KB-000012

Dec 5, 2012

Replication Seeding

Summary
This knowledgebase article describes how Nimble arrays can use replication seeding as part of a
replication strategy.

Replication seeding overview

In cases where replicating a snapshot collection would take too long over a wide area network (WAN)
connection, replication seeding provides an efficient method for creating a snapshot collection to use as
a temporary replica.
You might need to do this when you first add a replication partner, or if a replication partner needs to be
re-initialized due to an accidental deletion or array replacement.
The seeding process replicates a snapshot collection to a temporary (called the seed) array via a highspeed local network (shown as 1 in the figure below). This third array is transported to the replication
site and that same snapshot collection is then replicated from the third array to the designated
replication array (shown as 2 in the figure below).
Once this is completed, the seed array is removed from the system and replications between the
upstream replication partner and the downstream replication partner are enabled. From this point
forward, the upstream and downstream arrays only need to transfer any changed data (shown as 3 in
the figure below).

For details about replication seeding, contact Nimble Support or your Nimble Sales representative.
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Replication Seeding

Performing an offline replication seeding

In this procedure, for clarification we refer to the upstream replication partner as "array A," the
downstream replication partner as "array B," and the third arraythat is, the one that is used to hold
and transfer the snapshot collectionas "the floater."
For step 3 you will need to access the CLI. The other steps can be performed using the either CLI or the
GUI.
The main steps are shown below, followed by the procedure used for accomplishing the step.
1. Create the replication seed.
2. Move the floater to the site of the downstream array (array B)
3. Replicate the volume collection to array B.
4. Create the replication connection and remove the floater.
5. Delete the seed snapshot collection on array A.
Step 1: Create the replication seed
1. Connect the floater array to the same network as the array that will be the upstream replication
partner (array A).
2. Configure array A and the floater as replication partners, and verify interconnectivity. Use either
the CLI command partner --create or the GUI menu Manage > Protection > Replication
Partners and click Test after both partners are configured to verify the connection.
3. Create a new snapshot schedule for the volume collection to be seeded and set it to replicate to
the floater. After first (seed) snapshot is taken, increase the amount of time between scheduled
snapshots, and the number of snapshots to retain to allow replication to finish and not
accumulate non-transferred according to approximate transfer speeds (for example a single
daily snapshot). You won't need any further snapshots from this schedule, and the seed
snapshot should not be deleted until the entire replication seeding process (replication from
array A to array B) is complete.
When creating the schedule for replication seeding, create a "daily" schedule that will trigger a
few minutes into the future, causing the system to take snapshot immediately. By making it
daily, you allow ample time to modify the schedule before the next snapshot is taken.
Use either the CLI command volcoll --create and then volcoll --addsched or the GUI
menu Manage > Protection > Volume Collections.
Step 2: Move the floater to the downstream site
1. After the replication of the seed snapshot to the floater is complete, shut down and power off
the array. Use the CLI command halt --array. This command gracefully shuts down the array
and powers it off.
2. Physically take the floater to the site of array B.
Step 3: Replicate the seed volume collection
1. At array B, connect the floater to the system and configure the floater and array B as replication
partners. Verify the connectivity.
Use either the CLI command partner --create and partner --test or the GUI menu
Manage > Protection > Replication Partners and click Test after both partners are configured to
verify the connection.
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2. On the floater, promote the volume collection and configure replication from the floater to
array B for the seed schedule. Verify configuration synchronization.
Use the CLI command volcoll --promote or the GUI menu Manage > Protection > Volume
Collections and the Promote button to promote the volume collection.
3. Set the volume collection schedule to "weekly" for the seed schedule. This ensures that no new
snapshots are created. If for some reason new snapshots are created and replicated you must
delete them on array B before you take the floater out of the network and establish replication
from array A to array B). Use the CLI command volcoll --editschedule or the GUI menu
Manage > Protection > Volume Collections.
4. On the floater, log into the CLI and use the command snapcoll --edit
(seed_snapcoll_name) --replicate yes to trigger a replication of the seed snapshot
collection to array B.
This also verifies that the associated schedule is configured for replication and that no newer
snapshot collections for the volume collection are replicable.
5. When replication of the seed completes to array B, promote the volume collection on array B.
This is necessary so that you can later demote it, giving ownership to array A. Ensure that only
the seed snapshot collection exists for the volume collection on array B: remove any others.
Use the CLI command volcoll --promote or the GUI menu Manage > Protection > Volume
Collections and the Promote button to promote the volume collection.
Step 4: Create the final replication connection
1. Configure array A and array B as replication partners and verify connectivity. Use either the CLI
command partner --create and partner --test or the GUI menu Manage > Protection >
Replication Partners and click Test after both partners are configured to verify the connection.
2. On array B, demote the volume collection, giving ownership to array A.
Use the CLI command volcoll --demote or the GUI menu Manage > Protection > Volume
Collections and the Demote button to promote the volume collection.
3. Back on array A, delete the snapshot schedule that created the seed snapshot collection. This
will not delete the seed snapshot collection.
Use the CLI command volcoll --deletesched or the GUI menu Manage > Protection >
Volume Collections.
4. Create or edit the snapshot schedules as needed to replicate to array B.
Step 5: Delete the seed
After the first successful replication from array A to array B is complete, manually delete the seed
snapshot collection on array A.
Use the CLI command snap --delete or the GUI menu Manage > Volumes and then selecting the
volume and then the Snapshots tab.

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