Home > Storage > Unity XT > Data Protection > Dell Unity: Replication Technologies > Conclusion
In this paper, the various native replication solutions provided in Dell Unity were discussed. Configuring a data protection solution helps guard against unforeseen situations, such as data loss or site-wide outages if they are encountered. Dell Unity provides local and remote data protection solutions to help minimize the cost associated with downtime and provides easy recovery in the event of a disaster. Through the use of synchronous and asynchronous replication solutions, data protection can be configured to meet the needs of the application and organization.
Native Synchronous Block Replication is a data protection solution which replicates each write to a storage resource remotely to a peer system before the write is acknowledged with the host. In the event of a disaster, Synchronous Block Replication provides maximum protection and ensures that there is zero data loss. Dell Unity Synchronous Block Replication is supported on LUNs, thin clones, consistency groups, and VMware VMFS datastores configured on Dell Unity All Flash and Hybrid Flash systems. Starting in Dell UnityOS version 4.4, native file synchronous replication is also supported on Dell Unity. See the Dell Unity: MetroSync white paper on Dell Technologies Info Hub for more information.
Native Asynchronous Block and File Replication is a data protection solution which replicates storage resources locally within the same Dell Unity system, or remotely to other Dell Unity systems. Asynchronous replication leverages Dell Unity’s Unified Snapshot technology to provide consistent point-in-time replicas which can be used in the event of a disaster. Asynchronous replication is not only supported on Dell Unity All Flash and Hybrid Flash systems, but also on Dell UnityVSA. When using asynchronous replication, no impact to host I/O is seen as data is not replicated as it enters the system. Asynchronous replication uses a customizable Recovery Point Objective, which automatically replicates changes in data at consistent intervals. When data needs to be replicated over long distances, asynchronous replication can meet the needs of an organization.
RecoverPoint support allows Dell Unity to leverage the advanced replication features it provides. With RecoverPoint, Dell Unity LUNs and VMware VMFS Datastores can be replicated locally or remotely to another supported system. With RecoverPoint’s advanced functionality, such as point-in-time data recovery, Dell Unity can be protected from disaster scenarios.