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Protect with SnapMirror active sync in ONTAP

Contributors netapp-ahibbard netapp-dbagwell netapp-aaron-holt netapp-aherbin
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SnapMirror active sync offers asymmetric protection and, beginning with ONTAP 9.15.1, symmetric active/active protection.

Configure asymmetric protection

Configuring asymmetric protection using SnapMirror active sync involves selecting LUNs on the ONTAP source cluster and adding them to a consistency group.

Before you begin

  • You must have a SnapMirror synchronous license.

  • You must be a cluster or storage VM administrator.

  • All constituent volumes in a consistency group must be in a single storage VM (SVM).

    • LUNs can reside on different volumes.

  • The source and destination cluster cannot be the same.

  • You cannot establish SnapMirror active sync consistency group relationships across ASA clusters and non-ASA clusters.

  • The default IPspace is required by SnapMirror active sync for cluster peer relationships. Custom IPspace is not supported.

  • The name of the consistency group must be unique.

  • The volumes on the secondary (destination) cluster must be type DP.

  • The primary and the secondary SVMs must be in a peered relationship.

Steps

You can configure a consistency group using the ONTAP CLI or System Manager.

Beginning with ONTAP 9.10.1, ONTAP offers a consistency group endpoint and menu in System Manager, offering additional management utilities. If you are using ONTAP 9.10.1 or later, see Configure a consistency group then configure protection to create an SnapMirror active sync relationship.

Important From ONTAP 9.8 through 9.14.1, SnapMirror active sync is referred to as SnapMirror Business Continuity (SM-BC).
System Manager

  1. On the primary cluster, navigate to Protection > Overview > Protect for Business Continuity > Protect LUNs.

  2. Select the LUNs you want to protect and add them to a protection group.

  3. Select the destination cluster and SVM.

  4. Initialize relationship is selected by default. Click Save to begin protection.

  5. Go to Dashboard > Performance to verify IOPS activity for the LUNs.

  6. On the destination cluster, use System Manager to verify that the protection for business continuity relationship is in sync: Protection > Relationships.

Configure symmetric active/active protection

You can establish symmetric protection using System Manager or the ONTAP CLI. In both interfaces, there are different steps for uniform and non-uniform configurations.

Before you begin

  • Both clusters must be running ONTAP 9.15.1 or later.

  • Symmetric active/active configurations require the AutomatedFailoverDuplex protection policy. Alternately, you can create a custom SnapMirror policy provided the -type is automated-failover-duplex.

  • In ONTAP 9.15.1, symmetric active/active is only supported on 2-node clusters.

  • Beginning with ONTAP 9.16.1 GA, SnapMirror active sync supports symmetric active/active configurations on four-node clusters.

    • To use SnapMirror active sync on a four-node cluster, you must be running ONTAP 9.16.1 GA or later.

    • Before deploying a four-node configuration, you must create a cluster peer relationship.

    • Review the limits for four-node clusters.

    • If you revert to a two-node cluster, you must remove the SnapMirror active sync relationships from the cluster before reverting.

    • You can use the four-node configuration to upgrade storage and controllers. This process is non-disruptive and expands the cluster while moving volumes into the new nodes. For more information, see refresh a cluster.

System Manager
Steps for a uniform configuration

  1. On the primary site, create a consistency group using new LUNs.

    1. When creating the consistency group, specify host initiators to create igroups.

    2. Select the checkbox to Enable SnapMirror then choose the AutomatedFailoverDuplex policy.

    3. In the dialog box that appears, select the Replicate initiator groups checkbox to replicate igroups. In Edit proximity settings, set proximal SVMs for your hosts.

    4. Select Save.

Steps for a non-uniform configuration

  1. On the primary site, create a consistency group using new LUNs.

    1. When creating the consistency group, specify host initiators to create igroups.

    2. Select the checkbox to Enable SnapMirror then choose the AutomatedFailoverDuplex policy.

    3. Select Save to create the LUNs, consistency group, igroup, SnapMirror relationship, and igroup mapping.

  2. On the secondary site, create an igroup and map the LUNs.

    1. Navigate to Hosts > SAN Initiator Groups.

    2. Select +Add to create a new igroup.

    3. Provide a Name, select the Host Operating System, then choose Initiator Group Members.

    4. Select Save to initialize the relationship.

  3. Map the new igroup to the destination LUNs.

    1. Navigate to Storage > LUNs.

    2. Select all the LUNs to map to the igroup.

    3. Select More then Map to Initiator Groups.