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ETERNUS SF AdvancedCopy Manager 14.1 Operator's Guide

11.1.1 General notes

This section provides general notes on backup and replication.

11.1.1.1 Storage Server locale

The locale (software localisation information) of the internal code system (the code system specified when AdvancedCopy Manager is installed on the Storage Management Server) used by AdvancedCopy Manager must be installed on all Storage Servers.
Action is required if there are differences between the language environments (LANG) of the Storage Management Server and the Storage Servers. The following table shows the actions required for various combinations:

Table 11.1 Storage Management Server and Storage Server language environment combinations

Storage Management Server

Storage Server

Action required

Windows (SJIS)

Windows (SJIS)

None

Solaris (EUC)

Install the SJIS package on the Storage Server.

HP-UX (EUC)

Install the SJIS package on the Storage Server.

Linux (EUC)

None

Linux (UTF8)

None

AIX (SJIS)

None

AIX (EUC)

Add the SJIS language environment on the Storage Server.

In accordance with the Solaris locale setting (standard: EUC)

Windows (SJIS)

None. (If the Storage Management Server is EUC, Storage Server processing is problem free.)

Solaris (EUC)

None (if the code is the same).

If the Management Server is SJIS, install the SJIS package on the Storage Server.

HP-UX (EUC)

None (if LANG is the same).

If the Management Server is SJIS, install the SJIS package on the Storage Server.

Linux (EUC)

None

Linux (UTF8)

None

AIX (SJIS)

None (if LANG is the same).

If the Management Server is EUC, add the EUC language environment.

AIX (EUC)

None (if LANG is the same).

If the Management Server is SJIS, add the SJIS language environment.

Linux (EUC)

Windows (SJIS)

None. (If the Storage Management Server is EUC, Storage Server processing is problem free.)

Solaris (EUC)

None

HP-UX (EUC)

None

Linux (EUC)

None

Linux (UTF8)

None

AIX (SJIS)

Add the EUC language environment on the Storage Server.

AIX (EUC)

None

Linux (UTF8)

Windows (SJIS)

None

Solaris (EUC)

Add the UTF8 language environment on the Storage Server.

HP-UX (EUC)

Add the UTF8 language environment on the Storage Server.

Linux (EUC)

None

Linux (UTF8)

None

AIX (SJIS)

Add the UTF8 language environment on the Storage Server.

AIX (EUC)

Add the UTF8 language environment on the Storage Server.

Depending on the action required, install the SUNWJPCK SJIS package. After the appropriate package is installed, re-execute the "Update information of all devices at the Storage Server" operation at the GUI client.

11.1.1.2 Backup and Replication Exclusions

The following devices must not be backed up or replicated:

11.1.1.3 Consistency of data on volumes

Table 11.2 Consistency of data on volumes

Data in transaction volume

Maintenance of data integrity

Operation

Oracle database space being used

Linkage with Oracle is required.

Use a sample script designed for linkage with Oracle.

For details, refer to Appendix B Sample Script for Backup Operations.

File system

A AdvancedCopy Manager command unmounts the file system to maintain the integrity.

Refer to "Appendix A Pre-processing and Post-processing of Backup and Restoration", and "Appendix C Pre-processing and Post-processing of Replication".

Other than the above

The data integrity must be maintained in operations.

Take appropriate action, such as stopping transactions during execution of backup or replication.

11.1.1.4 Fetching Device Information

Before starting either the backup or replication operation, 4.4.5 Fetching device information on a Storage Server that is managed by all the Storage Servers using the GUI client of AdvancedCopy Manager. The time taken to complete this operation is proportional to the total number of devices defined on the selected storage servers. If many devices are involved, perform this operation while the CPU or I/O load on the system is low.

As a guide, about 0.5 seconds are required per device (i.e., partition) when there is no load on the system.

11.1.1.5 Maximum Number of Simultaneously Executing Operations

An upper limit (maximum value) applies to the number of Advanced Copy sessions in one LU (Logical Unit) that can be executed simultaneously. Ensure the number of volumes in one LU is the same or less than the maximum number of copy sessions per LU.

If a greater number of volumes than the maximum number of copy sessions per LU needs to be created in the LU for operational reasons, operations must be designed to prevent simultaneous execution of more than the maximum number of Advanced Copy sessions to volumes in the same LU.

Refer to the ETERNUS disk storage systems SA/SE Handbook for the maximum number of copy sessions per LU.

11.1.1.6 Slice containing VTOC

The header slice in VTOC-labelled disks may contain disk management information (VTOC).
Slices that contain this type of VTOC cannot be used in backup operations.
These slices can be used in replication operations if the -Xvtoc option is specified when the replication volume information is set.

Note

  • The above restriction does not apply if there are separate operations for each physical disk that makes up the VxVM disk group.

  • When a slice that contains VTOC is copied to the header slice (containing VTOC) of another disk, the VTOC of the copy destination disk is rewritten.
    If a slice that contains VTOC is to be copied to the header slice (containing VTOC) of another disk, prepare the copy destination disk as a VTOC-labelled disk and set the same disk configuration, and then execute the copy process.

  • Do not copy a slice that does not contain VTOC to the header slice (containing VTOC) of another disk.
    If a slice that does not contain VTOC is copied to the header slice (containing VTOC) of another disk, the VTOC of the copy destination disk is rewritten, and access to the slices in the copy destination disk may no longer be possible.

11.1.1.7 SynfinityFILE and Global File Services local file systems

SynfinityFILE file systems comprised of multiple slices and the global file systems of Global File Services cannot be processed.
To backup or restore SynfinityFILE file systems comprised of multiple slices or the global file systems of Global File Services, process the multiple slices simultaneously in the unmounted state.

11.1.1.8 SynfinityFILE/Global file system and Global File Services shared file system

Note the following points about backup, restoration, and replication of the SynfinityFILE/Global file system and Global File Services shared file system.

The file system is unmounted as follows.

11.1.1.9 Mounting of disks from other servers

Before backup/restoration or replication of a volume that can be mounted from multiple servers, cancel all mounting from the other servers.

For disks that need not be mounted from other servers, prevent multiple servers from detecting or accessing the same partition by setting up hardware, such as devices in the ETERNUS disk storage systems and Fibre Channel switches, accordingly.

11.1.1.10 Notes on copy operations targeted at file systems

For a copy operation targeted at a file system, unmount the relevant volume to prevent data access and maintain the data integrity.
If backup/restoration and replication are performed without unmounting the volume, an error occurs since a volume in use cannot be unmounted.

Note the following about processing where unmounting is enabled:

Unmounting is required only during command execution. Normal operations can be resumed after command execution.

11.1.1.11 Use of large-capacity disks

If disks that exceed 1 terabyte are used, disks with an EFI disk label must be used.

11.1.1.12 Notes on executing Logical Unit (disk) unit copy

Logical Unit (disk unit) copy can be used for replication operations.
Note the following points if Logical Unit (disk unit) copy is executed:

Tape backup

Refer to "System volume backup and restore" in the "ETERNUS SF AdvancedCopy Manager Operator's Guide for Tape Backup" for details of the tape backup functions.

Inter-server copy

Both servers must run Version 13.1 or later.

Copying between Logical Units (disks) of different sizes

When copying between Logical Units (disks) of different sizes, the physical copy matches the size of the smaller Logical Unit (disk). If the copy direction is from the smaller Logical Unit (disk) to the larger Logical Unit (disk), part of the area on the larger disk is not physically copied to, and data from before the copy operation remains. If this remaining area contains the Logical Unit (disk) management information, partitioning tools may identify the disk format incorrectly. Therefore, format the copy destination Logical Unit (disk) before copying to it.

Duplicate disk management information

Copying between Logical Units (disks) of EFI labelled disks also copies the UUID disk management information that is used to uniquely identify disks and slices included in the Logical Unit (disk). Thus, after copy is executed, duplicate disk management information may exist within a system.

Disk management information is duplicated when the following types of copying are performed:

  • Copying between Logical Units (disks) within a server

  • Copying between Logical Units (disks) on different servers, if there are multiple copy destinations within the same copy destination server for the same copy source

  • Copying from a volume that has previously been copied to a Logical Unit (disk) that is not the copy source but is on the same server as the copy source

Refer to "Solaris 10 System Administrator Collection" - "System Administration Guide: Devices and File Systems", "29. Copying UFS Files and File Systems (Tasks)", "Example 29-2" for the action to take if disk management information (UUID) is duplicated.

Notes when executing copy
  • If the replication source/destination volume areas for replication management, and the transaction/backup volume areas for backup management duplicate each other, replication management and backup management operations cannot be performed simultaneously for volumes that have duplicate areas.

  • Execute copy operations when the slices included in the Logical Unit (disk) are in the unmounted state. If copy is executed when the slices are in the mounted state, the slices included in the copy destination disk may not be able to be made consistent as a file system.

SDX objects

Logical Unit (disk unit) copying cannot be used for SDX objects.

11.1.1.13 Notes on executing copy between different operating systems

Copies can be made between different operating systems by using replication operations.
Use the following combinations to execute copy between different operating systems:

Table 11.3 Combinations for executing copy between different operating systems

Copy destination

slices

Logical Unit (disk)

Copy source

slices

Y

N

Logical Unit (disk)

Y

ZN

Y: Possible
N: Not possible

11.1.1.14 Operations in an ETERNUS multipath driver environment

When setting the ETERNUS multipath driver environment in a Solaris 10 operating system, select one of the following to use as the access special file:

The following table shows how the specifications and restrictions of the ETERNUS multipath driver corresponding to each access special file influence AdvancedCopy Manager operations.

Table 11.4 Influence of ETERNUS multipath driver specifications and restrictions

Access special file name

Influence

ETERNUS multipath driver specifications/restrictions

Solaris standard special file

System volume backup operations are not possible.

Cannot be used as a Boot device

Mplb special file

Logical Unit (disk unit) copy of EFI disk label disks is not possible.

Access path that indicates the entire disk of the EFI disk label disk cannot be generated

11.1.1.15 Notes when using the -m option

When replication occurs between servers, the -m option can be specified in the following commands in order to avoid communication processing to non-operating servers:

When the -m option is specified, any one of the following conditions must apply in order to ensure that problems do not arise as a result of not performing volume pre-processing and post-processing at the non-operating server:

  1. The non-operating server has been shut down.

  2. Manual pre-processing and post-processing is performed for the volumes on the non-operating server.

  3. The target volume is a RAW device (Oracle, etc., that does not need pre-processing and post-processing), rather than a file system.

11.1.1.16 Copy processing performance of Advanced Copy

The Advanced Copy processing is performed by the ETERNUS disk storage systems. Therefore, direct enquiries concerning copy processing performance to the support department for the ETERNUS disk storage systems.