Hi Sheppie,

What version of NAS code the boxes are running? I am assuming we are discussing Celerra Replicator Version 1 here.

This is an interesting situation. Others may suggest or comment - but I am putting my instant thoughts now.

You may consider only the File system (Data) replication - no VDM (or CIFS) replication for this multi-protocol File system.

That means, the multi-protocol file system will be created and mounted on the physical data mover (server_x) not on the VDM. You also need to have (I guess you already have) one CIFS server on the physical data mover. So for windows access, the File system will be shared on this CIFS server on the physical data mover. Then for replication - you will have only file system replication - which will replicate the user data. In case of Failover, you can failover the file system but no CIFS configuration for this share will be failed over - you need to manully take care of the same. So once failed over you have to manually configure NFS Exports and CIFS shares on the Destination side.

I 'll try to find any other possibility (if any) of replicating the multi-protocol file system with VDM replication - in the mean time request other experts to comment.

Thanks,
Sandip

Hi Sandip,

Thanks for your response - we are running DART 5.5.31-6.

I think you have understood my problem. In the case of a disaster I won't be able to failover the CIFS info as the CIFS server isn't in a VDM. That means I'd have to recreate everything manually on the remote site which would pain to do.

Regards,
Sheppie

You should still put the CIFS server into a VDM, because then the failover of the CIFS is working.

If you replicate only the filesystems, your data will be on the destination side, but you will be unable to access it immediately (CIFS), because you are not replicating the whole CIFS configuration (f.e shares, local groups, quotas, computernames ...) Depending on your environment, recreating the shares and the local groups will be a pain.
The VDM will take care of this.

For NFS, it is different. If you create the VDM in the best way, then your pathnames and mountpoints seen from the physical datamovers will be the identical on the source and the target side.
If you create your NFS export on the phsical datamover, in case of a DR you just need to apply the NFS exports on the destination side and you are up again.
Maybe you have to synchronize or list the NFS exports using a script redirected to a replicated FS, so you will be able to apply them on the destination side.

Regards
Peter

This doesn't work though. I need to access the filesystem using CIFS and NFS.

I create the filesystem, but I can't put it in a VDM because if I do that I don't get the option in the GUI to export it as NFS.

So I put the filesystem on server_2. I can now export it as NFS. I need to access it using CIFS as well so I create a CIFS server, but I can't create it in a VDM because if I do, it can't see the filesystem which is on server_2.

Hence the problems with CIFS as you can only replicate this if it is in a VDM. Which means you can't replicate it properly if you want multiprotocol access to a filesystem.

Sheppie

You are correct, replication is only supported for CIFS.
But believe me it does work also for NFS, maybe not using the GUI, but using the CLI.

VDMs are used as a container for a CIFS-Server, they include the Shares, Localgroups, Compnames, Credentials ...
If you do not use this mechanism for replication, there will be much work in case of failover

Peter

I believe you that failover will work for NFS with some manual intervention.

My problem is that for a filesystem requiring multiprotocol access there currently appears to be no way to replicate CIFS info with the Celerra.

Sheppie

Peter ..if there is a way to NFS export file system that resides within a VDM ..i would like to know how to do that ?

File system replication works for both NFS and CIFS protocols - but the VDM replication (i.e. CIFS replication) is only for CIFS environment. Celerra replicator is thus not only CIFS replication but it is bi-folded - file system replication and VDM replication.

As I understand, with the current situation, a File system mounted on a VDM can not be exported for NFS. Thus the challenge or issue Sheppie is having.

I heard that in near future we 'll have the NFS support on a VDM - not sure when, but 'll try to check on that.

Thanks,
Sandip

please do check Sandip, I had to create a CIFS server outside of VDM just to be able to satisfy requirement for multi protocol access. So now my CIFS server admin can map to \\cifs_server\c$ and browse other file systems ..i hate that.

@dynamox
The physical datamover is able to NFS export also the filesystems mounted on the VDMs