The following devices must not be backed up or replicated:
The device on which AdvancedCopy Manager has been installed
The device on which the management list of AdvancedCopy Manager resides
Data in Transaction Volume | Maintenance of Data Integrity | Operation |
|---|---|---|
Oracle database space that is currently in use | 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 | An 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. |
Before starting either the backup or replication operation, The "3.4.4 Fetching Device Information on Managed Server" that is managed by all Managed Servers using Web Console. The time taken to complete this operation is proportional to the total number of devices defined on the selected Managed 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.
All the devices are always in use while any of the following software is running. Therefore, before performing backup, restoration, or replication, perform the following steps:
When performing backup/restore operation and replication operation, to prevent software from accessing a device targeted for service, suspend the software or specify the device for services other than check or monitoring by the software. For the setting method, refer to the manuals for respective software.
There is an upper limit (maximum value) to the number of Advanced Copy sessions that can be simultaneously executed. For this reason, make an operational design so that Advanced Copies exceeding the maximum number of copy sessions cannot simultaneously be executed.
Also, when creating partitions in one Logical Unit (LU) and running Advanced Copy at the same time, be sure not to exceed the maximum number of copy sessions simultaneously executable per LU.
For the upper limit to the number of copy sessions simultaneously executable, refer to the ETERNUS Disk storage system manuals.
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.
PRIMECLUSTER GFS local file systems comprised of multiple slices cannot be processed.
To backup or restore a PRIMECLUSTER GFS local file system comprised of multiple slices, process the multiple slices simultaneously in the unmounted state.
Note the following points about backup, restoration, and replication of the PRIMECLUSTER GFS shared file system.
The target file system must be unmounted in advance. (for all nodes)
Execute the operations on all partitions of the target file system.
Before backup/restoration or replication of a volume that can be mounted from multiple servers, unmount and cancel any pending mount on 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 system and Fibre Channel switches, accordingly.
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:
Another application is not using the volume. If another application is using it, suspend the application temporarily.
Users are not using the volume. If users are using it, prohibit them from using it temporarily.
Another volume is not mounted on the volume. If it is mounted, unmount it temporarily.
The volume is not shared with NFS sharing. If it is shared, unshare it temporarily.
Unmounting is required only during command execution. Normal operations can be resumed after command execution.
Logical Unit (disk unit) copy can be used for replication operations.
Note the following points if Logical Unit (disk unit) copy is executed:
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.
To copy the GPT disks by each Logical Unit (disk), create the source and destination volumes in the same size for replication in the unit of bytes.
When copying between volumes of different sizes, the GPT label of the destination volume may be changed. If you restore the destination volume whose GPT label is changed, you cannot use the destination volume.
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.
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.
Logical Unit (disk unit) copying cannot be used for SDX objects.
Copies can be made between different operating systems by using replication operations.
Use the following combinations to execute copy between different operating systems:
Copy Source | Copy Destination | |
|---|---|---|
Slices | Logical Unit (Disk) | |
slices | A | N/A |
Logical Unit (disk) | A | N/A |
(A=Available, N/A=Not Available)
When a copy is performed, the Logical Unit (disk) data is written in the replication destination volume (slice). If a copy is performed with a file system existing on the replication destination volume (slice), because a data overwrite can occur to the file system depending on the copy, not only will the data in the file system become inaccessible but the copied data will become inaccessible through the file system as well.
The access special files used for the ETERNUS Multipath Driver are as follows:
Solaris standard special file (/dev/[r]dsk/c*t*d*s*)
Mplb special file (/dev/FJSVmplb/[r]dsk/mplb*s*)
The access special files that can be used vary depending on the version of the ETERNUS Multipath Driver. Refer to the ETERNUS Multipath Driver manual for details about the usable special access files.
Note
If the Solaris standard special file is used
System volume backup operations are not possible.
This is because the ETERNUS Multipath Driver cannot use the Solaris standard special file as a boot device.
If the mplb special file is used
Logical unit (disk unit) copy of EFI disk label disks is not possible.
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:
swsrpstartsync command
swsrpmake command
swsrpcancel command
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:
The non-operating server has been shut down.
Manual pre-processing and post-processing is performed for the volumes on the non-operating server.
The target volume is a RAW device (Oracle, etc., that does not need pre-processing and post-processing), rather than a file system.
When you execute the swsrpstartsync command with the -t option, volume lock fails with the swsrpmake command and the swsrp3607 message may be output.
If you execute the swsrpstartsync command with the -t option to perform independent pre-processing, check whether the pre-processing has properly been done.
If you determine that pre-processing and post-processing for replication destination volume is not needed and execute the swsrpstartsync command with the -t option, execute the swsrpmake command with the -t option.
The Advanced Copy processing is performed by the ETERNUS Disk storage system. Therefore, direct enquiries concerning copy processing performance to the support department for the ETERNUS Disk storage system.
Refer to the manual of the VMware vCenter Server for information on how to move the VM guest by using the functions of the VMware vCenter Server.
Do not move the VM guest that changes the disk type by utilizing the functions of the VMware vCenter Server.
When the disk type has been changed, the following situations may occur.
A "?????" is displayed in the status of the configuration information of the AdvancedCopy Manager.
The status can be confirmed from the following information displayed with operations of the Command Line Interface or Web Console.
Confirmation Means | Command Name/Screen Name | Displayed Field |
|---|---|---|
Command Line Interface | swstbackstat | Status |
swstsyncstat | Status | |
swstreststat | Status | |
swsthistdisp | Status | |
swstexecstat | Execute | |
swsttrkstat | Status | |
swsrpstat | Status | |
Web Console | Backup Operation screen | Status |
Replication Operation screen | Status |
The following error is displayed and the operation of the Command Line Interface or Web Console ends.
Executed Operation | Errors that Occurs |
|---|---|
Backup management | swst0603, swst0634, swst0719, swst0740 |
Replication management | swsrp0603, swsrp0634, swsrp0719, swsrp0740, swsrp2606, swsrp2648 |
When the above-mentioned situation has occurred, confirm the device configuration of the virtual machine and confirm if whether the type of disk has been changed.
When the type of disk has been changed, reconfigure the configuration information of the AdvancedCopy Manager.
When the type of disk has not been changed, there is the possibility that a hardware failure has occurred.
Confirm the status of the hardware, and when a hardware failure has occurred, re-execute the operations after removing the cause of the error. Refer to the following sections for details.
If multiple commands that display the Advanced Copy status, such as the copy status display command and operation status display command, are executed simultaneously, the response speed from the storage device is reduced and may affect command executions and transactions.
For this reason, design the operation so that multiple commands cannot be executed at the same time.
