Tom.Evans

updated

12 years ago

0

23251

July 22nd, 2014 01:00

Replication of Volumes with SQL Databases

Hi All,

I am looking to replicate our environment for DR purposes. We are running on VMWare and have SQL Server running on several servers. I need to replicate the volumes from primary equallogic to secondary equallogic. Is there a way to achieve this to get application consistent replicas of the volume?

Thanks

Tom

  • 1117

    0

    Posted July 22nd, 2014 07:00

    Hello, Tom...

    For volumes that are configured for asynchronous replication between two Dell EqualLogic groups, you can use Dell EqualLogic Auto-Snapshot Manager Microsoft Edition to create application-consistent Replica Smart Copies.

    Here is a useful document:  

    en.community.dell.com/.../download.aspx

    Thanks,

    Michael Pacheco

  • 1117

    0

    Posted July 22nd, 2014 07:00

    Please clarify what you mean by "...having multiple servers on one volume...."

  • 1117

    0

    Posted July 22nd, 2014 07:00

    Thanks Michael. If i have multiple servers on one volume can i still use ASM/ME to take consistent smart copies before replication of the volume?

  • 1117

    0

    Posted July 22nd, 2014 07:00

    We have created a volume in Group Manager and VMWare connects to the target. The datastore in VMWare is used to store multiple machines.

  • 1117

    0

    Posted July 22nd, 2014 08:00

    In your scenario, with ASM/ME, it is recommended to store SQL application data on iSCSI volumes - and not on virtual disks.  If your SQL servers on on VMware VMs, then install ASM/ME on the VM Guest OS, and use the iSCSI initiator in the Guest VM to connect to the SQL database volumes.

  • Dev Mgr

    6 Operator

    •

    9308 Posts

    •

    3 Points

    1117

    0

    Posted July 22nd, 2014 09:00

    To give some additional information to Michael's answer:

    You'd want to create a 'guest attached iSCSI' setup. If you are using 2 x 1Gbit NICs for iSCSI, I'd recommend to buy another dual port NIC for iSCSI connectivity.

    You would then set up these 2 ports on another vSwitch with 2 seperate VMPGs and bind each to a single port. Then you give the VM 2 extra vNICs (vmxnet3) and install ASM/ME. Now you give the VM it's own volume(s) and partition and format them in the VM. Then you move your DB and transaction logs to these volumes.

    If you're using 4 x 1 Gbit, you could remove 2 iSCSI vmkernels, remove the NICs that those were bound to and do the same as above.

    If you're using 2 x 10Gbit, you most likely can just create the 2 VMPGs on the same vSwitch.

    If you're using full iSCSI HBAs (e.g. Qlogic), you will have to buy a dual port NIC and so like mentioned above.

    Piggy backing the same 2 (1Gbit) NICs for guest iSCSI as the host uses for host iSCSI is not a good (long term) solution and I wouldn't recommend doing this.