary usermapper.  During a disaster, the NS-120 is the primary usermapper so new users can still access it.  However, during a simple WAN outage any new users accessing the VNX CIFS shares wouldn't be able to.  You just have to pick your poison.  I tend to lean towards making DR primary usermapper because a WAN outage usually only lasts minutes to a few hours.  A true disaster could last days.

dynamox wrote: it should not be checkmarked if you have not purchased it in the first place.

Absolutely.  But someone can checkmark the box without buying the license.

Reviewing what you've purchased with EMC or your EMC Partner is the only way to know 100%.

Oops sorry.  Confusing two posts.  I was thinking migration.  While still kind of relevant, ignore.

If you didn't purchase a Replicator license but as you mentioned are following up with EMC (or your service provider) you can request a "temporary" license for both arrays to get you through the migration.  As suggested by Dynamox and msassedatalink (where supported) between a Celerra and a VNX, migrating your CIFS environment via Replicator is the simplest and should really be the only solution you should consider.

To assist you with the migration, consider using the following document as a foundation. 

http://www.emc.com/collateral/hardware/white-papers/h8174-migrating-celerra-vnx-replicator-wp.pdf

Also, heed msassedatalink's comments about usermapper which are not (but should be) noted in the above white paper.

In regards to replicating filesystems between an NS and a VNX for DR purposes, even at the highest code level of the Celerra, you have to always remember that there are some features on the VNX OE for File that aren't backported to the Celerra.  For instance, what comes to mind are:

1) "Deep file compression" option of the VNX

2) FLR changes

3) Quota changes

If enabled on the VNX, as you can imagine the Celerra wouldn't know how to handle them.  Rainer actually points out 2 of these in the following post:

https://community.emc.com/message/706578#706578

Even at v5.6.47 of DART (on the NS) there were enough fundamental changes to the filesystem where this would be the absolute minimum required (but could be higher depending on combination and features being used on the VNX).

Make sure you upgrade the NS-120 to the highest support DART code

Avoid features that are only available on the VNX – like the one’s mentioned plus the VDM enhancements (per VDM config like NFS exports)

does not look like you are licensed for replicator

[nasadmin@vnx5700 ~]$ nas_license -list

key                 status    value

site_key            online    4f 91 8e 16

cifs                online   

nfs                 online   

snapsure            online   

replicatorV2        online

Not sure if the licensing command is still pertinent after the discussion but here it is. We would not have checked anything without purchasing it (-:

____________________________________________

VNX5300:

[nasadmin@VNXCS0 ~]$ nas_license -l

key status    value

site_key online    4f d6 56 cc

cifs online

nfs online

snapsure online

____________________________________________

NS120:

[nasadmin@SAN1-CONTROL ~]$ nas_license -l

key status    value

site_key online    4e 05 4a 8f

cifs online

iscsi online

advancedmanager online

snapsure online