Configuring cluster and volume pairing for real-time remote replication

For clusters running NetApp Element software, real-time replication enables the quick creation of remote copies of volume data. You can pair a storage cluster with up to four other storage clusters. You can replicate volume data synchronously or asynchronously from either cluster in a cluster pair for failover and failback scenarios. You must first pair two NetApp Element clusters and then pair volumes on each cluster to take advantage of real-time remote replication.

Before you begin

Note: WAN Accelerator appliances have not been qualified by NetApp for use when replicating data. These appliances can interfere with compression and deduplication if deployed between two clusters that are replicating data. Be sure to fully qualify the effects of any WAN Accelerator appliance before you deploy it in a production environment

Steps

  1. Pairing clusters
    You must pair two clusters as a first step to using real-time replication functionality. After you pair and connect two clusters, you can configure active volumes on one cluster to be continuously replicated to a second cluster, providing continuous data protection (CDP). You can pair a source and target cluster using the MVIP of the target cluster if there is Cluster Admin access to both clusters. If Cluster Admin access is only available on one cluster in a cluster pair, a pairing key can be used on the target cluster to complete the cluster pairing.
  2. Pairing volumes
    After you have established a connection between clusters in a cluster pair, you can pair a volume on one cluster with a volume on the other cluster in the pair. You can pair the volume using known credentials for both clusters or by using a pairing key if cluster credentials are only available on the source cluster. If you know the credentials for both clusters, you can use a third option to create a replication target volume on the remote cluster to pair with the source cluster. After a volume pairing relationship is established, you must identify which volume is the replication target.
  3. Validating volume replication
    After a volume is replicated, you should ensure that the source and target volumes are active. When in Active state, volumes are paired, data is being sent from the source to the target volume, and the data is in sync.
  4. Deleting a volume relationship after replication
    After replication completes and you no longer need the volume pairing relationship, you can delete the volume relationship.
  5. Managing volume relationships
    You can manage volume relationships in many ways, such as pausing replication, reversing volume pairing, changing the mode of replication, deleting a volume pair, or deleting a cluster pair.
Parent topic: Data protection
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Part number: 215-14918_2020-04_en-us
April 2020