WillSanders

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WillSanders

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January 6th, 2015 07:00

Migrating Distributed Volumes Between Arrays

Hello,

Today we have a VPLEX Metro setup between arrays at two different sites.  We are looking into the need to upgrade those arrays.  Considering that VPLEX mobility/migration is not supported between distributed devices, how do we go about migrating from the current arrays to the new arrays using VPLEX?

Thanks,

Will

  • ankur.patel

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    Posted January 6th, 2015 08:00

    What you are attempting to do is quite common, let me try to explain it further. Ill try to create a video describing this as well.

    Today you have a distributed virtual volume A, which is comprised of devices B at site 1 and C at site 2. At some point the array that B is on needs to go away and you need to move B to a new array. Bring in a new array and create lun B1 that is of the same size as B and present it to vplex and claim it. You then do an extent/device mobility job from B to B1, this whole time the virtual volume A is still seen by the host. The synchronization from B to B1 is happening in the background. Any new writes to A are going to B,B1, and C.

    At some point you commit the mobility job at which point now the distributed volume A is now comprised of B1 at site 1 and C at site 2.

    make sense?

  • WillSanders

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    Posted January 6th, 2015 07:00

    Ok, I can see that.  However, doesn't this mean that I now have two un-sync'd copies of my data, one device per site, and no virtual volume representing them to the host(s)?  Syncing these together to make a new distributed volume doesn't seem to make a lot of sense, so wouldn't you instead migrate one leg of the original distributed device, and then sync it to a new LUN on the other leg using a new distributed device?  If I do this I don't have a virtual volume at this point, so this would be a disruptive migration from the host point of view, right?  Finally, what about in the stretch cluster scenario? 

  • ankur.patel

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    Posted January 6th, 2015 07:00

    Hello Will, while its true you cannot migrate distributed Volumes you CAN migrate the devices at each site of a distributed volume. A distributed volume is made up of 2 devices/extents at each site. So its a matter of creating a device/extent on the new array, presenting it to vplex , and doing a device/extent migration.

  • ankur.patel

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    Posted January 6th, 2015 08:00

    You are correct. The host is looking at the distribtued volume and has no idea of any of these movements going on.

  • WillSanders

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    Posted January 6th, 2015 08:00

    Ok, so to continue your thinking, if you were replacing both arrays, you would then do the same with LUN C, and use a local mobility job to move to C1.

    During this time the distributed volume would stay up?

  • WillSanders

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    Posted January 6th, 2015 08:00

    Ankur,

    Two questions for you then:

         1.  What commands would you use for the extent/device mobility?

         2.  Based on a pervious conversation we had, this still doesn't work to increase the size of a distributed volume, correct?

    Thanks,

    Will

  • ankur.patel

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    Posted January 6th, 2015 09:00

    2) you are correct

    1) In the admin guide it has a section on a one time migration that lists all the steps using the CLI, let me know if you dont have the admin guide

  • WillSanders

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    Posted January 6th, 2015 09:00

    Thanks Ankur.  I'll look it over and do some testing.  I appreciate the help.

  • ankur.patel

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    Posted July 18th, 2015 14:00

  • sunrise21

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    Posted July 18th, 2015 15:00

    Hello Ankur,

    I am trying to claim storage from VNX ClARiiON Array. I do have a mapping

    file. Is just that whenever i browse and upload the mapping file i get an

    error saying the name provided for mapping file is invalid. Do you have any

    suggestions.

    Thanks,

    On Sat, Jul 18, 2015 at 5:57 PM, ankur.patel