The following are typical repurposing use cases with AppSync. This is not an exhaustive list, but it can help you identify some possible workflows.
- On-demand copies: This is a copy of a single application that is used for an extended time and then discarded, maintaining copy retention. The discarded copy is not used for backup purposes to restore from. Copies can be used for performing patch management testing, performance tuning against non-production environments, or offloading reporting. This practice reduces the amount of I/O that is performed against a production environment.
- Data masking: A first-generation copy is created and mounted for sensitive data to be masked. When the sensitive data is masked, the copy is unmounted to create a second-generation copy. This second-generation copy, which has the sensitive data removed, can then be used.
- Remote copy retention: This provides long-term retention on a remote appliance, sometimes identified as a disaster recovery copy, which can be accomplished using repurposing. Remote copies can be created using PowerStore native replication sessions.
- Copy-of-copy: This is similar to a data-masking requirement. Repurposing supports creating a first-generation, application-consistent copy of a single application, which is used as the source for multiple second-generation copies. These second-generation copies can be used for purposes such as the following:
- Providing multiple copies of the same point-in-time (PIT) to developers; these are identical copies for training purposes or as a baseline for collaboration efforts
- Alleviating the need to quiesce the production environment unnecessarily for many copies.
- Refreshing the second-generation copy while not having to change the PIT unless you want to also refresh the first-generation