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April 15th, 2015 12:00

Using RecoverPoint to Copy LUN 1 Time

Hi,  I'll start off first by asking my question.  What are the recommended steps to use RecoverPoint to copy a LUN from one site to another and then stop replication to make that LUN available for use forever at that site?  So basically I'm just trying to copy a LUN across the wire, that's it.

Here is my scenario.  I used RecoverPoint to replicate/copy 5 LUNs to my DR site (approx 1.5TB).  After 18 hours, the sync was complete and recoverpoint was just doing its normal thing.  So I went ahead and paused the transfer to DR and then disabled the consistency groups.

Now I'm trying to have our HP guy mount the LUNs to the unix box and he is getting some errors after mounting them and doing a file system consistency check:

dr8420 root /tmp # fsck -F vxfs /dev/vg10/prodlkcrrese

vxfs fsck: unrecognized vxfs version number

invalid super-block

vxfs fsck: cannot initialize aggregate

file system check failure, aborting ...

So, basically I'm thinking perhaps my copied LUNs are corrupt.  All of them react the same way to the file system consistency check. I know the source LUNs are good because we run our production app from them.

Do I have to initially enable image access first before i disable the consistency group in RP?  Is that part of my problem?

Any assistance would be appreciated.  Thank you.

1.1K Posts

April 15th, 2015 15:00

Hi there,

Firstly, can you confirm what app/database resides on the file systems?

Secondly, what I would recommend is that you create a bookmarked snapshot for the CG and then use logged image access to select this bookmark and check the integrity of the file systems again. If everything works OK, then you can move to direct image access and then disable the CG.

Regards,

Rich Forshaw

Consultant Corporate Systems Engineer - RecoverPoint &VPLEX (EMEA)

Data Protection and Availability Solutions


10 Posts

April 16th, 2015 07:00

Thanks for the info Rich.  The LUNs hold a Cache 2007 database.

So do think my original problem is because I didn't turn on image access before disabling the CG?

1.1K Posts

April 16th, 2015 09:00

Ah, Cache 2007 database. I think the issue here is consistency with the Cache 2007 database. Most databases will rollback cleanly from a RecoverPoint crash-consistent snapshot simply because they have the inherent architecture capability. Unfortunately some do not and this is not the fault of RecoverPoint as the crash-consistent snapshots it generates and are in consistent write order.

The way to test that this is the case, is to quiesce the Cache 2007 database in whatever way you can (and this could mean shutting it down), then generating a RecoverPoint bookmarked snapshot and then un-quiescing the database or starting it back up again. Once the RecoverPoint bookmarked snapshot is in the replica copy journal and accessible, invoke image access and try to mount the file systems as you have been doing.0

1 Message

April 16th, 2015 10:00

Regardless of the consistency issue at the application/databases level that reside on the LUNs. I would think that the LUNs should still be able to mount to the remote host.

I can see consistency issues causing problems with the application/DB, but to the OS I would assume it should still be able to mount the filesystem, esp if replication was stopped when the LUNs were in a consistent state.

1.1K Posts

April 16th, 2015 12:00

OK, cool. Can you confirm that the source and replica volumes are attached to the splitters. If they are then perform the verification test as stated previously.

1.1K Posts

April 16th, 2015 12:00

VNX and RP version 4.*?

1.1K Posts

April 16th, 2015 12:00

I would agree with that but the suggestion was part of a process of elimination.

Question for sparky - do we have the same OS and file system type/version being used on the Prod and DR hosts?

10 Posts

April 16th, 2015 12:00

Yes, both the same OS version & same patches

10 Posts

April 16th, 2015 12:00

I'm not sure how to confirm that.  Could you please provide a little bit of instruction?

Looking at the splitters, I've got 2 for each site (2 sites total) and all 4 display a checkmark under status and RPA Link.

10 Posts

April 16th, 2015 13:00

VNX

Block Software Version: 05.32.000.5.215

File Software Version: 7.1.76-4

RP

Version: 3.5.SP1(o.143)

1.1K Posts

April 17th, 2015 05:00

From the UI, click on splitters from the left-hand side pane and when you select each splitter you will see which LUNs are attached.

You will see four entries in total, two for each VNX, as each VNX will show a splitter per each of it's two SP's.

10 Posts

April 17th, 2015 06:00

OK, yes there are 4 total.  I looked inside of them and I show all my replication sets in each one.  The access says "writable but not splitting to RPA".  Again, the CG is disabled currently.

1.1K Posts

April 17th, 2015 10:00

Once you start the CG, the Prod LUNs will be "writable and splitting to RPA" and the Target LUNs will be "No access". I suggest you start the CG, let it reach an Active state and then refer back to my comment 3 as a process of elimination test.

10 Posts

April 20th, 2015 05:00

OK, this is my game plan so please tell me if you see any problems with this:

  • Quiesce the Cache on Production
  • Pause for a little bit to ensure replication is caught up
  • Create a bookmark snapshot on the RecoverPoint
  • Restart Cache on Production
  • Enable physical/direct image access on the RecoverPoint using the snapshot
  • Mount and test the LUNs on the DR box

If the LUNs are good, then is my next step to just disable the consistency group and remove it? (I no longer want replication) Or do I need to do something else to enable these LUNs for long term use?

1.1K Posts

April 20th, 2015 14:00

Correct, Logged Image Access to Direct Image Access and the disable/remove the CG.

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