Mirrored Configurations on UNIX

IntelliSnap Backups with Mirrored Configurations

IntelliSnap supports backup of mirrored configurations when the mirrored pool contains:

• LUNs from the same physical array (for e.g., NetApp)

  When running IntelliSnap backups using mirrored pool from the same physical array, the backups will create snapshots for all the disks in the pool.

• LUNs from different physical arrays (for e.g., Symmetrix-NetApp or NetApp-NetApp)

  When running IntelliSnap backups using mirrored pool from different physical arrays, the backups will create snapshots for only one side of the mirror. Mirrored storage configurations are supported for mirrored LVs on AIX LVM, Linux LVM, mirrored Solaris ZFS zpools, and mirrored VxVM volumes.

Enabling IntelliSnap Backup for Mirrored Disks

Use the following steps to enable IntelliSnap backup when the mirrored pool contains LUNs from different physical arrays:

1. Retrieve the array initiator ID of the disk.

   root@test # pwd
    /opt/##_OEM_UNIX_OEM_INSSUBDIR_##/Base
    root@test # . ./cvprofile
    root@test # ./CvDeviceTreeTest
    1. Get all devices of selected type
    2. Get device information
    3. Get device partitions
    4. Get device Serial
    5. Get Array Initiator Id For Disk
    q. Quit
    Please select: 5
    Enter device name (q-back to main menu): > /dev/dsk/c6t500A098199FAB9F7d2s4
    Parent CvDevice for /dev/dsk/c6t500A098199FAB9F7d2s4 is /dev/dsk/c6t500A098199FAB9F7d2s4
    For device '/dev/dsk/c6t500A098199FAB9F7d2s4' result is:
    Code:0
    Error:: Type is 1(DISK_SCSI)
    Device path '/dev/dsk/c6t500A098199FAB9F7d2s4' 
    Interfaces:
    =CvDeviceScsiIface supported
    =CvDevicePartIface not supported
    Children count is 0
    rawLogicalDiskName:[/dev/rdsk/c6t500A098199FAB9F7d2s2]
    500a098089fab9f7
    Got FC WWN
    500a098089fab9f7 <== “Array initiator id”\
       
   

2. From the CommCell Browser, expand Client Computers.

3. Right-click the Client and click Properties.

4. In the Client Computer Properties dialog box, click Advanced.

5. In the Advanced Client Computer Properties dialog box, click the Additional Settings tab.

6. Click Add.

7. In the Add Additional Settings on UNIX Client dialog box, perform the following:

   • In the Name box, type ArrayInitiatorIdList.

   • In the Category box, type iDataAgent.

   • In the Type box, select String.

   • In the Value box, type the array initiator ID for the disk. For example, 500a098089fab9f7.

     You can specify multiple array initiator IDs by separating them using comma (,) without spaces.

8. Click OK.

9. Click OK to save the setting.

Reverting a Mirrored Snapshot

Configure the RevertOneSideOfMirror additional setting before you perform a revert operation. The revert operation might succeed if you perform the revert operation without enabling the additional setting but the pool would be inconsistent.

Consider the following before you perform a revert operation:

• Reverting a snapshot on any single file system will revert the entire pool and all the file systems under it.

• If you performed IntelliSnap backup using the ArrayInitiatorIDList additional setting, snapshots from only one side of the mirror would be reverted.

• Review the supported configurations for revert operation. For more information, see Revert for Storage Arrays.

Use the following steps to revert a mirrored snapshot:

1. Export the original (source) pool on the system if it is present.

2. From the CommCell Browser, expand Client Computers.

3. Right-click the Client and click Properties.

4. In the Client Computer Properties dialog box, click Advanced.

5. In the Advanced Client Computer Properties dialog box, click the Additional Settings tab.

6. Click Add.

7. In the Add Additional Settings on UNIX Client dialog box, perform the following:

   • In the Name box, type RevertOneSideOfMirror.

   • In the Category box, type iDataAgent.

   • In the Type box, select String.

   • In the Value box, type Y.

8. Click OK.

9. Click OK to save the setting.

10. From the CommCell Browser, expand Client Computers | Client.

11. Right-click the subclient and click All Tasks | List Snaps.

12. In the Snaps created during IntelliSnap operation dialog box, right-click the snapshot that you wish to delete and click Use hardware revert capability if available.

13. Enter the confirmation text string - confirm.

14. Click OK.

After the revert operation, the reverted pool would be in a degraded state, since it is imported or created using only one side of the mirror.