Section 3 : Business Continuity

Local Replication

Chapter 13

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What is Replication
o Replica - An exact copy
o Replication - The process of reproducing data
o Local replication - Replicating data within the same array or
the same data center

REPLICATION

Source Replica (Target)

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Possible Uses of Local Replicas
o Alternate source for backup
o An alternative to doing backup on production volumes

o Fast recovery
o Provide minimal RTO (recovery time objective)

o Decision support
o Use replicas to run decision support operations such as creating a report
o Reduce burden on production volumes

o Testing platform
o To test critical business data or applications

o Data Migration
o Use replicas to do data migration instead of production volumes
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Replication Considerations
o Types of Replica: choice of replica tie back into RPO (recovery
point objective)
o Point-in-Time (PIT)
o non zero RPO
o Continuous
o near zero RPO

o What makes a replica good

o Recoverability/Re-startability
o Replica should be able to restore data on the source device
o Restart business operation from replica
o Consistency
o Ensuring consistency is primary requirement for all the replication technologies

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Database Consistency: Dependent Write I/O

Source Replica Source Replica

1 1 1

2 2 2

3 3 3 3

4 4 4 4

 Consistent
 Inconsistent

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Database Consistency: Holding I/O

Source Replica

1 1

5 5 2 2

3 3

4 4

Consistent

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Local Replication Technologies
o Host based
o Logical Volume Manager (LVM) based replication (LVM mirroring)
o File System Snapshot

o Storage Array based

o Full volume mirroring
o Pointer based full volume replication
o Pointer based virtual replication

o Network based

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Host Based Replication: LVM-based Replication

Physical
Host Logical Volume Volume 1

Logical Volume

Physical
Volume 2

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LVM-based Replication: Limitations
o LVM based replicas add overhead on host CPUs
o Each write is translated into two writes on the disk
o Can degrade application performance

o If host volumes are already storage array LUNs then the added
redundancy provided by LVM mirroring is unnecessary
o The devices will have some RAID protection already

o Both replica and source are stored within the same volume
group
o Replica cannot be accessed by another host
o If server fails, both source and replica would be unavailable

o Keeping track of changes on the mirrors is a challenge

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File System Snapshot
o Pointer-based replica
o Uses Copy on First Write principle
o Uses bitmap and block map
o Bitmap: Used to track blocks that have changed on the production/source FS
after creation of snap – initially all zero
o Block map: Used to indicate block address from which data is to be read when
the data is accessed from the Snap FS – initially points to production/source
FS
o Requires a fraction of the space used by the original FS
o Implemented by either FS itself or by LVM

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File System Snapshots – How it Works
o Write to Production FS
Snap FS
Metadata
Prod FS BLK Bit
Metadata 1-0 1-0
2-0 2-0
1 Data a 3-2
3-0 3-0
3-1
2 Data b 4-1
4-0 4-0
4-1
New writes
c
3 Data C
4 Data D
d 1 Nodata
no data
Data d
2 Data
no data
c
3 no data
N Data N 4 no data
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File System Snapshots – How it Works
o Reads from snap FS
o Consult the bitmap Snap FS
Metadata
o If 0 then direct read to Prod FS
the production FS
Metadata BLK Bit
o If 1 then go to the block 1-0 1-0
map get the block 1 Data a 2-0 2-0
address and read data
from that address 2 Data b 3-2 3-1
3 Data C 4-1 4-1
4 Data D
1 Nodata
Data d
2 Data c
N Data N 3 no data
4 no data
© 2009 EMC Corporation. All rights reserved.
Storage Array Based Local Replication
o Replication performed by the Array Operating Environment
o Replicas are on the same array
o Types of array based replication
o Full-volume mirroring
o Pointer-based full-volume replication
o Pointer-based virtual replication

Array

Source Replica

Production Server BC Server

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Full Volume Mirroring: Attached
o Target is a full physical copy of the source device
o Target is attached to the source and data from source is copied to
the target
o Target is unavailable while it is attached
o Target device is as large as the source device
o Good for full backup, decision support, development, testing and
restore to last PIT
Attached

Read/Write Not Ready

Source Target
Array

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Full Volume Mirroring: Detached
o After synchronization, target can be detached from the source
and made available for BC (business continuity) operations
o PIT is determined by the time of detachment
o After detachment, re-synchronization can be incremental
o Only updated blocks are resynchronized
o Modified blocks are tracked using bitmaps

Detached - PIT

Read/Write Read/Write

Source Target
Array

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Full Volume Mirroring: Source and Target Relationship

Attached/ Detached Resynchronization

Synchronization

Source = Target Source ≠ Target Source = Target

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Pointer-based Full Volume Replication
o Provide full copy of source data on the target
o Target device is made accessible for business operation as
soon as the replication session is started
o Point-in-Time is determined by time of session activation
o Two modes
o Copy on First Access (deferred)
o Full Copy mode

o Target device is at least as large as the source device

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Copy on First Access (CoFA) Mode: Deferred Mode
Write to Source
Read/Write Read/Write

Source Target

Write to Target
Read/Write Read/Write

Source Target

Read from Target

Read/Write Read/Write

Source Target
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Full Copy Mode
o On session start, the entire contents of the Source device is
copied to the Target device in the background
o If the replication session is terminated, the target will contain
all the original data from the source at the PIT of activation
o Target can be used for restore and recovery
o In CoFA mode, the target will only have data was accessed until
termination, and therefore it cannot be used for restore and recovery

o Most vendor implementations provide the ability to track

changes:
o Made to the Source or Target
o Enables incremental re-synchronization

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Pointer Based Virtual Replication
o Targets do not hold actual data, but hold pointers to where
the data is located
o Target requires a small fraction of the size of the source volumes

o A replication session is setup between source and target

devices
o Target devices are accessible immediately when the session is started
o At the start of the session the target device holds pointers to data on
source device

o Typically recommended if the changes to the source are less

than 30%

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Virtual Replication: Copy on First Write Example

Target
Virtual Device

Source Save Location

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Array Replicas: Which Technology?

Pointer-based full-volume Pointer-based virtual

Factor Full-volume mirroring
replication replication

Performance impact CoFA mode – some impact

No impact High impact
on source Full copy – no impact

At least same as the Small fraction of the

Size of target At least same as the source
source source

Accessibility of CoFA mode – required

source for Not required Required
restoration Full copy – not required
Only after
Accessibility to synchronization and Immediately
Immediately accessible
target detachment from the accessible
source

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