You will want to move the CIFS server to a VDM before you begin per the referenced KB article below, then replicate the VDM (which will now contain the CIFS related information such as: CIFS server itself, local groups, shares and share permissions, etc.).  Along with providing the KB article to address your specific question/concern, I simply would like to also list other things you'll want/need to consider.

1) Check DART compatibility

Firstly, you need to make sure you are running compatible versions of DART.  If you aren't running the same version of DART on each array, make sure you are at least compliant per the NAS Support Matrix available on PowerLink via the following breadcrumb trail:

Home > Support > Interoperability and Product Lifecycle Information > Interoperability Matrices

[...]

System Requirements for Replicator v2

Following are the Replicatorv2 system requirements:
• NAS 5.6 or greater is required for Replicator v2.
• Replicator works with any backend systems supported for Celerra and VNX File..
• Replication between DART 5.6.x and DART 6.x and VNX File 7.x is supported with DART 5.6.47 and higher.
• Total storage capacity per DM (including Replicator SavVol and SnapSure SavVol) not exceed the limits listed in the NAS Interoperability Matrix.

[...]

Also review the PDF for other considerations such as various maximums related to replicator.

2) White Paper: "Migrating Data from an EMC Celerra Array to a VNX Platform Using Celerra Replicator"

This is a good walk-through of the process, and is available on PowerLink via the following breadcrumb trail:

Home > Support > Technical Documentation and Advisories > Hardware/Platforms Documentation > VNX Series > White Papers

Even though the target array in the paper is a VNX, you should be able to follow along since the interface for the Replicator configuration hasn't really changed (once you find the page they are referring to in the guide). 

3) CIFS server (along with the corresponding filesystems) must be mounted on a VDM (not the physical data mover)

What the whitepaper assumes though, is that your CIFS server on the source array is already assigned to a VDM.  If it instead is mounted to the physical data mover (along with the associated filesystems), then you'll want to follow the instructions in the following KB article before you begin:

emc170111: "How to move a CIFS server from a physical Data Mover to a Virtual Data Mover (VDM)"

Also, as documented, for the final SWITCHOVER to complete successfully remember to create a "same-named" interface on the target (and via Dynamic DNS, updates your DNS records automatically if allowed when brought online).

4) Reference Guide: "Using Celerra Replicator (V2)"

You should also download a copy of "Using Celerra Replicator (V2)" for reference as needed.  It is available from PowerLink via the following breadcrumb trail:

Home > Support > Technical Documentation and Advisories > Hardware/Platforms Documentation > Celerra Network Server > Installation/Configuration

5) Additional features (not handled by replicator)

Then there are other things that you will need to plan for such as enabling/configuring on the new array those features which were in use on the original such as:

1) NDMP

2) CAVA
3) FTP
4) Usermapper

etc...

The actual data itself will of course get copied via Replicator, but there are features/integration that would need manual intervention such as enabling any relevant services, recreating users (DHSM, NDMP, etc), redefining or export/import of configuration files, etc.

thanks for your answers mate.

1- DART are both on latest releases (updated last January)

2/3- Read those documents already. They are refferring to replicate a vdm, not a cifs mounted to a physical VDM. And you are correctly linking me to "how to move to vdm etc etc".

4- pretty familiar as i did other migration already but not to vnx yet.

5- I am aware of that and I will reacrete everything manually as we want to clean up stuff

So I m trying to be more clear:

- Is there any particoular drawback to NOT to mount the cifs to a VDM on the SOURCE system and instead replicate the physical datamover, switchover and mount to VDM on the TARGET system afterwards?

thanks!

thanks mate, this the answer that i was looking for and I have marked your answer as correct, I guess you will get the points as well.

cheers

Chris,

can you please list steps with commands to move CIFS and Filesystems mounted on Physical datamover to VDM.

I am in the process of moving cifs and fs from NS704 to VNX5700, I see that best way is convert mount cifs and fs on to vdm and use celerra replicator to migrate them to VNX.

Thank you

Praveen

mothe,

Refer to the following KB article:

emc170111:"How to move a CIFS server from a physical Data Mover to a Virtual Data Mover (VDM)"

My best advice is to first try with a test CIFS server and filesystem(s) and to write the commands down ahead of time before your scheduled downtime.  It is a very common procedure and has been performed countless times.

Chris,

I followed the emc170111 for a test cifs server moved to vdm, I am struck at this this step.

server_umount -perm / server_mountpoint -create / server_mount /

server_umount server_4 -perm /vdmtest server_mountpoint VDM4 -create /vdmtest server_mount VDM4 vdmtest /vdmtest

i am getting usage error

Error 2100: usage: server_umount { | ALL }

        [-perm | -temp] [ -Force ] { -all |  fs_name | mount_point }

i think i am missing something in the command..

where \\ddcemcdm6\vdmtest is the orginal cifs server and share name before moving to VDM4

mothe wrote: server_umount server_4 -perm /vdmtest server_mountpoint VDM4 -create /vdmtest server_mount VDM4 vdmtest /vdmtest i am getting usage error Error 2100: usage: server_umount { | ALL }         [-perm | -temp] [ -Force ] { -all |  fs_name | mount_point }

Those are 3 separate commands:

server_umount ...

server_mountpoint ...

server_mount ...

It looks as if you mistakenly blended them as a single command (well... that is, you did so without any command separator such as semicolon or double ampersands only *if* you are for some reason looking to make it a single line). 

btw, if that last comment in parens doesn't make sense, ignore.  Just issue them as separate commands.

Thanks Chris it worked.

Now i will do it in production system..

Any issues faced?