VNX Replicator, DNS/NTP and Storage Domains

Hello everyone,

one of our customers has 2 VNX5700 unified systems running Block Release 32 / File 7.1. The VNX systems are in different cities (about 150km apart) and they are replicating File systems via VNX Replicator. There is no block-based replication. Both systems are in the same Unisphere Storage Domain.

The systems have been running fine for a couple of years. But they have some nagging issues with DNS and NTP. The VNX in site B cannot reach the DNS Server in Site A (due to network restrictions) and vice versa. The customer wants each VNX to speak to a local DNS and NTP server.

If I read kb16904 correctly, the DNS and NTP Settings are global for a storage domain. Changing these settings will be replicated to all VNX in the domain. So the only way to have each VNX using separate DNS servers is to remove one VNX from the domain, resulting in 2 separate domains in Unisphere. Is this correct?

But what about replication? Does VNX Replicator require both VNX in the same domain? Or is that just a restriction of MirrorView? What would happen to Filesystem replication if the target VNX is kicked out of the current domain?

And what about DNS/NTP on the Data-Movers? Are they separate from the settings in the Unisphere domain? They can be set by server_dns and server_date, correct? Are those settings replicated between VNX systems in a domain?

I know, a lot of questions, but some of the documentation is a bit thin on the details.

Thanks in advance.

Regards,

Stephen