HP 3PAR VSS Provider

[nsnidanko]

Hi All,

I am looking at taking application consistent snapshots (MsSQL for example) with 3par hardware provider. Has anyone had any success doing it (such as via vssadmin command?)

Thanks

[hdtvguy]

Physical servers or virtual?

[nsnidanko]

Physical. So I am trying to achieve DR solution: create VSS consistent snapshot on primary 3par and replicate it to the 3par in DR. These changes have to be incremental.

So far I've achieved first part: creating application consistent 3par snapshot via VSS. You need to install 3par VSS provider.
Here's the script for diskshadow:

Code: Select all

#Diskshadow script file
SET CONTEXT PERSISTENT NOWRITERS
BEGIN BACKUP
ADD VOLUME E: ALIAS 3par_test
CREATE
END BACKUP
#End of script

Now I have 3par vss consistent snapshot on the primary; how do I replicate it and inject into the VV on DR side? Any ideas much appreciated.

[Cleanur]

Only way I can think is that you'd want these volumes to be in a RC group already with a full sync completed. Assuming it's periodic async and you're controlling the sync interval (see next step), then you could use syncrcopy to get the changes to the remote site. HDTVGuy has done something similar at scale but VSS adds some complexity, this functionality is already built into Recovery Manager for SQL but it does have some limitations around use cases.

[hdtvguy]

I am not a fan of 3par's Recovery Manager products, but they make a RM-SQL that may help you out with this.

[nsnidanko]

Recovery Manager for SQL was the first product we tried to use for SQL DR purposes but it not designed for this. There is luck of understanding within HP organization on what this product is designed for. Naming of the software is deceiving too. We spent weeks with many levels of support and professional services trying to get it working until HP finally admitted that RM-SQL is not the answer and they were wrong.

RM-SQL requires source SQL server to be on-line at all times. You would use RM-SQL when you have two 3pars connected to the same SQL server. Let's say you need to run huge report or do some testing on the production database - you would use RM-SQL to load this data on to secondary 3par, thus you're not affecting your production.

[RitonLaBevue]

I deployed RM SQL with some customers and two arrays in synced replication with no troubles.
In the same time you make snapshots of primary and secondary volumes.
You can schedule them... So, what else ?

[nsnidanko]

Here's what I am referring to with RM-SQL:



When you have disaster (i.e SQL Server in site A becomes unavailable) you're unable to mount volume, restore data, etc via Recovery Manager Backup Server 2.

[hdtvguy]

Recovery Manager for SQL was the first product we tried to use for SQL DR purposes but it not designed for this. There is luck of understanding within HP organization on what this product is designed for. Naming of the software is deceiving too. We spent weeks with many levels of support and professional services trying to get it working until HP finally admitted that RM-SQL is not the answer and they were wrong.

RM-SQL requires source SQL server to be on-line at all times. You would use RM-SQL when you have two 3pars connected to the same SQL server. Let's say you need to run huge report or do some testing on the production database - you would use RM-SQL to load this data on to secondary 3par, thus you're not affecting your production.

The fact that you want to take VSS snaps would also indicate the source SQL server is online as well.

[nsnidanko]

The fact that you want to take VSS snaps would also indicate the source SQL server is online as well.

Yes, correct that part is working fine. Taking VSS consistent snapshots and getting them over onto DR 3par works well. We hit a wall with RM-SQL software for the "disaster recovery" part. It's the "recovery" piece that's not working for us. When we try restoring data via RM-SQL software in DR site with primary side down (thus source SQL server not available), RM-SQL software says it needs to have source SQL on-line. Of course it's not possible in case of site disaster

So we are looking at having it scripted to execute via VMware SRM as part of recovery plan.

P.S.
I found it and will post solution as soon as I develop script.

Thanks everyone.