Administrator Guide

A volume and its replica set are always stored in dierent groups connected by a robust network link. Separating the groups
geographically protects volume data in the event of a complete site disaster.
All replicas are thin provisioned by default.
Create a Replica
The rst time that you replicate a volume to a partner, the primary group copies the entire volume contents to replica reserve on the
secondary group. Subsequent replication operations transfer only the volume data that changed since the previous complete
replication.
Before you initiate replication, be aware of the following considerations:
• Very large data transfers might exceed the capacity of the network link between the primary group and the secondary group. For
replication operations that require transferring large amounts of data, consider using manual transfer replication.
• You need to set up the replication partners and congure the volume or volume collection for replication.
• Template volumes have the following constraints:
– You must replicate a template volume before replicating any of its thin clones.
– You can replicate a template volume only one time.
– While a template volume replication is in progress, the inbound template volume replica set on the secondary group does not
use the correct template volume icon (blue cylinder). When the replication completes, the correct icon appears.
To create a replica:
1. Click Volumes.
2. Expand Volumes and then select the volume name.
3. Click Create replica to open the Create Replica dialog box.
4. (Optional) Select Perform manual replication to use manual transfer replication to perform the replication.
5. Click Yes to start the replication.
Monitor replication to make sure that replicas complete in a timely manner. To monitor replication activity:
1. Click Volumes.
2. Expand Volumes and select a volume.
3. Click the Replication tab to display the Replication Summary and Remote Replicas panels.
If replication operations take longer than expected, make sure that you have adequate network bandwidth between the groups, in
addition to full IP routing. A slow network link can cause long replication times.
Delete Outbound Replica Sets or Replicas
You can delete unwanted outbound replica sets or replicas.
NOTE: Deleting a replica set disables replication on the volume. If you reenable replication on the volume, the rst
replication is a complete transfer of volume data. To delete the most recent replica, you must disable replication for the
volume.
1. Click Volumes.
2. Expand Volumes and then select the volume name.
3. Click the Replication tab.
4. In the Remote Replicas panel, select the Volume replicas view.
5. Delete outbound replicas or replica sets as follows:
• To delete an entire replica set, select the replica set and click Delete replica set in the Activities panel, or right-click the
replica set and select Delete Replica Set from the menu.
• To delete a single replica, select the replica, and click Delete replica in the Activities panel, or right-click the replica and
select Delete Replica from the menu.
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