Manage ONTAP consistency groups on ASA r2 storage systems
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A consistency group is a collection of storage units that are managed as a single unit. Use consistency groups for simplified storage management. For example, suppose you have a database consisting of 10 storage units in a consistency group, and you need to back up the entire database. Instead of backing up each storage unit, you can back up the entire database by simply adding snapshot data protection to the consistency group. Backing up the storage units as a consistency group instead of individually also provides a consistent backup of all the units, while backing up units individually could potentially create inconsistencies.
Add snapshot data protection to a consistency group
When you add snapshot data protection to a consistency group, local snapshots of the consistency group are taken at regular intervals based on a pre-defined schedule.
You can use snapshots to restore data that is lost or corrupted.
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In System Manager, select Protection > Consistency groups.
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Hover over the consistency group you want to protect.
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Select
; then select Edit. -
Under Local protection, select Schedule snapshots.
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Select a snapshot policy.
Accept the default snapshot policy, select an existing policy, or create a new policy.
Option Steps Select an existing snapshot policy
Select
next to the default policy; then select the existing policy that you want to use.Create a new snapshot policy
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Select
; then enter the new policy name. -
Select the policy scope.
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Under Schedules select
. -
Select the name that appears under Schedule name;
then select
. -
Select the policy schedule.
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Under Maximum snapshots, enter the maximum number of snapshots that you want to retain of the consistency group.
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Optionally, under SnapMirror label enter a SnapMirror label.
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Select Save.
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Select Edit.
Now that your data is protected with snapshots, you should set up snapshot replication to copy your consistency groups to a geographically remote location for backup and disaster recovery.
Remove snapshot data protection from a consistency group
When you remove snapshot data protection from a consistency group, snapshots are disabled for all the storage units in the consistency group.
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In System Manager, select Protection > Consistency groups.
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Hover over the consistency group you want to stop protecting.
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Select
; then select Edit. -
Under Local protection, deselect Schedule snapshots.
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Select Edit.
Snapshots will not be taken for any of the storage units in the consistency group.
Add storage units to a consistency group
Expand the amount of storage managed by a consistency group by adding storage units to the consistency group.
You can add existing storage units to your consistency group or you can create new storage units to add to the consistency group.
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In System Manager, select Protection > Consistency groups.
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Hover over the consistency group you want to expand.
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Select
; then select Expand. -
Select Using existing storage units.
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Select the storage units to add to the consistency group; then select Expand.
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In System Manager, select Protection > Consistency groups.
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Hover over the consistency group you want to expand.
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Select
; then select Expand. -
Select Using new storage units.
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Enter the number of units you want to create and the capacity per unit.
If you create more that one unit, each unit is created with the same capacity and the same host operating system. To assign a different capacity to each unit, select Add a different capacity to assign a different capacity to each unit.
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Select Expand.
After you create a new storage unit, you should add host initiators and map the newly created storage unit to a host. Adding host initiators makes hosts eligible to access the storage units and perform data operations. Mapping a storage unit to a hosts allows the storage unit to begin serving data to the host it is mapped to.
Existing snapshots of the consistency group won't include your newly added storage units. You should create an immediate snapshot of your consistency group to protect your newly added storage units until the next scheduled snapshot is automatically created.
Remove a storage unit from a consistency group
You should remove a storage unit from a consistency group if you want to delete the storage unit, if you want manage it as part of a different consistency group, or if you no longer need to protect the data it contains. Removing a storage unit from a consistency group breaks the relationship between the storage unit and the consistency group, but does not delete the storage unit.
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In System Manager, select Protection > Consistency groups.
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Double-click the consistency group from which you want to remove a storage unit.
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In the Overview section, under Storage units, select the storage unit you want to remove; then select Remove from consistency group.
The storage unit is no longer a member of the consistency group.
If you need to continue data protection for the storage unit, add the storage unit to another consistency group.
Delete a consistency group
If you no longer need to manage the members of a consistency group as a single unit, you can delete the consistency group. After a consistency group is deleted, the storage units previously in the group remain active on the cluster.
If the consistency group you want to delete is in a replication relationship, you must break the relationship before you delete the consistency group. After you delete a replication consistency group, the storage units that were in the consistency group remain active on the cluster and their replicated copies remain on the remote cluster.
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In System Manager, select Protection > Consistency groups.
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Hover over the consistency group you want to delete.
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Select
; then select Delete. -
Accept the warning, then select Delete.
After you delete a consistency group, the storage units previously in the consistency group are no longer protected by snapshots. Consider adding these storage units to another consistency group to protect them against data loss.