What’s New with Data Mobility and Non-Disruptive Migration with Unisphere 10.1
Tue, 17 Oct 2023 13:52:34 -0000
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Unisphere 10.1 and PowerMax OS 10.1 provide new features for consumers of our Data Mobility suite for array migrations on PowerMax. Data Mobility suite for PowerMax provides customers with a comprehensive set of tools for migrating workloads between Dell VMAX and PowerMax arrays non-disruptively with Non-Disruptively Migration (NDM) also with minimal disruption using Minimally Disruptive Migration (MDM) workflows, both NDM and MDM utilize SRDF technology to provide this functionality. For an in-depth look and walkthrough procedures, check out the white paper on the Info Hub: Dell PowerMax and VMAX: Non-Disruptive and Minimally Disruptive Migration Best Practices and Operational Guide.
With the 10.1 release of Unisphere for PowerMax and PowerMax OS 10.1, two new features provide new options for customers:
- Automatic cleanup of migrated resources on the source array
- Ability to migrate devices that are SRDF Metro supported, replacing one leg of the SRDF Metro configuration
Automatic clean up of the source array
Unisphere 10.1 and Solutions Enabler 10.1 provide a new cleanup operation that can be tagged to the commit of a Non-Disruptive Migration. This functionality helps to eliminate manual cleanup tasks for already migrated components on the source array. This feature is strictly orchestration in the management software stack, so all arrays that support Non-Disruptive Migration can use it.
You can specify the cleanup as part of the commit operation either with Unisphere or the symdm command with solutions enabler. The following figure shows the operation in the Unisphere Data Migration Wizard. (Note: there is no microcode requirement for this operation, It is a feature of the management software version 10.1 rather than of the array operating environment.)
By selecting Cleanup, providing there are no gating factors, when the migration commit completes, the orchestration will delete:
- All snapshots including clone relationships on the devices. It will also unlink any linked snapshots.
- All Storage Groups that were migrated.
- All devices that were migrated.
- All Hosts/Initiator Groups and Port Groups that were migrated if they are not used by other masking views.
- Hosts/Initiator Groups will be removed from any parents before deletion if the parent is not deleted.
Conditions that can block the commit operation with cleanup on the source array are:
- Presence of secure snapshots
- Presence of Snapshot Policies or Cloud Policy snapshots.
- SRDF relationship on the source devices to a Disaster Recovery Array
- If Devices are in Multiple Storage Groups
- If a Migrated Storage Group contains Gatekeeper Devices.
You can also specify the force option to bypass this behavior to allow as many migrated objects as possible to be deleted.
The cleanup operation is intended to reduce any remaining manual steps that have been present following successful migrations of applications between arrays, freeing up resources for reuse and enabling maximum flexibility for workloads running on PowerMax arrays.
Migrating SRDF Metro Protected Devices with NDM
The second new feature removes a restriction on Migrating SRDF Devices. With PowerMax OS 10.1 and Management Software version 10.1 it is now possible for PowerMax storage administrators to migrate devices that are already protected with SRDF Metro.
The workflow for this operation is essentially the same as for a standard migration with Metro based NDM, as described in the previous section. However, because key changes in the microcode on the Target array make this feature possible, it is critical to ensure prior to migration that source and target arrays are running supported microcode to support the features. Any PowerMax 8500/2500 or higher model array involved in the migration must be running PowerMax OS 10.1 (6079.225) or higher. Both source arrays (existing Metro arrays) will need to be on 5978.711.711 minimum plus ePack. For details, see SRDF and NDM Interfamily Connectivity Information Guide for details on ePack and latest compatibility information.
The following figure shows three supported configurations in which source devices are protected with SRDF/Metro.
Figure 1. Supported SRDF Metro configurations for application mobility with NDM
The new mobility feature is built on existing NDM and SRDF technologies, using a workflow similar to that for NDM, the same support for easily recovering failed operations, and the same support for easily canceling an ongoing migration.
- Familiar NDM commands: Create, Commit, Cancel, List with SG based unit of migration
- Existing DR will be maintained through migration without interruption
- Supports Metro Sessions in either Witness or Bias mode
- Metro sessions can contain any combination of FBA and iBMI D910 devices
- SRDF/Metro License is required on the target array because SRDF Metro will continue to run following the migration
- iSCSI connectivity is not supported
If you are migrating a Metro Session using a witness, you must configure the witnesses on the target array before performing migrations. Both physical and virtual witnesses are supported on the existing and the new Metro Sessions and the type of witness between the two can be different.
Both of these new features add to the already rich set of migration options and are a direct result of customer enhancement requests. This new functionality will help our PowerMax customers with migration operations and increase productivity and flexibility by reducing cleanup operations and by providing the ability to migrate devices with metro protection.
Author: Paul Martin