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SANtricity 11.8

Import remote storage

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To initiate a storage import from a remote system to a local E-Series storage system, use the Import Remote Storage wizard.

Before you begin

  • The E-Series storage system must be configured to communicate with the remote storage system.

    Note

    Hardware configuration is described in the user guide for the Remote Storage feature, which is available from the E-Series and SANtricity documentation center at Configure hardware, and in the Remote Storage Technical Report.

  • For the remote storage system, gather the following information:

    • iSCSI IQN

    • iSCSI IP addresses

    • LUN number of the remote storage device (source volume)

  • For the local E-Series storage system, create or select a volume to be used for the data import. See Create volumes. The target volume must meet the following requirements:

    • Matches the block size of the remote storage device (the source volume).

    • Has a capacity that is equal to or larger than the remote storage device.

    • Has a state of Optimal and is available.

For a full list of requirements, see Remote storage volume requirements.

  • Recommended: Back up volumes on the remote storage system before starting the import process.

About this task

In this task, you create a mapping between the remote storage device and a volume on the local E-Series storage system. When you finish the configuration, the import begins.

Note

Because many variables can impact the import operation and its completion time, we recommend that you first perform smaller “test” imports. Use these tests to ensure that all connections work as expected and that the import operation completes in an appropriate amount of time.
Steps

  1. Select Storage › Remote storage.

  2. Click Import Remote Storage.

    A wizard for importing remote storage is displayed.

  3. In Step 1a of the Configure Source panel, enter connection information. If you want to add another iSCSI connection, click Add another IP address to include an additional IP address for the remote storage. When you are done, click Next.

    Field details
    Setting Description

    Name

    Enter a name for the remote storage device to identify it in the System Manager interface.

    A name may include up to 30 characters, and can contain only letters, numbers, and the following special characters: underscore (_), dash (-), and the hash sign (#). A name may not contain spaces.

    iSCSI connection properties

    Enter the connection properties of the remote storage device:

    • iSCSI Qualified Name (IQN): Enter the iSCSI IQN.

    • IP Address: Enter the IPv4 address.

    • Port: Enter the port number to be used for communications between the source and target devices. By default, the port number is 3260.

    After you click Next, the Step 1b of the Configure Source panel is displayed.

  4. In the LUN field, select the LUN number of the remote storage device to be used as the source, and then click Next.

    The Configure Target panel opens and displays volume candidates to serve as the target for the import. Some volumes do not display in the list of candidates due to block size, capacity, or volume availability.

  5. From the table, select a target volume on the E-Series storage system. If needed, use the slider to change the import priority. Click Next. Confirm the operation in the next dialog box by typing continue, and then clicking Continue.

    If the target volume has a capacity that is larger than the source volume, that additional capacity is not reported to the host connected to the E-Series system. To use the new capacity, you must perform a file system expansion operation on the host after the import operation completes and is disconnected.

    After you confirm the configuration in the dialog, the Review panel is displayed.

  6. From the Review panel, verify that the settings are accurate, and then click Finish to initiate the import.

    Another dialog box opens asking if you want to initiate another import.

  7. If needed, click Yes to create another remote storage import. Clicking Yes returns to Step 1a of the Configure Source panel, where you can select the existing configuration or add a new one. If you do not want to create another import, click No to exit the dialog box.

    Once the import process begins, the entire target volume is overwritten with the copied data. If the host writes any new data to the target volume during this process, that new data is propagated back to the remote device (source volume).

  8. View the progress of the operation in the View Operations dialog under the Remote Storage panel.

Results

The time required to complete the import operation depends on the size of the remote storage system, the priority setting for the import, and the amount of I/O load on both storage systems and their associated volumes.

Once the import is complete, the local volume is a duplicate of the remote storage device.

After you finish

When you are ready to break the relationship between the two volumes, select Disconnect on the import object from the Operations In Progress view. Once the relationship is disconnected, performance of the local volume returns to normal and is no longer impacted by the remote connection.