RM is a stand alone product that is licensed by host. You would need one license for the RM server, and one license for each production host and mount host. RM comes standard with SQL, Exhcange, Oracle, and file system agents so you dont't need to purchase anything extra to get the functionality you are looking for.
Personally I am a big fan of RM. My company develops an in-house application that uses a SQL backend. Needless to say we have a lot of development, candidate, and test environments which are all copies of production databases. With our largest SQL databases we got to a point where we were unable to restore the databases to development environments in a timely manner (over 24 hours to restore a 4TB database). RM solved that headache in a big way. For example for one of the large production databases I have a RM job that synchs a BCV nightly against the production database, then it kicks off 6 snap jobs the create a TF/Snap of the BCV volumes and then mounts the snaps to 6 different development environments. When the job finishes mounting the snaps it runs a SQL script that attaches the databases to development instances. For development and candidate environments that don't need daily refreshes I have clones that run on weekly or quarterly schedules. All automated. Once I set the jobs up and ensure they work I rarely have to tourch RM again.
Activate makes the device RW accessible.. Use consistency for databases.. Please go to Powerlink to search for documentation which provides more information, examples, etc.. The Solutions Enabler T/F guide is a good start, but also browse knowledgebase..
you will get a crash consistent copy of the database, same thing as if the server lost power. If you want application consistent copy you will need to look into applications that provide SQL integration (Recover Point, TF/EIM for SQL)
Thanks. I will have a read again TF/SIM. I am looking for "restartable db" by using TF/Clone and thought TF/SIM was for "recoverable db - backup/restore". is it alsway good idea to use "consistent" option for TF/Clone for the purpse of creating "restartable" db ?
Consistency is good, so yes indeed, use it if you can . You can then control >1 TF/Clones at the same time.... but it's still just crash consistent, not yet restartable.
looks like we will have to keep target sql host down until "consistent split" or "terminate" the clone pair... to get "restartable" db on the target. guess we will have to test it to know for sure. thanks.
I think the only way is to set the db in a mode where a sudden crash would leave the db intact and restartable. In Oracle this would be the hot backup mode, in MS SQL I don't know if there is such a mode. the only way to be absolutely sure is to shut down the db momentarily, then start the Clone session or split the BCV and right after that you can start up the db again. This doesn't need to be hours, since the Storage array will take care of the copy process in the background (Clone) if needed. the db can be up and running during that process.
You don't need to take the host down for consistent clones, the database just needs to be put in hot backup mode. You can use scripts to put the database in backup mode, split the clones, then take the database out of hot backup mode. Your DBAs should be able to help you with the sql scripts.
Depending on what you need the clone for though, you may be able to get by with a crash consistent copy of the DB. You just need to run recovery on the database. As long as you are cloning the log volumes in addition to the data volumes this should work.
Ideally though if you want a good SQL consistent copy of the database you should use RM of TF/SIM. I use RM for making clones/bcv/snaps of SQL databases on our DMX. It works great.
Nope, it doesn't take the db offline. I am not sure why you think Microsoft SQL Server cannot be backed up online. There is a ton of documentation on MSDN about SQL backup and recovery. If SQL can run in backup mode and create a 'hot' backup to a file, then the API exists to put the database in backup mode and take it out of backup mode.
I am not a DBA so don't know the correct term, but there is a backup mode in SQL server that allows you to get a consistent view of the data and log files on a volume for backup and recovery purposes.
AranH1
2.2K Posts
0
August 11th, 2010 08:00
RM is a stand alone product that is licensed by host. You would need one license for the RM server, and one license for each production host and mount host. RM comes standard with SQL, Exhcange, Oracle, and file system agents so you dont't need to purchase anything extra to get the functionality you are looking for.
Personally I am a big fan of RM. My company develops an in-house application that uses a SQL backend. Needless to say we have a lot of development, candidate, and test environments which are all copies of production databases. With our largest SQL databases we got to a point where we were unable to restore the databases to development environments in a timely manner (over 24 hours to restore a 4TB database). RM solved that headache in a big way. For example for one of the large production databases I have a RM job that synchs a BCV nightly against the production database, then it kicks off 6 snap jobs the create a TF/Snap of the BCV volumes and then mounts the snaps to 6 different development environments. When the job finishes mounting the snaps it runs a SQL script that attaches the databases to development instances. For development and candidate environments that don't need daily refreshes I have clones that run on weekly or quarterly schedules. All automated. Once I set the jobs up and ensure they work I rarely have to tourch RM again.
ZepHead
88 Posts
0
August 10th, 2010 10:00
Activate makes the device RW accessible.. Use consistency for databases.. Please go to Powerlink to search for documentation which provides more information, examples, etc.. The Solutions Enabler T/F guide is a good start, but also browse knowledgebase..
dynamox
9 Legend
•
20.4K Posts
1
August 10th, 2010 10:00
you will get a crash consistent copy of the database, same thing as if the server lost power. If you want application consistent copy you will need to look into applications that provide SQL integration (Recover Point, TF/EIM for SQL)
ZepHead
88 Posts
0
August 10th, 2010 10:00
Dynamox is right.. Consider specific apps for SQL.
lzhu1
24 Posts
0
August 10th, 2010 11:00
Thanks. But how do I get "restartable" db? I thought TF/Clone is the way to go for "restartable".
lzhu1
24 Posts
0
August 10th, 2010 11:00
Thanks. I will have a read again TF/SIM. I am looking for "restartable db" by using TF/Clone and thought TF/SIM was for "recoverable db - backup/restore". is it alsway good idea to use "consistent" option for TF/Clone for the purpse of creating "restartable" db ?
RRR
4 Operator
•
5.7K Posts
0
August 10th, 2010 11:00
Consistency is good, so yes indeed, use it if you can
. You can then control >1 TF/Clones at the same time.... but it's still just crash consistent, not yet restartable.
lzhu1
24 Posts
0
August 10th, 2010 12:00
looks like we will have to keep target sql host down until "consistent split" or "terminate" the clone pair... to get "restartable" db on the target. guess we will have to test it to know for sure. thanks.
RRR
4 Operator
•
5.7K Posts
0
August 10th, 2010 12:00
I think the only way is to set the db in a mode where a sudden crash would leave the db intact and restartable. In Oracle this would be the hot backup mode, in MS SQL I don't know if there is such a mode. the only way to be absolutely sure is to shut down the db momentarily, then start the Clone session or split the BCV and right after that you can start up the db again. This doesn't need to be hours, since the Storage array will take care of the copy process in the background (Clone) if needed. the db can be up and running during that process.
RRR
4 Operator
•
5.7K Posts
1
August 10th, 2010 13:00
I guess that'd be the best solution. You could also use EMC's Replication Manager to help you with scripts and putting the db in the right state.....
AranH1
2.2K Posts
0
August 10th, 2010 13:00
You don't need to take the host down for consistent clones, the database just needs to be put in hot backup mode. You can use scripts to put the database in backup mode, split the clones, then take the database out of hot backup mode. Your DBAs should be able to help you with the sql scripts.
Depending on what you need the clone for though, you may be able to get by with a crash consistent copy of the DB. You just need to run recovery on the database. As long as you are cloning the log volumes in addition to the data volumes this should work.
Ideally though if you want a good SQL consistent copy of the database you should use RM of TF/SIM. I use RM for making clones/bcv/snaps of SQL databases on our DMX. It works great.
lzhu1
24 Posts
0
August 10th, 2010 14:00
could be taking the sql db "offline" - before split and then putting db back "online" - after ? thanks
AranH1
2.2K Posts
0
August 10th, 2010 14:00
Nope, it doesn't take the db offline. I am not sure why you think Microsoft SQL Server cannot be backed up online. There is a ton of documentation on MSDN about SQL backup and recovery. If SQL can run in backup mode and create a 'hot' backup to a file, then the API exists to put the database in backup mode and take it out of backup mode.
dynamox
9 Legend
•
20.4K Posts
0
August 10th, 2010 14:00
that will sure work if your users/applications are willing to take that outage.
AranH1
2.2K Posts
0
August 10th, 2010 14:00
I am not a DBA so don't know the correct term, but there is a backup mode in SQL server that allows you to get a consistent view of the data and log files on a volume for backup and recovery purposes.