Symmetrix Remote Data Facility

Product Description Guide
Symmetrix Remote Data Facility Enterprise Storage Software
SYMMETRIX REMOTE DATA FACILITY PRODUCT DESCRIPTION GUIDE
Symmetrix Remote Data Facility (SRDF) Product Description Guide

Table of Contents
3 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 7 7 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 11 11 12 12 12 13 13 13 13 13 14 14 14 14 14 14 16 16 16 17 17 17 19 Chapter 1: Introduction Overview The Value of Symmetrix Remote Data Facility Business Impact Operational Impact Financial Impact EMCs Architectures for Enterprise Storage: ISA and MOSAIC:2000 Information Protection Information Sharing Information Management SRDF and Symmetrix SRDF and Fibre Channel SRDF and IP SRDF and EMC TimeFinder SRDF and AS/400 Environments Chapter 2: SRDF Uses and Applications Overview Disaster Recovery, the Old Way Disaster Scenarios Disaster Recovery Sites Traditional Techniques for Data Recovery Store the Tape Copies at a Secure Site Create the Tape Copies at the Recovery Site Data Copies on Disk Using the Host/Server to Create the Copies Disaster Recovery Testing Business Continuity Eliminating the Race to Sunrise Loading Data Warehouses Scheduled Maintenance Data Center Migrations Workload Migrations AS/400 Applications Growing Your Business with SRDF SRDF Over IP Optimizes Information Deployment SRDF Over Fibre Channel Increases Throughput Chapter 3: SRDF Detailed Description SRDF Principles of Operation SRDF Hardware Components SRDF Implementation
20 20 21 22 23 23 23 24 24 24 25 26 26 27 27 27 27 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 29 29 30 30 30 30 31 31 32 32 32 33 33 33 34 34 35 35 36 36 36
Installation and Planning Supported Environments Multihost Support SRDF Campus Solution SRDF Extended Distance Solutions SRDF FarPoint SRDF Multi-hop Capability SRDF over IP for Extended Distances SRDF Modes of Operation Synchronous Mode Semi-Synchronous Mode Adaptive Copy Mode Consistency Group Utility Domino Option SRDF FarPoint Option Invalid Tracks Attribute SRDF Management Chapter 4: SRDF Usability Considerations SRDF Features and Capabilities Sequential Data Updates Across the Link Local and Remote Mirrors of the Same Volume SRDF and RAID-S Compatibility Dynamic Sparing Source/Target Switching Source Control of Target HP MetroCluster Potential Events Local or Remote Volumes Link Breaks Return to Source Site Synchronization and Resynchronization Use of Track Tables Performance Data Recovery Databases Backup Using Remote Data Read-Only Access to Target Volumes SRDF Testing Chapter 5: Symmetrix Software Solutions and Service Software Solutions Professional Services Enterprise Business Continuity Enterprise Storage Architecture and Design Building an E-Infostructure Enterprise Storage Network Support and Service
Chapter 1 Introduction
Overview
This guide describes Symmetrix Remote Data Facility, SRDF, EMCs industry-leading information protection and business continuity software solution for use with Symmetrix enterprise storage systems. Chapter 1 provides an overview of SRDF, its capabilities, and its benets for today s informationcentric enterprises. The chapter also includes a general discussion of Symmetrix, EMCs intelligent enterprise storage system, the Symmetrix architecture, and EMCs other information protection, information sharing, and information management solutions. The remaining chapters provide a greater level of detail and operational description on the material presented in Chapter 1.
The Value of Symmetrix Remote Data Facility
EMC Enterprise Storage helps you realize your most aggressive business goals through intelligent information sharing, management, and protection. Achieving those goals is what we call experiencing The EMC Effect. Symmetrix Remote Data Facility helps you achieve The EMC Effect by providing you with complete business continuity that can accelerate your business in the new E-based economy. With SRDF the data center is secure from both unforeseen disasters and planned events such as daily backups, database loads and refreshes, application testing, scheduled maintenance, and data center migrations or consolidations. Equally important, EMC has expanded SRDFs capabilities to include Virtual Private Networks using the Internet Protocol (IP), and Fibre Channel technology. SRDF is the only solution providing automatic information protection/business continuity simultaneously to mainframe, UNIX, Windows NT, and AS/400 systems. SRDF offers a host-independent, mirrored data storage solution that duplicates production or source site data on a physically separate recovery or target site transparently to users, applications, databases, and host processors.
SYMMETRIX A
SYMMETRIX B
When primary (that is, source) stored data is unavailable, SRDF enables fast switchover to the target copy data so that critical information is again available in minutes. Business operations and related applications resume full functionality with minimal interruption. Source and target site Symmetrix systems can be adjacent to one another or thousands of miles apart. In either case, the same enterprise-level information protection capabilities are afforded. After such an event, SRDF can resynchronize data to the source or to the target, at the users discretion, thereby ensuring information and database consistency.
Without SRDF, planned or unplanned events can disrupt data center operations and prevent access to vital business data. Business, operational, and nancial losses can be signicant. SRDF helps protect against these losses and their impact on your enterprise. Besides offering data protection, SRDF over IP capitalizes on e-focused business trends, while Fibre Channel connectivity offers high-speed, efcient and effective data transfers in local or campus congurations. Using SRDF dramatically impacts any organizations business, operations, and nances.
Financial Impact
Direct impact on the revenue-generating and service-providing aspects of SRDF includes: Elimination of expensive and inexible manual backup and restore procedures. Improved cost-effectiveness through direct Symmetrix-to-Symmetrix operation CPU redundancy is unnecessary and performance is enhanced. Savings in telecommunication costs using SRDF over IP networks. High throughput and connectivity characteristics of Fibre Channel improving local and campus data protection and replication. Cost-effective resource utilization a single SRDF target site can support multiple source sites, each with multiple hosts. Immediate return on SRDF investment justied by preventing just one extended outage.
Business Impact
1 Business Impact
2 Operational Impact
3 Financial Impact
SRDFs unique capabilities enable: Enhanced customer service due to reduced planned and unplanned downtime. Faster recovery from planned and unplanned downtime, increasing the availability of revenuegenerating applications. Deployment of underutilized IP networking structure for low cost information access to local and remote sites. Support for Fibre Channel architecture, thus expanding connectivity options for open systems and Symmetrix to Symmetrix data mirroring. Longer running of transactional applications, resulting in increased revenue. Additional business applications and opportunities gained from higher data availability. Incremental uses of remotely mirrored data.
EMCs Architectures for Enterprise Storage: ISA and MOSAIC:2000
EMC Enterprise Storage systems and solutions are built on the foundation of Intelligent Storage Architecture (ISA) and MOSAIC:2000 a combination of industry-standard software and hardware to achieve unsurpassed levels of information protection, information sharing, and information management. EMCs Enterprise Storage architecture ensures optimum performance, availability, scalability, and connectivity. Complementary ISA software and MOSAIC:2000 hardware architectures demonstrate the unique storage system philosophy of all EMC Enterprise Storage products working together to solve our customers biggest IT challenges. An EMC Enterprise Storage system: Stores and retrieves data from all major computing platforms, including mainframe and open
Operational Impact
SRDF improves enterprise processes by streamlining operations, enhancing efciency, and protecting business assets. SRDF enables: Improved disaster recovery procedures through the elimination of slow, labor-intensive tape-based retrieval and loading schemes. Increased throughput for business-critical information with high-speed Fibre Channel Ability to deploy remote copies of les and databases to previously inaccessible sites using IP networks. More frequent and less costly online testing of disaster recovery scenarios, providing condence in a viable and exible solution. Simultaneous support of heterogeneous mainframe, UNIX, Windows NT, and AS/400 systems, reducing complexity and simplifying IS staff training requirements. Database integrity consistently maintained and preserved through built-in synchronization functionality. No special coding or software applications required, simplifying its use.
systems environments. Enables software-based functionality that ensures business continuity even in the event of a disaster. Delivers rapid and non-disruptive data migration from one system to another. Shares information, regardless of origin.
Database
Applications APIs Connectivity
Management
Information Management
Provides graphical user interfaces to make configuration and management of storage activity easy.
SRDF
Ensuring the highest availability in the event of planned or unplanned information systems interruptions.
Information Protection
Information Sharing
Multihost support allows high-speed movement of large amounts of information between different platforms.
Performance, Availability
MOSAIC:2000
Maintainability, Scalability, Compatibility
EMCs Intelligent Storage Architecture, ISA, consolidates information sharing, management, and protection into a single intelligent storage system capable of managing the information storage and retrieval needs of the entire enterprise.
EMC CopyCross is optional mainframe-based software that intercepts data originally targeted for tape systems and redirects it onto Symmetrix. Once on Symmetrix it can be SRDFs to a remote Symmetrix for disaster recovery purposes. The result is a fast post-disaster restart for tape-based data as fast as any other disk-based data. Customers avoid waiting for the arrival of physical computer tapes. Instead, they work with Symmetrix disk images of the same information.
Information Sharing
EMC Enterprise Storage systems provide a centralized, shareable information repository in support of changing environments and mission-critical applications. This leading-edge technology begins with physical devices shared between heterogeneous operating environments and extends to specialized software that enhances information sharing between disparate platforms. Symmetrix provides standard simultaneous multiple system support EMC Enginuity Operating Environment makes it possible for Symmetrix systems to serve as the foundation for a scalable, open and manageable information storage infrastructure Symmetrix Enterprise Storage Platform (ESP) software provides simultaneous mainframe and
MOSAIC:2000 combines industry-standard hardware with optimized software to provide the highest performance, availability, scalability, and performance. EMCs architectural approach lets you easily integrate the enhancements that advances in software and hardware technology offer. The basic system infrastructure remains constant when you add or replace elements. This adaptability allows EMC Enterprise Storage to remain on the leading edge of user needs and technology improvements while preserving existing information technology investments.
open systems support for Symmetrix storage systems EMC Celerra is unique hardware and software that brings unprecedented levels of availability, management, and scalability to network le storage EMC InfoMover, formerly known as Symmetrix Multihost Transfer Facility (SMTF), facilitates high speed bulk le transfers between heterogeneous host platforms without the need for network resources Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) enable customers and third-party vendors to tightly integrate their software solutions with hardware and software from EMC
Information Protection
In addition to Symmetrix Remote Data Facility, EMC also provides a variety of other hardware and software information protection features. These include extensive RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) data protection, Mirroring (the optimum RAID level for both performance and availability), EMCs RAID-S enhanced parity protection, and Dynamic Sparing. EMC Symmetrix also affords automatic phone home diagnostic capabilities so that failing parts can be replaced before they become troublesome. Other integrated and optional EMC information protection software and service offerings include the following: SRDF FarPoint, an advanced SRDF capability, signicantly increases SRDF performance over extended distances through the optimization of the communication line. EMC TimeFinder provides the optional capability for system administrators to create, in background mode, independently addressable Business Continuance Volumes (BCVs) that can be used to run other tasks simultaneously with normal production activities. This capability is known as workload compression. EMC Foundation Suite by Veritas and EMC Database Edition for Oracle by Veritas. Both of these suite products are tightly integrated with EMC TimeFinder, providing parallel BCV operations to Veritas File System and Volume Manager users. Symmetrix Data Migration Services (SDMS) is an optional EMC service that enables users to migrate large or small volumes of data off heterogeneous mainframe storage devices or other Symmetrix systems to new Symmetrix systems without stopping business operations during the migration. EMC CopyPoint is optional software that works with SRDF to extend SRDF capabilities in AS/400 environments.
Information Management
EMC Enterprise Storage systems improve information management by allowing users to consolidate storage capacity for multiple hosts and servers. EMC offers powerful graphical user interface (GUI)-based tools that dramatically simplify and enhance Symmetrix monitoring and control. EMC Data Manager (EDM), a combined hardware and software system, supports open system backup needs from one centrally managed site while offering a complete, high-performance database backup solution for the entire enterprise. EMC PowerPath offers a combination of simultaneous multiple path access, workload balancing, and path failover capabilities between Symmetrix systems and supported server hosts. EMC ControlCenter provides extensive user control, performance monitoring of data in real time, error condition identication, and conguration management of Symmetrix systems in mainframe and open system environments.
SRDF adds business continuity protection to Symmetrixs standard information protection features. All SRDF protection features are available for Symmetrix systems whether in support of mainframe, open systems, or heterogeneous environments. SRDF extends business continuity protection by providing separate copies of data on physically separate Symmetrix systems. If data becomes unavailable on one Symmetrix, it can be accessed by the other Symmetrix system(s).
SRDF and Fibre Channel
For sites requiring a higher level of throughput and real-time mirroring, EMC offers SRDF within the Fibre Channel (FC) architecture. Fibre Channel increases SRDF throughput signicantly. Fibre Channel affords major benets to enterprise storage in terms of consolidation, distance between Symmetrix SRDF sites, connectivity, and performance. Together, SRDF and Fibre Channel boost the throughput performance of existing technologies as well as provide great exibility for open systems. EMC offers a fully integrated, highly available Fibre Channel-based Enterprise Storage Network (ESN) system called the EMC Connectrix system. The single enclosure Connectrix system houses either one or two Fibre Channel directors supporting up to 64 Fibre Channel ports, a service processor, connectivity management application software, and an efcient cable management system. The highly modular and scalable system offers an array of conguration choices for a variety of connectivity and availability requirements. ESN provides signicant advantages in terms of information consolidation, connectivity, multi-host support, and ease of management. Using SRDF in combination with Connectrix means that SRDF Symmetrix to Symmetrix transfers as well as host to Symmetrix transfers occur through an Enterprise Storage Network (ESN) using Fibre Channel protocol. SRDF, Connectrix, and Fibre Channel technologies provide a capable foundation for your storage architecture while serving as the basis for future business and technology expansion.
The GUI screens of EMC ControlCenter provide easy point-and-click monitoring and control of SRDF environments, as well as planning, monitoring, and managing other EMC hardware and software functions plus those from third parties which are compliant.
SRDF and Symmetrix
The unique capabilities of SRDF enhance the already impressive information protection and availability capabilities of EMCs Symmetrix enterprise storage system. Standard Symmetrix protection features include: Full-system battery backup
SRDF/FC SYMMETRIX SYMMETRIX
Redundant disk and channel directors A choice of RAID protection levels Mirroring, EMCs RAID 1 protection RAID-S, EMCs enhanced parity-based protection Fully non-disruptive microcode loads
SRDF/FC CONNECTRIX
SRDF and IP
Non-disruptive component replacement Dynamic disk sparing Automatic cache and disk scrubbing Integrated Remote Maintenance Processor (RMP) with automatic phone home capability
SRDF now enables the automatic replication of data and applications between geographically separated EMC Symmetrix Enterprise Storage Systems over Virtual Private Networks using the Internet Protocol (IP). This unique feature takes advantage of the ubiquitous and often underutilized IP networking infrastructure to provide localized processing, speedy information access, and remote data replication.
Chapter 2 SRDF Uses and Applications

Symmetrix (A) Symmetrix (B) Symmetrix (C)
Overview
FC/AL Point to Point ESCON IP ESCON
As businesses become more global, applications grow signicantly larger. A superior information protection solution, one that provides not just data safekeeping and disaster recovery capabilities, but also business continuity and acceleration is a necessity. To address this need, companies and government agencies are increasingly implementing solutions based on remote mirroring technologies. Remote mirroring is capable of making data available in less than an hour in the case of a disaster (versus typical tape recoveries of 24 to 72 hours), and with data current as of the last completed transaction. Remote mirroring reduces the time, costs, and data recovery efforts associated with traditional disaster recovery methods. System restoration times are minimized and data loss prevented so that data is recovered at the exact point of failure and in an expedient manner. Users gain the ability to continue their business operations in the event of planned outages such as daily backups, scheduled maintenance, and data center migrations or consolidations. The nancial impact of both unplanned and planned events and their severe business disruption can be minimized or negated altogether. EMCs Symmetrix Remote Data Facility, SRDF, accomplishes remote mirroring by connecting intelligent storage systems that reside locally or thousands of miles apart, independently of host processors. Introduced in 1994, SRDF is the leader in its market with thousands of licenses installed worldwide. With the recent additions of Fibre Channel connectivity, Virtual Private Networks using the Internet Protocol (IP) to traditional SRDF, EMC also expands your opportunities for business acceleration.
SRDF and EMC TimeFinder
SRDF functionality can be combined with that of EMC TimeFinder to create expanded capabilities. EMC TimeFinder is used to create locally resident, point-in-time, mirrored copies of active volumes called Business Continuance Volumes or BCVs. While production applications continue to perform at full capability and capacity, BCVs can be used for other business purposes. For example: application testing with real data, on-demand data warehouse loads and refreshes, or running batch processes, such as backups. With SRDF installed, the BCVs can be created at either local (source), remote (target), or both types of Symmetrix sites. SRDF maintains full disaster recovery/business continuity even as these other operations proceed, ensuring information availability and simultaneously working with TimeFinder to enhance enterprise productivity and business acceleration.
SRDF and AS/400 Environments
Symmetrix systems can support AS/400 systems with the full suite of Symmetrix features and benets. EMC CopyPoint enabling software that runs on AS/400 systems and affords Information Protection to data on EMC-connected Symmetrix. When used with SRDF, CopyPoint reduces nonproductive AS/400 system time to a minimum by allowing a second AS/400 the ability to ofoad many operational requirements such as point-in-time backups, batch processing, report generation, application testing, and data warehouse loading. Contact your EMC representative for complete details on the use of SRDF in AS/400 environments.
Disaster Recovery, The Old Way
When a disaster occurs and the decision is made to utilize a disaster recovery site, many activities must take place. The recovery site must be accessed and networks and telephones must be switched to the new site. The most recent tape copies of the operating systems, libraries, databases, and catalogs from the off-site vault must be retrieved and transported to the recovery site. And nally, the tape copies must be restored to disk, which may take days. This is not the most expedient method, but is the most widely used practice in the world today. Any method that shortens this cycle is obviously of great interest to disaster recovery planners.
Disaster Scenarios
Disasters may occur for any number of natural or man-made causes. Protection is required to recover from earthquakes, oods, res, hurricanes, protracted power outages, destruction of the primary processing facility by terrorist activity, or any of hundreds of other causes including database corruptions and programming failures.
10
11
Disaster Recovery Sites
The disaster recovery plan must ensure that an alternative site is identied which meets the planners requirements with respect to: Distance from the primary site Communications capability Processing power Storage capacity Accessibility for the required personnel
In the above scenario, it will have taken at least 18 hours to get the environment prepared to where it was before the disaster. Missing information and data, with consequent business risk, is the potential result of this scenario. Outages of this duration will clearly be intolerable in the new E-economy.
Create the Tape Copies at the Recovery Site
The time taken for retrieval and transport can be eliminated by actually writing the tapes at the recovery site using channel extenders and tape silo facilities. This clearly delivers an advantage in that the retrieval and transport of the tapes at the time of disaster is eliminated. However, the tapes must still be restored to disk, which is the most time consuming activity in the recovery process. The latencies associated with tape-based recoveries are simply too long.
Depending on the nature of the expected events that would cause a disaster, the site may be within yards of the primary site or separated by hundreds of miles. In the case of a re, a recovery environment behind a rewall in the same building may sufce. In the event of an earthquake, a whole region may be devastated. Dening and verifying the physical site is a relatively easy process. Investigation and negotiation ensure that the required infrastructure is in an appropriate place and sufcient for the task.
Data Copies on Disk
Advances in channel extender facilities whether SCSI, ESCON, IP, or Fibre Channel and host/server communications have facilitated keeping two copies of data available on disk in real-time mode.
Using the Host/Server to Create the Copies Traditional Techniques for Data Recovery
Various techniques have evolved for protecting information from natural and unnatural disasters. Several of the more prominent are listed here.
One method involves using the host/server to write data to both local and remote disk. This raises several issues of resource consumption, currency of data (Is the data real-time or copied to disk at specic moments in the daily cycle?) and performance impact on daily operations, as well as implications on application maintenance if the copy facility is embedded in user programs. Another technique involves the host/server transmission of transactions as they occur. This second capability gives the user the option of storing the transactions on remote disk for later, relatively rapid, application to a copy of the database environment, or of direct application. In either event, CPU resources are still utilized and performance impact and cost issues are signicant.
Store the Tape Copies at a Secure Site
It is a normal part of day-to-day operations in most data processing facilities to take backup copies of critical data, libraries, and databases to enable rapid restoration in the event of a problem. Typically, two copies are made, one stored on-site and the second stored off-site in a secure facility. Copies of data, generally on tape reels or cartridges, are usually stored in a secure facility, offsite from the primary processing facility. The tape cartridges are produced, typically overnight, and transported to the storage facility. This process alone introduces signicant time delays in the currency of any backup data. The tape copy may have gone through a cycle similar to that below: Database quiesced at midnight Copy taken (4 to 6 hours) Tapes stacked for shipment to secure site Transport calls at 10:00 a.m. Tapes driven to secure site Tapes are secured at noon
Disaster Recovery Testing
Typical disaster recovery testing involves manually intensive recovery drills, complex procedures, and business interruptions. In contrast, with SRDF IS staff can simply switch to the remote site at any time. Testing can be performed during normal business operations, a signicant time and cost-saving option. For businesses serving global markets that operate on a 24 x 7 x 365 schedule, ensuring the highest level of data availability with no downtime is especially critical.
Business Continuity
Major impediments to business continuity exist that are mundane in nature and considered normal business and operational practices. These involve outages from nightly backups, new application testing, database loads and refreshes, and hardware and software upgrades. However, in todays highly competitive and often global environments, businesses can ill afford the loss of productivity that is associated with these outages. Fortunately, with SRDF, such outages are no longer necessary. Business continuity planning must deal with all the challenges to system availability. Plans and
Thus the tape copy that is stored at the secure site may be several hours old (12 in the above example), and represents the current best starting point for recovery in the event of a disaster. When required, the tapes must be retrieved and transported to the recovery site. This generally means delays of many hours for the following functions to occur: Select the appropriate recovery tapes from the secure site (2 to 4 hours) Transport to the disaster recovery site (2 to 4 hours) Restore to disk (8 to 18 hours) Roll forward databases to best recovery level (6 to 12 hours) Resume application processing
processes must be put in place to: Backup data without shutting down enterprise systems Nondisruptively make duplicate copies of databases as required Nondisruptively load data warehouses as frequently as required Accomplish application upgrades without shutting down those applications
12
13
Eliminating the Race to Sunrise
Standard information management practice is to conduct regularly scheduled information backups. With todays global enterprises, this practice has become anything but routine. Applications have grown larger, backup windows have grown smaller, and any downtime results in potential revenue loss. SRDF eliminates the race to sunrise while allowing business operations to run continuously. Scheduled backup operations or new application testing is performed from the target Symmetrix data while normal operations are continuously running on the source Symmetrix. All the while, information is safely protected, available, and expanding its earning power. For many businesses, the SRDF payback is measured in just days.
Clearly, the implication is an extended application outage, often as much as 20 or 30 hours or more. As the cost of application downtime grows, the nancial impact of such a move can be considerable. SRDF reduces the size of the outage taken for the switch to the new data center to less than an hour by: Remotely mirroring the application data and libraries beginning days or weeks prior to the move and keeping the local and remote copies synchronized with minimal performance impact Performing data validations at the new center prior to the cutover, while applications are still running at the original site
Loading Data Warehouses
All too often conventional data warehouse loads and refreshes occur infrequently, when no other business-critical functions are in process. SRDF recties this situation and gives analysts and management personnel access to the latest information from which to plan business strategies and take advantage of immediate opportunities. Using SRDF remote copy volumes, data warehouses can be loaded and refreshed at more frequent intervals while normal operations to support the enterprise proceed nondisruptively.
Running the applications until the moment of cutover Shutting down the application in the old site Restarting the applications at the new site
Workload Migrations
The fundamental consideration for workload migrations is minimizing the outage taken by an application as its data is moved to the host/server where processing is to occur. Reasons for moving workloads include: A different host/server is better suited to running the application Application competency is superior in a different location Merger and acquisition activity at the corporate level calls for the least disruptive absorption of a
Scheduled Maintenance
SRDF enables business operations to continue during scheduled site maintenance, such as operating system upgrades, host/server upgrades, and environmental disruptions. After applications are switched to a remote site, normal operations continue using the remote copy of synchronized application data.
Data Center Migrations
Data center migrations occur for many reasons, including: Moving to a new building Company move to a new site As a result of a corporate reorganization As a result of a corporate merger or acquisition
workload by an existing facility
SRDF provides the means to support these activities without disrupting normal operations
AS/400 Applications
As with any mission- or business-critical application, customers using AS/400s require higher levels of data protection than in less sensitive environments. SRDF can provide that extra level of protection with no additional operational management or host system overhead. These critical environments need to conserve all the precious production time they can. EMC CopyPoint
From a data point of view, the migration involves: Identifying a specic time for the move, typically the least busy time on a low-activity weekend Shutting down applications Copying all data and libraries to tapes
provides AS/400 customers a way to protect vital resources and extend the production day while still completing necessary data backups, batch processing, etc., without consuming any system overhead.
Source Symmetrix Primary Target Symmetrix Recovery
Transporting either the disk or tape copies to the new location Installing the disk or restoring the tapes Executing appropriate data validation processes, if required or desired by the user Resuming applications
SRDF LINK
EMCs CopyPoint software gives AS/400 enterprises the ability to signicantly enhance their operational productivity while also achieving strengthened protection against outages.
14
15
At the time of a backup, the production AS/400 (source) application is quiesced and the AS/400 main storage is ushed to clear all active data from the AS/400 memory. SRDF remote mirroring at the destination (target) Symmetrix partition is suspended. The entire quiesce/ush/suspend process takes just a few minutes. Then the production AS/400 can continue its production applications. With the SRDF link suspended, the backup, using CopyPoint, can commence from the second AS/400. Because Symmetrix offers protection for the source data, full business continuity is maintained even while SRDF mirroring is suspended. Once the backup is completed, SRDF mirroring is restored, and the source and target data volumes are automatically resynchronized by the Symmetrix with no AS/400 system overhead.
Chapter 3 SRDF Detailed Description

SRDF Principles of Operation
At the simplest conceptual level, SRDF is mirroring (RAID level 1) of one disk device (source) to a second device (target) in a physically separate Symmetrix system over ESCON or other high-speed communication links. The distance separating the two Symmetrix systems can vary from within the same room to thousands of miles. As with RAID 1, if either disk in the mirrored pair fails, the requested data is instantly available from its mirror copy. No disruption to normal operations occurs. Once the disk again becomes available (through repair, replacement, or operational procedure), the newly available member of
Growing Your Business with SRDF
SRDF over IP presents new opportunities for growth by capitalizing on e-focused business trends. Take advantage of SRDFs remote mirroring capabilities to replicate data such as mail system indexes and mail boxes, establish application test beds, deliver widespread management reports and distribute software. The lower telecommunications costs of IP-based SRDF can be reinvested to make wider or growing data more accessible, increasing the volume of data that is remotely protected, and optimizing localized applications or data.
the pair can be resynchronized with its mate. Because the mirrored volumes reside on separate Symmetrix systems, unique capabilities result over and above the information protection features of a remotely mirrored RAID 1 system. The duplicate volumes can be temporarily disconnected from the mirroring scheme and used for nondisruptive: Backup and restore operations Development and testing of applications from third-party software providers Timely loads and refreshes of data warehouses and data marts Complex queries and report generation Disaster recovery testing
SRDF Over IP Optimizes Information Deployment
Carried over IP, data is a replicated mirror, using delayed synchronization techniques. Applications for which this delayed synchronization are appropriate include data warehousing, development systems, mirrored web sites, multi-hop, bulk data movement, and data center consolidation. SRDF over IP lets you accelerate, simplify, and optimize your business-critical information processes and resources in innovative, cost-effective ways. For example, if you need to deploy mirrored Web sites, refresh data warehouses or migrate applications and databases, SRDF Over IP can create copies of the data and transmit them over IP-based Virtual Private Network to a remote Symmetrix system. Using an IP network for data replication can signicantly lower operational costs, since an IP communications infrastructure likely exists. Other uses for SRDFs mirroring capabilities using the IP network might include replicating mail system indexes and mail boxes to establish application test beds, deliver widespread management reports, and software distribution.
SRDF Hardware Components
SRDF requires a minimum of two Symmetrix systems one source system and one target system. Additionally, there may be one server system sending information to multiple target systems and/or multiple sources sending information to one target. SRDF requires a minimum of two Remote Link Directors (RLDs) or Remote Fibre Directors (RFDs) to be installed in the Symmetrix systems, both source and target. The Remote Link Director is a two-port channel adapter, microcodecongured as the link between the Symmetrix systems. Symmetrix supports up to eight RLDs depending on the Symmetrix model in use and the business continuity requirements. Remote Fiber Directors are two-port channel adapters, again installed in pairs for redundancy on both
SRDF Over Fibre Channel Increases Throughput
Applications that would particularly benet from a SRDF FC topology are those that require synchronous, realtime mirroring. Information for nancial transactions, such as for brokerage accounts, banking, and mortgage servicing, and critical production data such as for telecommunications, databases, and manufacturing systems are obvious examples of applications that would benet from SRDF over FC. High bandwidth, efciency, low delays, and low overhead are familiar advantages of FC. In campus mode, within 10 kilometers, SRDF over FC will run synchronously, with signicantly added throughput over traditional connection methods.
Symmetrix systems. The maximum number of RFDs varies by Symmetrix model. The following gures schematically illustrate typical Symmetrix SRDF connectivity.
SYMMETRIX A
RA1 RA2
SYMMETRIX B
CACHE
CD
CD
RLD
RLD
CD
CD
CACHE
DD
DD
RLD
RA1
RA2
RLD
DD
DD
S1 S3 S2 S4
S5 S7 S6 S8
T1 T3 T2 T4
T5 T7 T6 T8
Hardware component usage between two Symmetrix units in a uni-directional conguration
16
17
SYMMETRIX SYMMETRIX A CD CD SYMMETRIX B CD CD
SYMMETRIX
SRDF/FC RLD
RA1
RLD
RA1
DD
DD
RLD
RA1 RA1
DD
DD
T1 T2
S1 S2
S3 T3
T4 T5
RLD
RA2 RA2 RA2 RA2
Dramatic throughput increases are possible when SRDF runs across Fibre Channel networks.
RLD CACHE
RLD
RLD
CD
CD
RLD
SRDF Implementation
EMC Professional Services are available to help you receive optimum value from your implementation of SRDF. Specic planning and design services tailor your SRDF solution to your particular enterprise business continuity requirements. SRDF implementation and maintenance is both easy and cost-effective. No special application
DD SYMMETRIX C
T1 T3 T2 S1
DD
T4 S2 T5 S3
coding is required and no CPU overhead is incurred. SRDF functions completely independently from the host processor and operating system. As a result, all major mainframe and open systems hardware and software platforms are supported.
Multi-hop, an SRDF Extended Distance solution, involves three Symmetrix systems. For more information on this solution, please see page 23.
SRDF setup and installation parameters are accomplished through the Symmetrix integrated service processor. Optional EMC ControlCenter software may be used to congure and manage SRDF implementations by means of an easy-to-use GUI or via a command line interface for automation.
MVS Host
ESCON
IP-BASED Network
CNT USED Symmetrix
Router Router
An SRDF implementation involves the following components: A minimum of two Symmetrix enterprise storage systems. In the case of SRDF over IP or FC, must
CNT USED Symmetrix
be specic models of Symmetrix 3000, 5000, or 8000 series. Symmetrix Enterprise Storage Platform (ESP) software (required for installations with a mix of Symmetrix 3000 and 5000 systems).
SRDF/ ESCON
UNIX Server
server 264
SRDF/ ESCON SCSI FC-AL
Remote Link Adapters (RLAs) or Remote Fiber Directors (RFDs). Microcode license for SRDF for each Symmetrix. Communication links between Symmetrix systems. For use with the IP protocol, a channel extender must be used on each end.
Adding IP Suport to T3/E3 and ATM
SRDF can run over Virtual Private Networks with addition of partner-supplied hardware that encapsulates SRDF trafc and makes it ready for transmission via IP.
18
19
Installation and Planning
Several conguration guidelines must be met in order to ensure SRDF properly executes in a specic environment. Successful implementation of SRDF involves choosing the appropriate features that meet the business continuity/disaster recovery and performance needs of the enterprise.
Multihost Support
Vendor Bull System Escala AlphaStation and AlphaServer Series 3000 AXP, Models 300-900, 1000, 2000, 2100, 4100/4200, 8200, and 8400 Data General Data General HP

Minimum Operating System AIX 4.2.1, varies by model Digital UNIX V3.2A, OpenVMS 6.2 or higher, Windows NT V3.5.1 DG/UX R4.11 MU03 Windows NT V4.0 MPE/ix 5.0 HP-UX 9.05, HP-UX 10.20
The following aspects should be considered when choosing the types of data and volumes to be remotely mirrored: Databases, logs, catalogs, system residence volumes, and program libraries are excellent candidates for SRDF mirroring. Page, spool, and work datasets are poor SRDF candidates as they are easily recreated on the target location.
Compaq/DEC
Aviion 5500 (88K-based), 4900/5000 (Intel-based) AV4900, AV5900 (Pentium) 3000-900 Series 9000/700 Series: 725/100, 735/99, 735/125, 755/99, 755/125, 715/100XC, C-Series, J-200, J-210, 210CX, 250
Every SRDF installation is unique and therefore it is important to thoroughly discuss the business, conguration, and application performance requirements with an EMC representative.
HP
Supported Environments
Since SRDF runs on Symmetrix, it is operating system independent. Thus, any host environment to which a Symmetrix system is attached is supported. The following chart lists the currently supported host hardware and operating system platforms. Consult EMC for updates to the list.
HP IBM IBM IBM IBM IBM IBM Intel-Based Servers NCR
9000/800 Series: E, F, G, H, I, T500, D, K AS/400 (all 9406 including RISC, except Model B) RS/6000 SP2
HP-UX 9.04, 10.20 varies by model OS/400 V3R2 AIX 4.2.1 AIX 4.2.1 Any DYNIX/ptx 2.1.5 DYNIX/ptx 4.3 Novell 3.12, Windows NT 3.5, or OS/2 2.1
S/390 & S/370 Symmetry 2000 & 5000
NUMA-Q All
34xx, 35xx, 36xx, 41xx, 45xx, 3600AP, 5100 (S, C, M)
UNIX SVR4 2.03.01 Datacenter OSx 94D079.6 Datacenter OSx 95M079 Reliant UNIX V5.43C0053 IRIX 5.3 IRIX 6.4.1 HP-UX B.10.20.1 SunOs 4.1.3, Solaris 2.3
Siemens-Pyramid Nile Series RM 1000 Silicon Graphics Silicon Graphics Stratus Sun Challenge S, L, DM, & XL Origin 200 and 2000 Continuum 400 Series SPARCserver and SPARCcenter 10, 20, 1000, 2000 Sun Unisys congurations. UltraSPARC Workstations and UltraSPARC Servers Clearpath IX, NX
Solaris 2.5.1 OS/MCP, OS/2200
Note: Contact your local EMC sales representative for specic hardware and software
In addition to a wide range of platform support, SRDF is congurable into multiple Symmetrix environments such that one Symmetrix serving as an SRDF target system can support up to 16 other Symmetrix systems serving as source systems. Generally the number is less than 16 as this would necessitate a physical disconnection of one Symmetrix from the remote link adapters in order to gain access to a server processor to resume business operations.
20
21
SYMMETRIX SOURCE A
SRDF Extended Distance Solutions
Extended Distance solutions are appropriate for wide area protection and for areas where ber cannot be installed; for example, where data centers are further than 66 kilometers apart or local restrictions will not allow the placement of ber. Extended Distance solutions can also be used to link data centers to a centralized private recovery site or any of several commercial regional disaster recovery service providers. In Extended Distance solutions, the RLAs output is still to ESCON ber. This ESCON ber is
SYMMETRIX SOURCE H
SYMMETRIX TARGET
SYMMETRIX SOURCE B
connected to a telecommunications protocol conversion unit, which is provided by any of several independent vendors. These network boxes convert the ESCON protocol to the appropriate telecommunications protocol, whether T3/T1, E3/E1, or ATM. Network boxes available from Computer Network Technology, InRange Technologys GEN, StorageTek (formerly NSG), and Computerm Corporation are currently supported. Some feature data compression. For further information, contact the independent vendors directly.
SYMMETRIX SOURCE G
SYMMETRIX SOURCE C
SRDF FarPoint
SRDF FarPoint is a high performance feature that optimizes both the long distance (>15 km) Campus and Extended Distance solutions. SRDF FarPoint signicantly increases performance by eliminating queuing and increasing communication line utilization. This results in a more costeffective solution and, in some instances, allows the same level of performance with fewer lines. For more detail on SRDF FarPoint, see SRDF FarPoint Operations later in this chapter.
SYMMETRIX SOURCE F
SYMMETRIX SOURCE D SYMMETRIX SOURCE E
SRDF Multi-hop Capability
Another time- and cost-saving Extended Distance offering is SRDFs multi-hop capability. Multihop enables SRDF users to mirror only data that has changed since the last update to a Symmetrix system in a third location. Symmetrix to Symmetrix transmissions are made synchronously in the local or campus area, whereas delayed synchronization modes are used for long-distance segments.
SRDF Campus Solution
In the Campus solution, the Symmetrix systems are connected with ESCON ber from as little as 3 meters to 66 kilometers. For distances between 0 and 3 kilometers, no converters or repeaters are needed with multimode ber connected directly to the Remote Link Adapters (RLAs). If the sites are more than 3 kilometers apart, then standard ESCON channel directors, repeaters, and converters must be used in 20-kilometer segments. SRDF over Fibre Channel will run synchronously in campus mode up to 10 kilometers, from the host Symmetrix to the target Symmetrix or Connectrix switch if in the middle.
Utilizing EMC TimeFinder, this capability is ideal for cost-effectively mirroring data long-distance. By copying only the changed tracks, less bandwidth is consumed, performance is enhanced, and transmission times are shorter. Multi-hop mirroring to the third site can take place during off-peak times or over lower cost transmission lines or via IP-based Virtual Private Networks. Recurrent monthly line costs can be dramatically reduced, quickly recouping the investment in a third Symmetrix system.
Symmetrix Source
Intermediate Symmetrix Target
Final Symmetrix Target
An EMC 9191 device is used to: Support multimode-to-singlemode conversion and singlemode-to-singlemode signal regeneration. Support SRDF at full ESCON speed. Support source and target Symmetrix systems located at distances between 3 and 26 kilometers. For customers who require greater distances, three EMC 9191 devices can be used to extend the path up to 66 kilometers.
Synchronous Mode Adaptive Copy Mode Using FarPoint
Los Angeles
Phoenix
New York
The Campus solution supports all SRDF modes of operation and bi-directional SRDF capability. Bi-directional SRDF capability means that both source and target Symmetrix systems can act as both source and target for each other. This is particularly useful when the sites are to be used for backup sites as well as for other applications. Dual mode, a variant on Bi-Directional mode, is also supported. SRDFs multi-hop capability decreases line transmission costs by mirroring only the tracks changed since the last update and taking advantage of lower cost transmission lines or IP-based VPNs.
22
23
SRDF over IP for Extended Distances
SRDF over IP takes advantage of two fundamental characteristics of IP-based VPN networks. VPNs are often underutilized and they do not require a dedicated circuit. This latter point means that operational telecommunications costs (usually priced on a per circuit mile basis) can be dramatically reduced.
Step 3: Step 4:
The remote Symmetrix acknowledges the receipt of the data. The I/O complete signal is presented back to the host/server, which initiated the I/O request.
SRDF Modes of Operation
SRDF offers exibility in specifying how data transfer is performed between source and target volumes. The following modes of operation and conguration options can be intermixed and operate simultaneously in the appropriate manner in order to achieve a proper balance among performance, communication link cost-effectiveness, and timeliness of information synchronization required. Primary mode choices are: Synchronous Mode Semi-synchronous Mode
1 CD
CPU A 4 CD 3 RLD 2 CACHE RLD

SYMMETRIX CONTAINING SOURCE (R1) VOLUME
CPU B
RLD
CD
CD
CACHE RLD
SYMMETRIX CONTAINING TARGET (R2) VOLUME
A Secondary mode is: Adaptive Copy Mode In Synchronous Mode, SRDF writes data simultaneously to the cache of both source and target volumes, in real time, before the I/O is complete. SRDF over Fibre Channel is used in local and campus congurations and may optionally connect through the Connectrix family switches in Each logical volume must be congured in one of the two primary modes. The decision on which primary mode to select is based upon such factors as performance and distance. In addition, there are several conguration options that can be specied for Symmetrix volumes. These are: Consistency Group Utility for MVS Consistency Group Feature for Open Systems Domino Option SRDF FarPoint By presenting an earlier I/O complete signal to the host/server, the host/server can continue Invalid Tracks processing reads to the logical volume. Most applications do a read before they do a write. This implementation successfully masks the I/O elongation that is created by the propagation delay to the target system in a pure synchronous mode. When writing to a remotely mirrored volume, the following sequence of events takes place in Semi-synchronous Mode: Step 1: Data is written to the cache of the local Symmetrix and an entry is placed in the SRDF FIFO queue for the updated data. Step 2: Step 3: Step 1: Data is written to the cache of the local Symmetrix and an entry is placed in the SRDF FIFO (First In, First Out) queue for the updated data. Step 4: Step 2: The rst available RLA takes the rst entry in the queue and moves it across the link to the remote Symmetrix cache. The remote Symmetrix acknowledges the receipt of the data. An I/O complete signal is presented back to the host that initiated the request. The rst available RLA takes the rst entry in the queue and moves it across the link to the remote Symmetrix cache. pass-through mode.
Semi-Synchronous Mode
Semi-synchronous operation is used to mask any performance impact that could result from I/O propagation delays. Semi-synchronous Mode writes data to the source system, completes the I/O, and then synchronizes the data with the target system. Since the I/O is completed prior to synchronizing data with the target system, this mode provides an added performance advantage. A second write will not be accepted on a volume until the target has been synchronized (hence, not asynchronous).
Synchronous Mode
Synchronous Mode is most appropriate for data that must be written in two locations before the application is to continue. This ensures that a second copy of the data, accurate up to the last transaction, is immediately available for use. Synchronous Mode provides mirroring of data between the source Symmetrix and the target Symmetrix system. In this mode, data is rst written to the source system and then to the target system. Next the application is notied that the I/O is complete. AS/400 systems are supported only in Synchronous Mode. When writing to a remotely mirrored volume, the following sequence of events takes place in Synchronous Mode:
24
25
Domino Option
CPU A 1 CD 2 CD 4 RLD 3 CACHE RLD
SYMMETRIX CONTAINING SOURCE (R1) VOLUME
By specifying the Domino option for the mirrored pair, any failure to complete write operations to both volumes in the relationship will cause the source volume to present an intervention required status to the operating system. This in turn makes its way back to the driving application and alerts the user to the fact that the mirrored write did not complete and gives the user the option of preventing further activity.
CPU B
RLD
CD
CD
CACHE RLD
SYMMETRIX CONTAINING TARGET (R2) VOLUME
SRDF FarPoint Option
SRDF FarPoint signicantly enhances Synchronous Mode performance for SRDF Extended Distance solutions. SRDF FarPoint allows I/O from multiple logical volumes to be serially transmitted on the SRDF link by a single Remote Link Director (RLD), up to one outstanding I/O per logical volume. This enables the SRDF communication link to be more fully utilized depending on the distribution of application I/O write activity across multiple logical volumes. If an acknowledgement is not received from the distant end, SRDF FarPoint will resend data for that element and all that follow in the pipeline.
In Semi-synchronous Mode, SRDF writes data to the source system, completes the I/O, and then resynchronizes with the target system. The major advantages of using SRDF FarPoint for Extended Distance solutions are twofold: Bandwidth utilization is improved at long distances because there can be multiple I/Os serially transmitted by an additional RLD at any time. Thus, as line distance increases, this results in better utilization of line bandwidth. The SRDF I/O write operation will spend less time waiting in the queue to be serviced, resulting in higher I/O performance and lower average response times. In Adaptive Copy Mode, the user species that a source volumes primary mode of operation be suspended. Data is transferred from the source volumes to the remote volumes without waiting for an acknowledgment and allows a lag between source and target volume of a specied number of I/Os. This allows SRDF to manage the Adaptive Copy volumes at a lower priority, thus enabling applications using that volume not to encounter propagation delays while data is transferred to the remote site. If the number of I/Os at which the threshold is set should exceed the specied number, SRDF suspends its asynchronous state and reverts back to its primary mode of operation until the number of unsynchronized I/Os are below the threshold. When the I/O threshold is re-established, SRDF reverts to Adaptive Copy Mode again for the pair. SRDF FarPoint is available for Extended Distance implementations and Campus implementations greater than 15 km.
Adaptive Copy Mode
The Adaptive Copy Mode of operation is useful for data center migrations or for migrating large blocks of data from one place to another or when using SRDF over IP. When choosing this mode of synchronization, the user should be aware that data is not transferred in a serialized manner. Therefore, Adaptive Copy Mode is not a prime choice for real-time recovery.
Invalid Tracks Attribute
The Invalid Tracks attribute is implemented at the logical volume level. This prevents a target volume from becoming ready when it is not fully synchronized with its source.
SRDF Management
SRDF can be managed: Through the Symmetrix service processor (EMC service personnel only). Through EMC ControlCenter, SRDF/TimeFinder Manager option.
Consistency Groups
In MVS and open systems environments, SRDF users also have the option of using the Consistency Groups to provide database coherency protection for volumes spread across multiple Symmetrix systems. The Consistency Group capability, available with latest microcode versions, maintains database coherency across an SRDF conguration by monitoring data propagation from the source devices (R1) in a dened consistency group to their corresponding target (R2) devices. If data from one or more source devices in a Consistency Group cannot reach their corresponding target devices, it suspends all data ow to the consistency groups target. This ensures that a consistent database up to the point in time of data propagation failure exists on the remote side of the conguration for use by applications. I/O to the local Consistency Group devices can still occur while data ow to the targets is halted. Although these updates are not immediately sent to the remote site, they are propagated through usual SRDF operation once the affected CG links are again operational. EMC ControlCenter is an optional software product that offers unparalleled ease-of-use in implementing, reconguring, monitoring, and terminating SRDF congurations. With EMC ControlCenter SRDF users can perform such functions as: Query the status of the SRDF relationships (drives, links) Modify the options for each logical drive pair (Synchronous, Semi-synchronous, Adaptive Copy, Invalid Tracks) Issue SUSPEND or RESUME commands for mirroring activity for individual drive pairs or entire SRDF subsystems.
A comprehensive list of the SRDF commands and their functions may be found in the appropriate technical documentation.
26
27
Chapter 4 SRDF Usability Considerations

SRDF Features and Capabilities
SRDF features provide users with unsurpassed information protection capabilities capabilities that not only protect vital information assets, but also enable users to put those assets to competitive advantage. This chapter describes many of these features and capabilities as well as how SRDF employs them in typical scenarios.
R1
Without R1/R2 Swapping SRDF Source SRDF Target
R1
R2
R2
Sequential Data Updates Across the Link
When using Synchronous or Semi-synchronous mode, updates occur sequentially across the SRDF communication links. When a WRITE to an SRDF-participant volume takes place from a host, the data is moved into the cache of the local controller. SRDF maintains a queue, called the SRDF queue. This queue contains pointers to data which has been written to the local cache and that must be moved to the remote Symmetrix. Entries are made to this queue as the data arrives from the host. The data is moved from the queue in FIFO fashion, ensuring that data sequencing is preserved as data is moved between the SRDF participants.
SRDF Source With R1/R2 Swapping SRDF Target
Local and Remote Mirrors of the Same Volume
With SRDF the user may have two, three, or four copies of the same volume in combinations of mirroring or BCV volumes. This high availability capability enables exible solutions such as point-in-time backup of data. Example of source/target switching
R1 R2 R1 R2
SRDF and RAID-S Compatibility
SRDF fully supports the RAID-S capability of EMC Symmetrix systems. RAID-S is EMCs exclusive high performance parity-based RAID protection scheme. RAID-S protection can be intermixed with EMC Mirroring (RAID 1) or non-RAID-protected volumes in an SRDF environment, both locally and remotely.
Source Control of Target
SRDF commands can be performed at target locations without a host being present. Point-in-time backups and disaster recovery testing at the target site can be remotely managed from the source or production site. The primary source site can also create the Business Continuance Volume (BCV) that serves as the source for mirroring to a third location in a multi-hop solution. In addition, TimeFinder commands can be executed over SRDF links.
Dynamic Sparing
Symmetrix Dynamic Sparing capability can be used to provide protection for SRDF mirrored drives. Dynamic Sparing can be used: To augment the protection provided by local and remote mirrors by providing yet another level of safety in the event of a volume failure. In this combination, the already impressive availability prole afforded by optional full local and remote mirrors (four addressable copies of data!) is even more so. As a less costly manner of providing protection, but with the realization that dynamic sparing alone may not provide full protection in all circumstances.
HP MetroCluster
Hewlett-Packards MC/ServiceGuard with MetroCluster software and EMC SRDF is an integrated, open systems disaster-tolerant solution enabling geographically dispersed HP-UX clusters to be combined into a single, manageable system with automatic failover of applications. When a site becomes inoperable due to a system failure or a disaster event, application package switching occurs. This action automatically transfers control of the affected application to another HP 9000 system located in a secondary site, while also automatically read/write-enabling remotely mirrored EMC disk devices associated with the transferred application.
Source/Target Switching
This capability enables reconguration of synchronized SRDF volumes causing R1s (the source) to become R2s (the target) and R2s to become R1s. It results in a reversal of the data ow and facilitates continual disaster recovery readiness during workload migrations. Specic benets include: Swapping of specic host/server applications may be remotely mirrored, providing continued disaster recovery readiness in the event of either site going ofine after an R1/R2 swap. Allows host/server hardware and/or operating system upgrades without compromising disaster recovery readiness by continuing to make the data available with R1/R2 swapping. Eliminates the need to perform SRDF source site resynchronization because remote mirroring will continue between the swapped SRDF sites (assuming the SRDF source site is online). HP MetroCluster for EMC SRDF allows cluster support between sites up to 40 kilometers with an intersite link, which is used to provide heartbeat communication between cluster nodes. HP Continental Clusters extend the distance limits while operating in a similar manner.
Note: Contact your EMC representative for a list of platforms supported for Source/Target Switching.
28
29
Potential Events
The balance of the chapter discusses typical what if scenarios and how SRDF manages them.
Given that SRDF allows read-only access to the remote copy of data, that copy may be used for backup. The challenge is to establish a point-in-time that gives the backup consistency. This is accomplished as follows: When the time to perform backups arrives, quiesce the application for a short time and ush the buffers so that a consistent set of data, indexes, pointers, etc. exists on disk (both local and remote). Issue a SUSPEND command to SRDF for the volumes that are to be backed up. This command will allow the applications to continue accessing the local (source) copy of data, but not transmit the changes to the second (target) copy. However, the changes will be tracked for later transmission. Resume the application processing at the local site. Take a copy of the selected volumes, using a second processor or a second LPAR accessing the target volumes.
Local or Remote Volumes
If the user has implemented local as well as remote mirrors for the volume, then most types of Out of Service events are quite transparent to the user. If the drive that failed is not locally protected, the application will continue, utilizing the RAID-1 capability of SRDF. Applications continue by reading data from and writing to the survivor in the pair. When repair is effected nondisruptively, automatic resynchronization of the drives takes place.
Link Breaks
When one or more SRDF links break, applications continue running, but performance will likely be impacted because all I/O activity is then routed across the remaining links. If all links break, the Domino option may be invoked, which will prevent applications from running against the local Symmetrix. If this loss of availability is not desirable, Consistency Groups for MVS or open systems can be utilized to ensure integrity on the remote side while maintaining application availability at the local site. Upon link resumption, the changes that occurred on source volumes can be copied automatically to the target volumes, while normal application I/O activity continues.
When the copy is complete, issue a RESUME command for the volumes. This will allow SRDF to examine the internal entries for the volumes, and resynchronize the two sets of data by copying only the changed data across the links.
This technique has the potential to deliver hours of effective, protable application time to the installation. The gains in application availability may justify the cost of SRDF in their own right and disaster recovery capability may be an added bonus. Of course, for this application, the second
Return to Source Site
If after processing at the recovery site, as a result of a disaster or a test, you wish to return to the primary site, you can do so regardless of whether the original or new equipment is in place. Restart processing begins almost immediately. The following steps are required: Link the Symmetrix devices together in the originally dened conguration Restore target volumes to the source volumes Restart applications on the source side
copy may be on the same computer room oor as the primary copies or at a remote site.
Synchronization and Resynchronization
There are several ways in which the source and target sites may be out of synchronization with each other. These are: At the inception of the SRDF relationship, when initial synchronization is being established. In the event that a source or target volume fails and application activity continues using the surviving volume. (After repair of the failed volume, resynchronization is required.) In the event that all physical links are inoperative between the sites. (This may be deliberate or accidental. In this case, the applications may continue running against the source volumes with resynchronization taking place after the links are restored.) In the event that the user issues a SUSPEND command against specied or all volumes. (In this case the applications continue running against the source volumes, with resynchronization taking place after the RESUME command is issued for the SUSPENDed volumes.)
It is not necessary to have full resynchronization before starting applications. This is because SRDF knows where valid data resides. As the application processes data, it will be pre-emptively moved from the target to the source if it is requested prior to having been moved. While processing is in progress, SRDF can resynchronize all the data from the target volumes to the source devices. Returning to normal operations is accomplished with almost as little pain as recovering from the disaster using SRDF exibility. Or, you can switch the roles of source and target, as described on page [layout assigns page] of this chapter, to accommodate extended unavailability of the primary site.
Use of Track Tables
SRDF does not keep a copy of every change to a given track. As data is written to a track, only the latest copy is stored. Within the Symmetrix, a track table exists. This table contains an entry for every track in the dened environment, describing: The location of the track on disk. Whether the track image is currently in cache and if so, where. Demographic data (dates, etc.) about the track. Whether the track image is synchronized with its internal (mirror) or external (target) pair.
30
31
As a track changes and synchronization does not take place (failed volume, absence of links, SUSPENDed operations), the changed track indicator is maintained. Consequently, a track may change once or a thousand times in an interval, and only one copy will be stored. The cache is not lled with historical aged tracks awaiting application to the mirror. Once the track table entry for a track is marked, the track itself may be destaged to disk by the normal cache management routines. When it is necessary to perform the resynchronization of a changed track, that track is copied from cache or retrieved from disk to the local cache if it had been destaged. In addition to resynchronization, use of track tables also enables mirroring of only those tracks that have changed since the last update in a multi-hop mirroring solution.
Backup Using Remote Data
Given that SRDF allows read-only access to the remote copy of data, that copy may be used for backup. The challenge is to establish a point-in-time that gives the backup consistency. This is accomplished as follows: When the time to perform backups arrives, quiesce the application for a short while, and ush the buffers so that a consistent set of data, indexes, pointers, etc. exists on disk (both source and target). Issue a SUSPEND command to SRDF for the volumes that are to be backed up. Resume the application processing at the local site. Take a copy of the selected volumes using a second processor or a second LPAR accessing the target volumes.
Performance
The capability of placing data in two locations does have a performance impact, particularly for write operations. The performance impact may be lessened or even eliminated based on the mode of synchronization. The size of this impact is primarily a function of: Write activity rate to mirrored volumes Average data block size being updated Distance between sites Type of link (telephone line, ESCON, Fibre Channel, or IP) Number of links Mirroring mode (Synchronous/Semi-synchronous or Adaptive Copy) This technique can deliver hours of effective, protable application time to the installation. The gains in application availability can justify the cost of SRDF in their own right, and disaster recovery capability may be an added bonus. This technique involves logical suspension of the remote mirroring function. Accordingly it is very strongly recommended that the remotely mirrored drives also be locally protected, exploiting the Symmetrix capability of having a drive both be remotely mirrored and locally mirrored via mirroring, RAID-S, or dynamic sparing. It is possible to model your data and its characteristics to determine the optimal SRDF performance for your site. When the copy is complete, issue a RESUME command for the volumes. This causes SRDF to examine the internal entries for the volumes and resynchronize the two sets of data by copying only the changed data tracks across the links.
Read-Only Access to Target Volumes
As a general rule, the target volumes should be accessed after SUSPENDing mirroring. This has obvious benets with regard to data consistency. Using the second copy for point-in-time backup is a clear use for this facility. Read-only access to the target copy of data is available. Making a volume read-only is an attribute of Symmetrix. If an update I/O operation is attempted to a read-only drive, the operating system will encounter an error. Handling errors of this nature must be planned for by the user with regard to each operating systems behavior. This facility must be used carefully and in no way represents generalized, full-function access to this data.
Data Recovery
Recovering from a disaster has several components. The target volumes must rst be attached to the recovery host/server. Secondly, they must become read/write-capable. To accomplish this, a single Symmetrix command must be issued. This can be done: By host-based SRDF management software At the Symmetrix service processor by a local EMC eld engineer Remotely by the EMC support center, using a dial-in capability
At this stage, the data can be accessed and complete data center operations can be restarted.
SRDF Testing
Validating the SRDF conguration can be extremely useful to customers in determining if they are mirroring all the necessary data elements. This test can be performed with minimal disruption to production and without staff travel. By suspending the SRDF link(s), a simulated disaster can be created. It is suggested that either a point-in-time backup be taken at this point from the target data volumes, or the TimeFinder product be used to create a separately addressable copy of data to be used for the disaster recovery test. It is then a relatively simple matter to run a test of the mission-critical applications at the target site. In so doing it is easy to identify if everything required is in fact being remotely mirrored and to verify that the database and application environment can be made ready in a simple, complete, and timely fashion. Users might also utilize SRDFs Consistency Group feature for this purpose. This testing provides reassurance that SRDF delivers the best business continuity and recovery solution available, and renews condence in the recovery plan itself.
Databases
There are no special considerations for database environments apart from ensuring that all the data necessary for a consistent database is remotely mirrored. Restarting from the remote (target) copy of data (assuming all the appropriate data is remotely mirrored) is no different from restarting locally after a power failure.
32
33
Chapter 5 Symmetrix Software Solutions and Service

Software Solutions
Information Protection EMC provides software solutions that maintain continuous data availability. The standard features of Symmetrix software solutions facilitate continuous data availability in the event of any major system component failure or power outage, and provide the ability to repair or replace the failed component without any interruption in operation. Symmetrix software solutions continually perform self-diagnosis to identify and correct potential problems prior to any disruption of data availability. Software products include: Symmetrix Remote Data Facility (SRDF) EMC TimeFinder Symmetrix Data Migration Services (SDMS) EMC Foundation Suite by Veritas and EMC Database Edition for Oracle by Veritas EMC CopyPoint EMC CopyCross
Professional Services
EMC Professional Services consultants provide a full range of services to enable you to extract maximum value from your information and achieve The EMC Effect. These services assist you in applying EMC Enterprise Storage concepts and capabilities to your business issues. The EMC approach enables you to put information at the center of your IT infrastructure so you can take control of your information and utilize it to your full advantage. Professional Services help you leverage EMC Enterprise Storage solutions, expertise, and resources to achieve success faster, more cost effectively, and with less risk. They enable you to: Understand your current IT environment and take charge of it. Create a more responsive, efcient, and exible IT infrastructure with information at its center. Share, protect, and manage critical information across the enterprise. Deploy robust new enterprise solutions faster.
EMC Professional Services personnel utilize EMC Storage Logic, a framework of EMC-specic and storage industry best practices that addresses all phases of an enterprise solution. Use of this framework ensures consistency and quality of deliverables and facilitates effective management of project budgets, schedules, and specications. To help you build an IT infrastructure that takes full advantage of all your critical information, EMC Professional Services provides both strategic enterprise consulting services and practical enterprise software implementation services. Consulting services help you assess your current infrastructure in light of your requirements and sort through various options. Implementation services help you integrate a specic hardware and software solution into your unique environment.
Information Sharing Symmetrix offers centralized, sharable information storage for supporting changing environments and mission-critical applications. This leading-edge technology begins with physical devices shared between heterogeneous operating environments and extends to specialized software that enhances sharing information between disparate platforms. These software solutions include: Symmetrix Enterprise Storage Platform (ESP) EMC Celerra EMC InfoMover Application Programming Interfaces
Enterprise Business Continuity
Enterprise Business Continuity services protect and enhance your ability to generate revenue. They help you build an enterprise business continuity infrastructure that not only eliminates unacceptable downtime (planned and unplanned) but also creates new ways to capitalize on business opportunities to generate increased revenue and customer services. In short, Enterprise Business Continuity enables businesses to accelerate their entire operation. Enterprise Business Continuity services help you map and build your infrastructure to satisfy a range of business continuity requirements from high availability to mission-critical availability to continuous availability to disaster recovery. Assessment, planning and design, and software implementation assistance is available. Use of EMC Professional Services personnel for implementation enables you to quickly realize the advanced functionality of EMC software, while your in-house IT staff continues with other revenue-generating activities. A range of SRDF software implementation services are available, from basic software installation to complex integration projects that encompass the complete project lifecycle. Regardless of the level of complexity, EMC Professional Services personnel can address your unique technical, stafng, or timing requirements.
Information Management Symmetrix consolidates storage capacity for multiple hosts and servers and improves information management. The EMC ControlCenter family of products further enhances this efcient, consolidated storage approach. These optional software solutions include powerful GUI-based tools that simplify Symmetrix conguration, performance, and status information gathering and management. These products include: EMC ControlCenter EMC PowerPath EMC Data Manager (EDM)
The true power of EMCs Enterprise Storage architecture comes with the synergy unleashed when customers utilize multiple EMC products together allowing them to fully harness the power of their information for the rst time and realize The EMC Effect. For more information about EMC Enterprise Storage solutions, contact your EMC sales representative. In addition to software implementation services for such key business continuity products as SRDF, TimeFinder, and EDM, implementation services are also available to help you expand your information sharing, management, and protection capabilities by adding other EMC software products to your infrastructure.
34
35
Enterprise Storage Architecture and Design Building an E-Infostructure
Enterprise Storage Architecture and Design is the most consultative practice. Its services give you a broad-based overview of your IT environment and indicate where and how enterprise storage can enhance it. Assessments recommend specic storage-related initiatives that can help you compete in your marketplace or otherwise increase the value and effectiveness of your infrastructure. An E-Infostructure employs EMC products so that customers are prepared to address the realities of the new E-based economy.
Enterprise Storage Network
Enterprise Storage Network services help you break out of current network limitations. They help you cost-effectively consolidate information from heterogeneous sources to ofoad data movement from your general-purpose network and improve information protection, sharing, and management. EMC experts in this new eld of storage networking help you assess, plan, design, and implement an Enterprise Storage Network infrastructure that addresses todays requirements and can grow with you in the 21st century.
Support and Service
The EMC Customer Support Center, headquartered in the United States, directly supports EMC software products. The following telephone numbers offer technical support: U.S. Canada: Worldwide: (800) 782-4362 (SVC-4EMC) (800) 543-4782 (543-4SVC) (508) 497-7901 (or contact the nearest EMC ofce)
36
EMC SRDF
where information lives
www.EMC.com
EMC Corporation Hopkinton Massachusetts 01748-9103 1-508-435-1000 In North America 1-800-424-3622, ext. 362
EMC2, EMC, and Symmetrix are registered trademarks and TimeFinder, ControlCenter, E-Infostructure, SRDF, FarPoint, Enterprise Storage Network, Connectrix, and where information lives are trademarks of EMC Corporation. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 2000 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. 6/00. Produced by EMC Global Communications. L759.2 Product Description Guide

Symmetrix Remote Data Facility

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Symmetrix Remote Data Facility

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Product Description Guide

Symmetrix Remote Data Facility Enterprise Storage Software

SYMMETRIX REMOTE DATA FACILITY PRODUCT DESCRIPTION GUIDE

Symmetrix Remote Data Facility (SRDF) Product Description Guide

SYMMETRIX REMOTE DATA FACILITY PRODUCT DESCRIPTION GUIDE

SYMMETRIX REMOTE DATA FACILITY PRODUCT DESCRIPTION GUIDE

The Value of Symmetrix Remote Data Facility

SYMMETRIX REMOTE DATA FACILITY PRODUCT DESCRIPTION GUIDE

SYMMETRIX REMOTE DATA FACILITY PRODUCT DESCRIPTION GUIDE

EMCs Architectures for Enterprise Storage: ISA and MOSAIC:2000

Applications APIs Connectivity

Maintainability, Scalability, Compatibility

SYMMETRIX REMOTE DATA FACILITY PRODUCT DESCRIPTION GUIDE

SYMMETRIX REMOTE DATA FACILITY PRODUCT DESCRIPTION GUIDE

SYMMETRIX REMOTE DATA FACILITY PRODUCT DESCRIPTION GUIDE

SYMMETRIX REMOTE DATA FACILITY PRODUCT DESCRIPTION GUIDE

SRDF and Fibre Channel

SRDF and Symmetrix

SYMMETRIX REMOTE DATA FACILITY PRODUCT DESCRIPTION GUIDE

SYMMETRIX REMOTE DATA FACILITY PRODUCT DESCRIPTION GUIDE

Chapter 2 SRDF Uses and Applications

SRDF and EMC TimeFinder

SRDF and AS/400 Environments

Disaster Recovery, The Old Way

SYMMETRIX REMOTE DATA FACILITY PRODUCT DESCRIPTION GUIDE

SYMMETRIX REMOTE DATA FACILITY PRODUCT DESCRIPTION GUIDE

Disaster Recovery Sites

Create the Tape Copies at the Recovery Site

Data Copies on Disk

Store the Tape Copies at a Secure Site

Disaster Recovery Testing

SYMMETRIX REMOTE DATA FACILITY PRODUCT DESCRIPTION GUIDE

SYMMETRIX REMOTE DATA FACILITY PRODUCT DESCRIPTION GUIDE

Eliminating the Race to Sunrise

Loading Data Warehouses

Data Center Migrations

workload by an existing facility

SYMMETRIX REMOTE DATA FACILITY PRODUCT DESCRIPTION GUIDE

SYMMETRIX REMOTE DATA FACILITY PRODUCT DESCRIPTION GUIDE

Chapter 3 SRDF Detailed Description

Growing Your Business with SRDF

SRDF Over IP Optimizes Information Deployment

SRDF Hardware Components

SRDF Over Fibre Channel Increases Throughput

Hardware component usage between two Symmetrix units in a uni-directional conguration

SYMMETRIX REMOTE DATA FACILITY PRODUCT DESCRIPTION GUIDE

SYMMETRIX REMOTE DATA FACILITY PRODUCT DESCRIPTION GUIDE

SYMMETRIX SYMMETRIX A CD CD SYMMETRIX B CD CD

SRDF/ ESCON SCSI FC-AL

Adding IP Suport to T3/E3 and ATM

SYMMETRIX REMOTE DATA FACILITY PRODUCT DESCRIPTION GUIDE

SYMMETRIX REMOTE DATA FACILITY PRODUCT DESCRIPTION GUIDE

Installation and Planning

HP IBM IBM IBM IBM IBM IBM Intel-Based Servers NCR

S/390 & S/370 Symmetry 2000 & 5000

34xx, 35xx, 36xx, 41xx, 45xx, 3600AP, 5100 (S, C, M)

Solaris 2.5.1 OS/MCP, OS/2200

SYMMETRIX REMOTE DATA FACILITY PRODUCT DESCRIPTION GUIDE

SYMMETRIX REMOTE DATA FACILITY PRODUCT DESCRIPTION GUIDE

SRDF Extended Distance Solutions

SYMMETRIX SOURCE D SYMMETRIX SOURCE E

SRDF Multi-hop Capability

SRDF Campus Solution