E-Series: How to Configure Asynchronous Storage Mirroring in SANtricity Storage Manager 11.20 with iSCSI

Part 1) Pre-Setup

We have already configured management IPs, discovered two storage arrays in SANtricity (Enterprise Management), and configured alerting. The storage arrays in this demonstration are:

Storage Array 1 = E2712 iSCSI

Storage Array 2 = E5460 iSCSI

iSCSI has been configured via the Setup Tab in SANtricity (Array Management) for both arrays. See Configure iSCSI Host Ports, and Manage iSCSI Settings.

Note: The iSCSI network is used for mirroring.

Image: Storage Array Initial Setup Tasks and configuring iSCSI

Disk pools have already been created

Note: Disk pools can have disks added and removed later, and settings changed (including ‘Preservation Capacity’ = Drives dedicated to preservation capacity)

Part 2) Asynchronous Mirror Setup

2.1) Create Asynchronous Mirror Group

This is simple. In array manager for array 1, right-click Asynchronous Mirror Groups under the Storage & Copy Services tab, select Create…, provide an Asynchronous mirror group name, and choose the correct remote storage array.

Image: Create Asynchronous Mirror Group showing synchronization settings

Note: The Automatic Synchronization Interval cannot be less than 10 minutes

2.2) Create a Volume

If not done so already, create a volume in the disk pool that we can mirror.

Note 1: Volumes can be thin-provisioned. Volume capacity can be increased on the fly.

Note 2: The “Create Mirrored Pair” wizard (next) would also allow creating a new volume.

2.3) Create a Mirrored Pair

On the primary array:

Storage & Copy Services Tab > Expand Asynchronous Mirror Groups

Right-click the Asynchronous Mirror Group

Select Create Mirrored Pair…

Select the volume for replication

Click Next >

Leave repository selection at ‘Automatic (Recommended)’

Click Finish

Image: Selecting Primary Volume

Click OK to the warning to complete the mirrored pair on the remote array (which we do next).

2.4) Complete Mirrored Pair

On the remote array:

Storage & Copy Services Tab > Expand Asynchronous Mirror Groups

Select the Asynchronous Mirror Group

And click the Complete mirrored pair link

Image: Complete mirrored pair

We’ll let the wizard automatically create a secondary volume and repository.

Click Finish

Image: Complete Asynchronous Mirrored Pair

Job done!

APPENDIX

From the SANtricity Storage Manager 11.25: Configuring a Storage Array Using the CLI, the maximum numbers of supported asynchronous mirrored pairs are:

Note: These are not hard enforced. Your performance may suffer if you exceed these maximums.