Storage Center

Replay and Data

Progression
Management
 What’s in it for you?
Define how to configure and use Data Instant
Replay.

Define how to configure and use

Consistency groups.

Become familiar with Replay Manager.

Discuss Data Progression and how

Storage Profiles work.
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 Data Instant Replay
Metadata

The Dell Compellent feature that allows quick recovery from

data hazards by creating any number of space-efficient
Point-in-Time-Copies (PITCs) that restore data
instantaneously.

• Roll back time for instantaneous restore

• Test with production data replays
• Reduce frequency of tape backups
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 Managing Data Instant Replays

A replay is a point-in-time
copy of a volume to
provide fast recovery

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 Creating a manual replay

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 Create a replay profile

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 Default replay profile

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 Recover a replay

 Right click on a point in time to recover

from
 Select Create Volume from Replay

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 Map a replay to a Windows 2008 server

Disk Manager from Windows Server 2008

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 Perform Lab 13:
Data Instant Replay
configuration &
recovery

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 Consistency Groups

My Database CG

Data Logs DBA

Creates synchronized replays of all volumes in the group.

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 Consistent replay profiles

2
3

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Viewing and recovering consistency groups

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 Perform Lab 14:
Consistency Groups

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 Replay Manager 7*

Replay Manager 7 ensures reliable,

application consistent backup and
recovery of Microsoft Volume Shadow
Copy (VSS) enabled applications (SQL,
Exchange & Hyper-V) and VMware
virtual machines (VMs).

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 Volume Shadow Copy (VSS) functionality

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 VMware VM snapshot functionality

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 Replay Manager requirements

Replay
SQL DB1 SQL DB1
SQL DB2 SQL DB2
SQL DB3 SQL DB3
SQL Logs SQL Logs
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 Data Progression
15K
15K Tier
Tier 1
1 Tier
Tier 1
1

RAID 10 RAID 5

10K
10K Tier
Tier 2
2

RAID 5 7K
7K Tier
Tier 3
3
System defined Storage
profiles:
*Recommended (All tiers)- optimizes Data Progression across
all tiers RAID 6
High priority (tier 1) - writeable RAID 10 Replay RAID 5
Medium priority (tier 2) - writeable RAID 10 Replay RAID 5
Low priority (tier 3) - Replay RAID 5 or RAID 6

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 Monitor Data Progression

Storage Management menu > Properties > System > Data

Progression

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 Configure my volume defaults

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 Storage Profiles

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 Selecting Storage Profiles

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Creating Storage Profiles and considerations

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 On-demand Data progression

– Typically used in flash optimized solutions

› Leverages Read Intensive SSD tier
› 512KB default page size for all-flash system
– 2MB default page size for hybrid system
– Runs after replays are taken
› Frozen blocks rapidly converted to RAID 5
› RAID 5 blocks quickly progressed to read intensive MLC drives in
flash environments

Space Management Replays

– Monitor and manage Tier 1 RAID 10 space (SLC drives)

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 Data progression enhancements
- space management replays
• System generated to manage Tier 1 RAID 10 space
– Down to 5% of space free
– Move pages from Active to Frozen
– Allows movement from WI to RI 5% Free
Space
• Not Usable Free
– No view/recovery volumes Space

– Not replicated In
In the
the event
event the
the
– Display in UI to provide disk usage data Storage
Storage Center
Center isis
running low
running low on on
• Removed Quickly Tier1
Tier1 RAID
RAID 1010
space, the system
space, the system
– Coalesced when next Replay created Tier 1
generates
RAID 10 generates a a
– Maximum one per Volume “space
“space
Allocated management
management
• Created for non-replay volumes Space replay”
replay” to
to freeze
freeze
pages
pages and initiate
and
– Minimal disk usage initiate
on
on demand
demand data
data
• Best practice: Implement replay schedule progression.
progression.

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 Flash optimized storage profile

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 Profiles for Flash Optimized Storage
Name
Low Priority (Tier 3)
*Flash Optimized with
Progression (Tier 1 to All
Tiers)
Write Intensive (Tier 1)
Flash Only with
Progression (Tier 1 to Tier
2)
Low Priority with
Progression (Tier 3 to Tier
2)
* - default Flash Optimized Storage profile
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Initia Tier(T) & RAID levels Progression
l
Write
Tier
3 Writes: T3 RAID 10 No
Replays: T3 RAID 5/RAID 6
1 Writes: T1 RAID 10 Yes All Tiers
Replays: T2/T3 RAID 5/RAID
6
1 Writes: T1 RAID 10 No
Replays: T1 RAID 10
1 Writes: T1 RAID 10 Yes to Tier 2 only
Replays: T2 RAID 5
3 Writes: T3 RAID 10 Yes to Tier 2 only
Replays: T3 RAID 5/RAID 6
or T2 RAID 5
 Perform Lab 15:
Storage Profiles

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 Configuring Manual Mode

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 Creating Storage Profiles while in Manual
Mode

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 Perform Lab 16:
Lab cleanup

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 Section
Review

Metadata

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 Review Questions
1. What is the difference between creating a manual replay and
creating a replay profile?
A manual replay is taken once and applies only to a specific
volume.
A replay profile is a schedule and can be applied to all or
specific
Volumes.

2. Can a volume belong to more than one replay profile?

Yes. In addition, a replay profile can have more than one
schedule

3. What must be performed in order for a user to make use of a

replay from a server?
The replay must be recovered and mapped to a server

4. How does the Storage Center label a recovered replay?

“View”
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 Review Questions
5. How should Data Instant Replay be scheduled to ensure
proper progression?
Per volume, a minimum of one replay per day and expiration
set for
a minimum of 25 hours.

6. What is a consistency group used for?

Consistency groups create a synchronized replay of multiple
volumes.

7. What profile determines the tier and RAID level of the write
and replay data on a volume?
Storage Profile

8. What “View” within the Storage Center GUI allows a user to

monitor Data Progression?
Online Storage

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