SAN Copy Data Migration:

A Complete Experience
EMC Proven Professional Knowledge Sharing 2012
Dinesh Pahari
EMC Senior Engineer
Dimension Data Australia Pty Ltd
dinesh.pahari@didata.com.au
EMC Proven Professional Knowledge Sharing 2

Contents
Preface ...................................................................................................................................... 3
Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 4
Basic Requirements ................................................................................................................... 4
Zoning Requirements ............................................................................................................. 5
Allocate Destination LUN ........................................................................................................ 6
Create SAN Copy Connection ................................................................................................ 7
Create SAN Copy Sessions .................................................................................................... 8
Host Preparation ...................................................................................................................10
Start the SAN Copy Sessions ................................................................................................11
Monitoring the SAN Copy Session .........................................................................................12
Completing the SAN Copy Session .......................................................................................12
Terminology ..............................................................................................................................15
References ...............................................................................................................................15
Appendix ...................................................................................................................................15


Disclaimer: The views, processes or methodologies published in this article are those of the
author. They do not necessarily reflect EMC Corporations views, processes, or methodologies.
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Preface
EMC is a market leader in developing tools that simplify a SAN administrators life at work. Due
to the dynamic nature of IT environments, it is imperative that businesses evolve and adapt to
proven new technologies. This not only helps businesses fully utilize their IT investment but also
helps them become leader in the very competitive market.
From medium businesses to large enterprises the storage need is almost doubled every year if
not increased by more. Therefore, businesses have big decisions to make when investing in
their SAN environment. This is certainly not to emphasize investing only in storage that may be
required in three years time. So, the question is: what should businesses' do? This is a big
question for every business these days, and EMC has been very successful over the decade to
provide the best answer with many proven solutions. One of those solutions is to be able to
migrate storage from legacy storage arrays onto new arrays without the hassle of losing data or
extensive downtime to the production environment.
SAN Copy

is one of the many solutions that EMC has put forward for SAN migration. SAN
Copy is not a new product, having been in the market for many years. Therefore it is a proven
product for high-speed data mobility, migration, and protection between EMC CLARiiON

networked storage and other storage systems that are qualified by EMC. These systems include
EMC CLARiiON, EMC Symmetrix

, IBM, HDS, and Sun storage arrays.

This Knowledge Sharing article focuses on the process and procedure involved in the SAN
Copy migration between two CLARiiON arrays. This is based on the process I followed that led
to a successful SAN Copy migration of multiple hosts from a CLARiiON array CX500 to CX4-
480.

The following step-by-step processes are discussed in this article.
1. Introduction
2. Basic Requirements
3. Zoning Requirements
4. Allocate destination Logical Unit Number (LUN)
5. Create SAN Copy Connection
6. Create SAN Copy Sessions
7. Host Preparation
8. Starting SAN Copy Sessions
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9. Monitoring SAN Copy Sessions
10. Completing the SAN Copy Session
11. Troubleshooting
12. Reference
13. Appendix
Introduction
SAN Copy copies data directly from a source LUN to a destination LUN without using host
resources. It copies data at block-level rather than file-level mechanism used by other third
party data migration tools. SAN Copy allows full or incremental copy of data from the source
LUN to destination. As the name implies, an incremental copy copies only the data that is
changed since the last copy session while full copy copies all data from source to the
destination LUN. Incremental SAN Copy has a few more requirements than Full which are
discussed later in this article. Also this article focuses on the detailed steps required for
successful SAN Copy data migration.
Basic Requirements
The following basic requirements must be met for a successful SAN Copy data migration.
a. All CLARiiON storage systems must be running Access Logix software.
b. One of the CLARiiON storage systems participating in the copy session must be a SAN
Copy storage system, meaning that the storage system must have a SAN Copy license
installed.
c. Source and destination arrays must be correctly zoned. (e.g. MirrorView port must not
be used for SAN Copy if that CLARiiON system is using that feature) Zoning
requirements are discussed next.
d. Stop all I/O to the source and destination LUN before starting the copy session.
Along with the requirements above, the following must be met for Incremental SAN
Copy:
e. Source LUN must reside on SAN Copy storage system.
f. The source LUN cannot be a Snap View snapshot.
g. Reserve LUN pool must be configured and have at least one LUN for each source LUN
that will participate on the SAN Copy session.
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Zoning Requirements
SAN Copy can be performed within a CLARiiON storage system; in this case no new zoning
is required. However, if the SAN Copy is being performed with remote storage systems, new
zones need to be created. Basically, two different zones need to be added.
Host to New Storage Array
SAN Copy Zones between two Storage systems

For illustration purposes, SAN Copy zones with remote CX series CLARiiON system are
discussed below.


In the diagram above, the following zones are configured.
a. Source SPA1 zoned to Destination SPA1
b. Source SPA1 zoned to Destination SPB1
c. Source SPB1 zoned to Destination SPA1
d. Source SPB1 zoned to Destination SPB1
As seen, there are redundant connection paths from the source storage system (SAN Copy
storage system) to the destination storage system ensuring that each SP from a SAN Copy
storage system has access to each SP on a destination storage system.
EMC recommends configuring single initiator zoning so that there is no zoning conflict
between zone members. Also, avoid using the MirrorView port (highest port on the array
usually port 3) for SAN Copy as MirrorView and SAN Copy cannot share the same port.
However, port 3 can be used if there is no MirrorView configured on the array.
Single initiator zoning means that you should only put one initiator in one zoneset and create
multiple zonesets for each initiator.
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Allocate Destination LUN
Destination LUN refers to the LUN where the data will be migrated. There is no restriction on
the size of destination LUN as long as it is bigger than the source LUN and is within the
supported range of the arrays that are participating on the SAN Copy session. However, the
recommendation is to use exact size LUN. This will be helpful if you need to restore from the
destination LUN back to the source should things go wrong.
Another tip when creating LUN is to base on the User Block size rather than User
Capacity or Raw Capacity.
On the LUN properties window, refer to the Capacity section to find the User Blocks of the
particular LUN. Refer to the image below.






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Create SAN Copy Connection
Add SP/SPs from destination array to SAN Copy Connection:
When SAN Copy is installed on a storage system, SPs from that storage system become
initiators. This step adds those initiators to SAN Copy Connection.
On the source array, right click on the storage group (where the source LUNs are located)
SAN Copythen click on Connection. SAN Copy Connection window will be displayed.
From the SAN Copy System drop down box, select appropriate SP and then select port.
Then, Apply.
You can create connections from either SPs or Single SP depending on your requirement
and source LUN assignment.


If you are migrating multiple hosts and need SAN Copy Connection for an extended period
of time, you can also create a SAN Copy storage group, upon which you can create SAN
Copy connections for required SP ports.







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Create SAN Copy Sessions
Create Sessions on the array where the SAN Copy is enabled (Licensed).
You can create SAN Copy sessions in different ways. Simply, expand the storage system
and right click on SAN Copy Sessions. The wizard will display and take you through the
few steps that are required. Click Next.


On the Select Session Type window, select Full or Incremental and click Next. Here, we
only discuss Full SAN Copy session.
For incremental session, you must have SAN Copy license installed on the source array.
Here you will need to select the source LUN. If your source and destination storage systems
are on the same domain, you can select your source storage system from the Storage
Source drop down list. Otherwise, click on the Enter WWN button at the bottom left.
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Once you enter the LUNs WWN, click OK. Then click Next.
A new windowSelect Storage Destinations for Storage Sourceswill be displayed.
Here your selected LUN will be displayed.
Right click on the LUN and click on Select Destination Storage.
Find the LUN you created earlier and move across by clicking the Right arrow.
Then, click OK. Also make sure the Verify Connections check box is ticked so that the
communication between source and destination LUNs will be verified once you complete
this step. This will enable you to immediately troubleshoot any connectivity issues.
If the connection is successful, a message will display All the logical units are accessible.
Click OK.
The Session Names window will be displayed. You can select the default session name
and edit the name (if you are creating many sessions, its ideal to input appropriate names).
The throttle value of 6 is configured by default but can be changed later if you wish to do so.
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Changing throttle value to high may impact the resource allocated to other processes by the
array, as the array will dedicate more resources to complete the session.
Click Next. The SAN Copy Session Summary window will be displayed. Read the
information there carefully and verify that all information is correct.
Click Finish.
A Success message will be displayed. If you get a failure message, please troubleshoot
accordingly.
To view your sessions, expand the storage array, expand SAN Copy Sessions, expand
SPA Sessions or SPB Sessions and then expand the appropriate session types; in this
instance, Full Sessions. Full SAN Copy Sessions created under this SP will be displayed
and marked as Not Started; 0%.

As mentioned earlier if you have both source and destination arrays on the same domain,
you can simply choose the LUN from the list rather than entering the WWNs. Simply select
the source/destination array from the drop down list and a list of LUNs will be displayed.

Host Preparation
a. Even though the risk of data corruption is none or nominal, it is recommended to take a
full backup of the LUNs participating on the migration before starting the SAN Copy
sessions.
b. Quiesce all writes to the source LUN.
c. Run the following commands respectively to ensure the server buffers are flushed and
drives are taken offline.
admhost lun_flush o source-drive letter or destination-drive letter
admhost lun_deactivate o source-drive letter or destination-drive letter
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d. Verify if the host requires OS patches, PowerPath upgrade HBA, firmware/driver upgrade,
and so on. If need be, upgrade these components prior to commencing the migration.
Note: If you do not have admhost utility installed in your environment, you can gracefully
shut down the application and then the servers so the OS will flush the remaining I/O to the
disk. In Full SAN Copy sessions, host and application should remain shut until the SAN
Copy is completed while on Incremental sessions, you can resume the host and application
activities once they are marked for SAN Copy session. You can also pause and resume
SAN Copy sessions anytime.
Start the SAN Copy Sessions
Starting SAN Copy Sessions is an easy task as we already prepared the sessions.
However, it is very important that a few things are checked before starting the session.
a. For Full SAN Copy Session, make sure host I/O is flushed using admhost utility as
explained earlier and there is no I/O on the source LUN.
b. Right click the sessions to verify the correct source and destination LUNs, Session
Throttle value, and SP Owner of Session. It is recommended that you not run the SAN
Copy session if you have very high workload on the arrays. However, If you need to run
the session, set the throttle value to low so migration doesnt impact the other production
activities.
Throttle Value: Throttle value controls the speed of data transfer between source and the
destination array. You can set the values between 1 and 10; 10 being the highest value.
Throttle value can be changed while SAN Copy is in progress. Default value is 6.
c. Start the SAN Copy sessions.
Expand the storage system, then expand SAN Copy Sessions.
Expand the session type on the SP where you have created your session.
Session name will be displayed. If you havent chosen a name, a session default name
will be displayed (as below).
To start the SAN Copy session, simply right click the Session Name and then click Start.
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Monitoring the SAN Copy Session
You can monitor the progress of each SAN Copy session by simply browsing to the location
display on the screenshot above (Storage system > SAN Copy Sessions > Full Sessions).
You can also pause or stop the sessions as well as increase the throttle value of the
sessions. Default throttle value is six, with one being the lowest and 10 the highest.
Consider other array activities while increasing throttle value. Also monitor the SP statistics
to make sure the SP is not overloaded (Right click on SPA or SPB >properties > Statistics).
Completing the SAN Copy Session
Once the SAN Copy session is completed, perform the following steps to mount new LUNs
to the hosts.
e. Activate Zones
i. ADD Host to NEW storage system
ii. Remove Host from OLD storage system
f. Remove host from the storage group of Source storage system. Before removing
the host from the storage group, write down the Host LUN ID (HLU) numbers for
each LUN. These will need to match when the LUNs are added from the new storage
system after the migration.
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To check the HLUs, go to the particular storage group > Right Click > Properties.
Click on the Storage tab. Here you will find LUN Name, LUN ID, and Host LUN ID
(HLU). See below for reference.


g. Register host to the new storage system
h. Create storage group for the host (if you havent already done so). You can also
create storage group and add LUNs to the storage group prior to starting the SAN
Copy sessions.
i. Add LUNs to the Storage group When you add LUNs, check the HLU numbers
recorded on step b above. Assign LUNs in order and make sure corresponding
LUNs (Source and Destination) have the same HLUs.
Please note that once the LUNs are added to the storage group, you cannot change
the Host LUN ID without removing it from the storage group. If you add a LUN with
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an incorrect HLU, remove the LUN from the storage group and add it again with the
correct HLU.
j. Add hosts to the Storage group.
k. Run admhost lun_activate source/destination-drive letter to remount the LUN.
l. Host should now see LUNs from the new storage system. Once the LUNs are visible
and accessible, start the applications.
m. Migration completed.
Note: If you have the latest Navisphere Host Agent installed on the host, it will
automatically register itself to the new CLARiiON array, providing the zones are
already enabled. Right click on the array and click connectivity status to verify
whether the host is registered. If it is, then simply add to the storage group to access
the LUNs. If admhost utility wasnt being used and host and application were down
during the migration process, bring the host online only after it is added to the
storage group and appropriate LUNs are assigned to that storage group. This will
avoid any host panic and further reboot to detect the new LUNs.















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Terminology
SAN Storage Area Network
LUN Logical Unit Number
HLU Host LUN ID
Access Logix
Feature of CLARiiON Flare software that controls LUN
access
SP Service Processor
admhost
An executable utility that can be run interactively via
script
Zone
Communication path between the source and
destination
Zoneset Group of initiator and target in a zone
Snapshot Point in time view of a source LUN
Reserved LUN
Pool
Collection of LUNs used to support the pointer-based
design of SnapView
Source LUN The LUN containing production data
Initiator Source of communication (e.g. HBAs)
Target Communication Target (e.g. FA , SPs)
References
n. CLARiiON HELP file
o. EMC White Paper: EMC CLARiiON SnapView Snapshots and snap sessions
knowledge book.
p. EMC White Paper: EMC CLARiiON SAN Copy
Appendix
A. Incremental SAN Copy session
Incremental SAN Copy feature is used more for data mobility than data migration.
However, it is still widely used for migration purposes as well. This feature becomes
handy when there is a large amount of data to be migrated and a customer cannot
afford extended downtime. Incremental session can be started and left running or
even paused while production work can continue from the source LUN. SAN Copy
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session then only copies the data that has changed since the last update. It utilizes
reserved LUN pool to handle this situation.
B. Configuring Reserve LUN pool for Incremental SAN Copy session
a. Create number of LUNs as per your requirements.
Note: General guideline of reserved LUN size is about 10-20% of source LUN
but this may vary due to other variables in your environment. The following
considerations can also be used as a guideline.
i. Rate of change of source LUN data
ii. Expected concurrent session count
iii. Expected duration of incremental SAN Copy session
iv. Expected snapshot write rate
b. In the Enterprise Storage dialogue box, click the Storage tab.
c. Double click the icon for the storage system you want to configure as the
reserve LUN pool.
d. Right-click the Reserved LUN Pool icon, and then click Configure.
e. In Available LUNs, select the LUNs that you created earlier and add to the
reserve LUN pool.
(Note: Thin LUNs cannot be added to the reserved LUN pool)
C. High level steps for Windows Cluster Migration
a. Stop all applications that use CLARiiON storage. Write down previous startup
settings and change application startup settings to manual.
b. From cluster administrator, take all virtual servers and cluster resources
offline based on dependencies.
c. Disable cluster services on passive node and set startup type to disable.
Once this is confirmed on passive node, repeat the same processes on active
node.
d. Un-zone servers from existing CLARiiON.
e. Clean up PowerPath dead paths to existing CLARiiON LUNs.
f. Create Full SAN Copy session sessions between each source and target
LUNs.
g. Start the SAN Copy sessions.
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h. Increase the SAN Copy throttles value if necessary; default is 6 and
maximum is 10.
i. While data is being copied, update the Navisphere host agent on the host (if
needed).
j. Create zoning between the servers and new CLARiiON.
k. Ensure hosts are registered and logged in to the new array.
l. Wait until the SAN Copy sessions are completed for all LUNs.
m. Add the last Active Node and all the required LUNs to Storage group on the
new CLARiiON.
n. Perform a rescan in Disk Manager to discover LUNs from new array. Do not
proceed until all required LUNs are visible.
o. On the last active node, start the cluster service from the service console. Set
the service startup type back to Automatic.
p. On the last active node, launch cluster administrator and log in to the local
host. Start the cluster groups and ensure all the resources in the group are
started. Do not proceed until this is the case.
q. Start virtual servers and other cluster resources based on dependencies.
Ensure all the cluster resources are able to start on Active node.
r. Add the passive node to the storage group. This storage group should
already have the active node and all the required disks.
s. Perform a rescan in Disk Manager to discover LUNs from the new array. Disk
may appear as unavailable because they are managed by active node.
t. On the last passive node, start the cluster service from the service console.
Set the service startup type back to automatic.
u. On Active node, refresh cluster administrator to discover the passive node.
v. Perform failover testing. Ensure cluster resources can be failed over and
failed back to and from passive node. First attempt of cluster failover after the
data migration may take longer. Do not restart or reboot machine while the
failover process is occurring.
w. Once the cluster failover is tested successfully, perform testing on
applications running on the cluster.
x. Remove SAN Copy sessions once application testing and data verification
are successful.
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y. SAN Copy data migration completes.
D. HBA Driver upgrade Windows 2003
Before proceeding to the steps below, download the required drivers for the HBAs.
Check EMC Powerlink for compatibility matrix.
a. Start the Device Manager:
I. Click Start and then click Run.
II. In Open, type devmgmt.msc, then press ENTER.
b. Use the scroll bar to scroll down the list of hardware types, and then double-
click SCSI and RAID controllers.
c. Double-click QLogic Fibre Channel HBA from the devices list.
d. Select the Driver tab, then click Update Driver to start the Hardware Update
Wizard.
e. Select "Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)" and click Next.
f. Select "Don't search I will choose the driver to install" and click Next.
g. Click Have Disk and navigate to the folder containing the extracted driver.
h. When the Hardware Update Wizard/Select a Device Driver dialog box opens,
click Next.
i. Click Finish on the Hardware Update Wizard/Completing the Hardware
Update Wizard.
j. Reboot the server.



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