Dell PowerVault MD 32XX/36XX Series Storage Arrays CLI Guide

A replication repository virtual disk is a special virtual disk in the storage array that is created as a resource for the RAID controller module owner of the primary virtual disk in a remote replicated pair. The RAID controller module stores replication information on this virtual disk, including information about remote writes that are not yet complete. The RAID controller module can use this information to recover from RAID controller module resets and the accidental powering down of the storage arrays.

When you activate the Remote Replication (legacy) premium feature on the storage array, you create two replication repository virtual disks, one for each RAID controller module in the storage array. An individual replication repository virtual disk is not needed for each remote replication.

When you create the replication repository virtual disks, you specify the location of the virtual disks. You can either use existing free capacity, or you can create a disk group for the virtual disks from unconfigured capacity and then specify the RAID level.

Because of the critical nature of the data being stored, do not use RAID Level 0 as the RAID level of replication repository virtual disks. The required size of each virtual disk is 128 MB, or 256 MB total for both replication repository virtual disks of a dual-RAID controller module storage array. In previous versions of the Remote Replication (legacy) premium feature, the replication repository virtual disks required less disk storage space and needed to be upgraded to use the maximum amount of replication relationships.