Huawei OceanStor ReplicationDirector Software Technical ... · PDF fileReplicationDirector Software Technical White Paper H ... Huawei OceanStor ReplicationDirector Software Technical

Huawei OceanStor ReplicationDirector Software Technical White Paper

Issue 01

Date 2015-01-17

HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.

Issue 01 (2015-01-17) Huawei Proprietary and Confidential

Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

i

Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. 2015. All rights reserved.

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Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

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Huawei OceanStor ReplicationDirector Software

Technical White Paper Contents



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Contents

1 Overview ................................................................................................................................... 1

2 OceanStor ReplicationDirector Architecture ........................................................................ 2

2.1 Architecture ........................................................................................................................................................... 2

3 Networking and Environment Requirements ...................................................................... 4

3.1 Network Overview ................................................................................................................................................ 4

3.2 Disaster Recovery Data Center Solution (Active-Passive Mode) ............................................................................. 4

3.3 Recovery Data Center Solution (Geo-Redundant Mode) ......................................................................................... 6

3.4 HA Solution .......................................................................................................................................................... 7

3.5 Disaster Recovery Data Center Solution (Active-Active Mode) .............................................................................. 9

3.6 Local Protection Solution ..................................................................................................................................... 11

3.7 System Running Environment...............................................................................................................................12

4 Software Functions ................................................................................................................ 13

4.1 Application Awareness ..........................................................................................................................................13

4.1.1 Background .......................................................................................................................................................13

4.1.2 Technical Principles ...........................................................................................................................................13

4.1.3 Technical Highlights ..........................................................................................................................................13

4.1.4 Customer Benefits .............................................................................................................................................14

4.2 Application Consistency .......................................................................................................................................14

4.2.1 Background .......................................................................................................................................................14




4.3 Automatic Grouping .............................................................................................................................................15

4.3.1 Background .......................................................................................................................................................15




4.4 One-Key Switchover and Test ...............................................................................................................................16

4.4.1 Background .......................................................................................................................................................16





Technical White Paper Contents



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4.5 Intuitive DR .........................................................................................................................................................17

4.5.1 Background .......................................................................................................................................................17




4.6 Northbound Integration.........................................................................................................................................17

4.6.1 Background .......................................................................................................................................................17




5 Acronyms and Abbreviations ............................................................................................... 19


Technical White Paper 1 Overview



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1 Overview

HUAWEI OceanStor ReplicationDirector is a management software suite designed to protect

host applications and help recover data when disasters occur. ReplicationDirector is

compatible with Windows, Linux, and AIX. On these platforms, ReplicationDirector works

with value-added functions of Huawei disk arrays to protect data consistency and applications

and implement disaster recovery (DR) for applications.

Currently, DR solutions in the industry are developed based on different synchronous or

asynchronous replication technologies. These DR solutions involve diversified network

elements (NEs) such as service applications, host servers, virtual gateways, production

storage devices, DR storage devices, and network links. The protection and recovery

mechanisms are complex, resulting in long recovery time. Besides, global topologies of DR

solutions are not intuitively displayed and the status of involved NEs cannot be monitored in

time, complicating DR management and increasing DR costs.

HUAWEI OceanStor ReplicationDirector is a DR management software suite incorporating

data consistency protection, storage snapshot, and remote replication technologies.

Specifically designed for Huawei's typical DR solutions, ReplicationDirector provides the

following robust capabilities to reduce your management complexity and cost:

Intuitive and wizard-based platform: making your operation and monitoring easy and convenient

Application awareness: including automatic application identification, application data consistency protection, and automatic application switchover

Simple management: including intuitive topology, flexible policy-driven protection,

one-click data recovery, and all-around DR solution monitoring

DR testing: including recoverability verification and one-click testing


Technical White Paper 2 OceanStor ReplicationDirector Architecture



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2 OceanStor ReplicationDirector Architecture

2.1 Architecture

Figure 2-1 ReplicationDirector architecture

ReplicationDirector employs a B/S architecture, that is, its DR management can be completed

by using a browser. It contains two subsystems: RD Agent and RD Server.


Technical White Paper 2 OceanStor ReplicationDirector Architecture



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RD Agent: installed on a service host and used to discover hosts and applications, protect

the consistency of applications and data, and recover applications.

RD Server: installed on an independent server and used to configure and schedule the entire RD management system

The communication protocols between these subsystems are as follows:

Between RD Servers/Between an RD Server and a disk array: REST over HTTPS

Between an RD Server and an RD Agent: SOAP over HTTPs

Between an RD Agent and a disk array: iSCSI or Fibre Channel


Technical White Paper 3 Networking and Environment Requirements



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3 Networking and Environment Requirements

3.1 Network Overview

This section details the DR solution networks supported by ReplicationDirector.

3.2 Disaster Recovery Data Center Solution (Active-Passive Mode)

Based on synchronous and asynchronous replication technologies provided by Huawei's

innovative disk arrays or virtual intelligent storage (VIS) products, ReplicationDirector

implements:

End-to-end management of DR resources, including service host applications, VIS, service storage devices, and DR storage devices

Management of the production center and DR center

Management of replication between service storage devices and DR storage devices (or VIS)

DR tests (switchover of services from the production center to the DR center) and DR

management





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Figure 3-1 Network diagram for Huawei point-to-point DR solution

As shown in the following figure, ReplicationDirector Server is installed on the

ReplicationDirector host deployed at the DR center. ReplicationDirector Agent is installed on

the service hosts at the production center and on the DR host at the DR center.

ReplicationDirector Server and ReplicationDirector Agent communicate with each other using

SOAP. ReplicationDirector Server and storage devices communicate with each other using

TLV or SMI-S.

Figure 3-2 Deployment of Huawei point-to-point DR solution





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3.3 Recovery Data Center Solution (Geo-Redundant Mode)

Employing Huawei's synchronous and asynchronous replication technologies, the

geo-redundant DR solution covers remoter DR centers and boasts a higher DR capability and

wider DR scope compared with the point-to-point DR solution. In the geo-redundant DR

solution, ReplicationDirector implements:

End-to-end management of DR resources, including service host applications, VIS, service storage devices, and DR storage devices at the same-city and remote DR centers

Management of the production center, intra-city DR center, and remote DR center

Management of replication between service storage devices and DR storage devices at

the intra-city and remote DR centers

DR tests (switchover of services from the production center to the intra-city or remote DR center) and DR management

The geo-redundant DR solution uses either cascading or parallel networking mode. In the

cascading networking mode, the DR impact on the services at the production center is little;

whereas service switchback from the remote DR center is complex. In the parallel networking

mode, the DR impact on the services at the production center is obvious; whereas service

switchback from the remote DR center is the same as that in the point-to-point DR solution

and is simple.

Figure 3-3 Network diagram for Huawei geo-redundant DR solution

As shown in the following figure, both in the cascading and parallel networking modes, ReplicationDirector Server is installed on the hosts at DR centers 1 and 2. ReplicationDirector





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Agent is installed on the service hosts at the production center and on the DR hosts at the DR

centers. ReplicationDirector Server and ReplicationDirector Agent communicate with each

other using SOAP. ReplicationDirector Server and storage devices communicate with each

other using TLV or SMI-S.

Figure 3-4 Deployment of Huawei geo-redundant DR solution (cascading mode)

Production center

Service host

ReplicationDirector Agent

Service storage

DR center 1

DR host

DR storage

ReplicationDire

ctor host (B)

ReplicationDirector Server

DR center 2

DR host

DR storage

ReplicationDirec

tor host (C)




Figure 3-5 Deployment of Huawei geo-redundant DR solution (parallel mode)

Production center

Service host


Service storage

DR center 1

DR host

DR storage

ReplicationDire

ctor host (B)


DR center 2

DR host

DR storage

ReplicationDir

ector host (C)




3.4 HA Solution

Based on the Huawei self-developed VIS mirroring technology, the high availability (HA)

solution ensures the high availability of storage devices at the local or intra-city data center. In

the HA solution, ReplicationDirector:

Implements end-to-end management and monitoring of DR resources, including service host applications, VIS, service storage devices, and DR storage devices.

Manages DR sites.





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Displays topologies of the solution.

Figure 3-6 Network diagram for Huawei HA solution

Data center

VIS cluster

ReplicationDirector

Mirroring

Data center DR center

VIS

cluster

RD

Remote

mirroring


ReplicationDirector hosts deployed at the production center or DR center. ReplicationDirector Agent is installed on the service host at the production center. ReplicationDirector Server and





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ReplicationDirector Agent communicate with each other using SOAP. ReplicationDirector

Server and storage devices communicate with each other using TLV or SMI-S.

Figure 3-7 Deployment of Huawei HA solution

Production center

Service host


Service storage

VIS

ReplicationDirect

host (A)


DR storage

Production center

Service host


Service storage

VIS

ReplicationDirector host

(A)


DR center

DR storage

3.5 Disaster Recovery Data Center Solution (Active-Active Mode)

Based on cluster technologies and Huawei self-developed VIS mirroring technology, the

active-active DR solution achieves active-active DR for service applications, VIS engines,

and storage devices at two production centers. Business continuity is not interrupted upon the

failure of a single component or production center. Compared with replication-based active

and standby DR solutions, the active-active DR solution has the following advantages:

Minimum RPO and RTO: The active-active DR solution delivers zero RPO, achieving

zero data loss. The RTO ranges from seconds to zero, subject to different cluster technologies.

Improved device utilization: In the active-active DR solution, the two production centers

run services; whereas in an active and standby DR solution, the devices at the DR center

remain idle at the most time.

In the active-active DR solution, ReplicationDirector:

Implements end-to-end management and monitoring of service host applications, VIS, service storage devices, and DR storage devices.





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Manages DR sites.

Displays topologies of the solution.

Figure 3-8 Network diagram for Huawei active-active DR solution

Production center 1

Production storage

RD

Production center 2

Synchronous data mirroring

As shown in the following figure, ReplicationDirector Server is installed on the host deployed

at production center 1 or 2. ReplicationDirector Agent is installed on the service hosts at the

two production centers. ReplicationDirector Server and ReplicationDirector Agent

communicate with each other using SOAP. ReplicationDirector Server and storage devices

communicate with each other using TLV or SMI-S.

Figure 3-9 Deployment of Huawei active-active solution

Production center 1

Service host


Service storage

VIS

Production center 2

Service host

Service storage

VIS

ReplicationDirec

tor host







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3.6 Local Protection Solution Based on Huawei's storage snapshot technologies, the local protection solution provides local

protection and fast recovery for applications such as Oracle, SQL Server, DB2, Exchange,

VMware, and FusionSphere. In this way, the application data lost at a certain point in time

caused by misoperations or viruses can be restored by ReplicationDirector in a fast manner.

Figure 3-10 Network diagram for Huawei local protection solution

Data center

Huawei primary

storage

Application

LUNSnapshot

RD


ReplicationDirector hosts deployed at the production center. ReplicationDirector Agent is

installed on the service host. ReplicationDirector Server and ReplicationDirector Agent

communicate with each other using SOAP. ReplicationDirector Server and storage devices

communicate with each other using TLV or SMI-S.

Figure 3-11 Deployment of Huawei local protection solution

Production

center

Service host

RD Agent

Service

storage

RD host

RD

Server





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3.7 System Running Environment

Item Requirement Remarks

Server Operating

system

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11

SP1 64-bit

Windows Server 2008 R2

Enterprise Edition 64-bit

CPU Minimum configuration: 2 x Xeon

dual-core 1.6 GHz CPU

Standard configuration: 2 x Xeon dual-core 4.0 GHz CPU

Memory Minimum configuration: DDR 4

GB memory

Standard configuration: DDR 8 GB memory

If ReplicationDirector

is installed on virtual

machines, do not use

dynamic memory allocation.

Free disk space Minimum configuration: Greater

than or equal to 10 GB

Standard configuration: Greater than or equal to 100 GB

Database GaussDB V100R003C10

Management

network bandwidth

Minimum configuration: 2 Mbit/s

Standard configuration: 10 Mbit/s

Management network

refers to the network

between the production

site and the DR site.

Agent Memory Standard configuration: 1 GB

DDR

This is the minimum

requirement on service hosts.

Free disk space Standard configuration: 50 MB This is the minimum

requirement on service hosts.


Technical White Paper 4 Software Functions



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4 Software Functions

4.1 Application Awareness

4.1.1 Background

One service system is usually comprised of multiple application systems, each of which has

its own database. How to fast and exactly identify applications and databases is critical to

improve efficiency and reduce complexity for DR applications.

4.1.2 Technical Principles

ReplicationDirector Agent, an important element of ReplicationDirector, provides an

application detection module for every type of applications, such as Oracle, SQL Server, DB2,

and Exchange. These application detection modules sense the different characteristics of

applications, and automatically know what applications are running on the service host. The

principle details are as follows:

ReplicationDirector Agent and ReplicationDirector Server are respectively installed on a service host and an independent server.

You can access ReplicationDirector Server by using the browser, and then input the IP

address of the service host and your ReplicationDirector Agent user name and password

to submit a discovery request.

After ReplicationDirector Server receives the discovery request, it establishes secure

SOAP communication with ReplicationDirector Agent, and then sends an application

awareness request to ReplicationDirector Agent. After ReplicationDirector Agent

receives the request, it initiates the application detection program and then sends the application awareness result to ReplicationDirector Server.

4.1.3 Technical Highlights

Secure communication: ReplicationDirector Server and ReplicationDirector Agent

communicate with each other by using an HTTPS-based SOAP protocol, effectively avoiding information leakage caused by illegitimate data interception.

Triggered detection: ReplicationDirector Agent does not start application detection

immediately upon its installation on a service host, and its detection process is triggered

by ReplicationDirector server. In this way, the consumption of service host resources is minimized.





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On-demand detection: You can customize the applications to be detected. Among the

diversified application adaption modules provided by ReplicationDirector Server, you can only enable the necessary modules for application detection.

4.1.4 Customer Benefits

The application awareness function automatically senses the applications running in the

customer DR environment, enabling users to adopt optimal DR protection measures.

4.2 Application Consistency

4.2.1 Background

No matter the data protection software is based on storage replication or storage snapshot,

constant data availability and fast data recovery when disasters occur or backup data is in

need are the most important concerns. Huawei ReplicationDirector can provide proper

application consistency solutions for diversified applications.


Huawei ReplicationDirector provides policy-driven protection for different applications. On

the ReplicationDirector server, a protection group is created for each type of applications and

a specific policy is set for the protection group. Then the application data will be snapshot or

replicated automatically based on the policy. During the automatic protection process,

ReplicationDirector Server generates consistency snapshot copies or consistency replication

copies for application data. The working mechanism is as follows:

When a snapshot or replication period arrives, ReplicationDirector Server sends a

notification to ReplicationDirector Agent, which then implements fitting consistency policies for different applications, and sets these applications to the consistent state.

After the applications are in the consistent state, ReplicationDirector Server asks the disk

array to start snapshot or replication, and then the disk array generates snapshot or replication copies for application consistency.

After the snapshot or replication copies are generated, ReplicationDirector Server asks

ReplicationDirector Agent to restore applications from the consistent state to their

original states.

The following sections detail the diversified application consistency solutions that

ReplicationDirector provides for different applications.

SQL Server and Exchange

When a snapshot or replication period arrives, ReplicationDirector Server notifies

ReplicationDirector Agent, which then calls a Windows VSS service (such as SQL Server or

Exchange VSS Writer). The VSS service flushes dirty data in the SQL Server or Exchange

memory to disks, and suspends the write I/Os of the SQL Server or Exchange and sets the

SQL Server or Exchange in the consistent state. After the SQL Server or Exchange is in the

consistent state, ReplicationDirector Server asks the disk array to start snapshot or replication,

and then the disk array generates snapshot or replication copies for the SQL Server or

Exchange. After these copies are generated, ReplicationDirector Server immediately asks

ReplicationDirector Agent to restores SQL Server or Exchange from the consistent state to their original states. The whole process takes a maximum of 10 seconds.





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Oracle

Oracle application consistency is implemented based on the Oracle hot backup mechanism.

When a snapshot or replication period arrives, ReplicationDirector Server first asks

ReplicationDirector Agent to set the Oracle database to the hot backup mode, and then asks

the disk array to start snapshot or replication. After the snapshot or replication is completed,

ReplicationDirector Server asks ReplicationDirector Agent to end the Oracle database hot

backup mode.

DB2

When a snapshot or replication period arrives, ReplicationDirector Server first asks

ReplicationDirector Agent to suspend the write I/Os of the DB2 database, and then asks the

disk array to start snapshot or replication. After the snapshot or replication is completed,

ReplicationDirector Server asks ReplicationDirector Agent to restore the write I/Os to DB2.

VMware

When a replication period arrives, ReplicationDirector Server first asks vCenter to generate

silent snapshots for virtual machines (when silent snapshots are generated, virtual machines

are suspended for a short time and data in the virtual machine memory is flushed to disks),

and then asks the disk array to start replication. After the replication is completed,

ReplicationDirector Server asks vCenter to delete the silent snapshots of virtual machines.


Deep integration with applications: Applications' resident mechanisms are triggered to

achieve consistency.

Automatic timeout: Its adverse impact on services is minimized. If ReplicationDirector

Agent does not receive ReplicationDirector Server's request to restore the applications'

state due to certain reasons, such as network faults or request timeout, it will wait 60

seconds, and then automatically restores the applications from the consistent state to

their original states.


The consistency copies generated by snapshots or replication are constantly available and can

be used for fast data recovery.

4.3 Automatic Grouping

4.3.1 Background

In a virtualized environment, one virtual machine usually spans multiple disk arrays, and one

disk array is also shared by multiple virtual machines. The minimum unit of a

replication-based data protection technology is LUN. Therefore, a technology is in need to

fast and accurately protect the virtual machines running on one or a group of LUNs.


When ReplicationDirector discovers vCenter or FusionSphere, it groups data storage as

follows:





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If a virtual machine spans multiple disk arrays, these arrays are automatically combined

to a group.

If LUNs of a storage consistency group belong to multiple disk arrays, these arrays are automatically combined to a group.


Disk arrays are automatically combined to groups based on their relationship with virtual

machines. When the virtual machines change or the capacities of the disk arrays are expanded,

the groups are accordingly updated. The whole grouping and update processes are automatic.


Simple management and minimized errors

The configuration needs to be set only one time and takes effect permanently. The new virtual machines added to disk arrays will be automatically protected.

4.4 One-Key Switchover and Test

4.4.1 Background

The DR switchover and testing have complicated procedures and operations. Each step must

be strictly performed and one mistake may result in a switchover failure and service

interruption. To reduce the DR switchover and testing complexity and improve the DR

switchover success rate, Huawei ReplicationDirector provides pre-configured mature

switchover and test procedures for different applications based on their characteristics,

environments, and protection technologies. The whole switchover or test process can be

started in one click.


ReplicationDirector develops different switchover and test procedures for different

applications. The procedures are step by step and can be automatically uploaded, explained,

and set by the built-in recovery procedure engine module. The whole switchover or test

process is in one click without complicated manual configuration or operation.


The pre-configured switchover or test procedures can be edited to meet users' customized

switchover and test requirements.


Low DR switchover and test complexity

High DR switchover success rate

Low RTO





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4.5 Intuitive DR

4.5.1 Background

A DR environment usually involves different applications, hosts, and disk arrays, which pose

different data protection requirements, so different data protection policies are made for them.

The DR relationship among production hosts, database applications, and disk arrays must be

intuitively displayed for easy management.


Huawei ReplicationDirector provides policy-driven protection for different applications.

Under this policy-driven protection, ReplicationDirector Server creates protection groups for

applications, and then these protection groups automatically generate intuitive DR topologies

according to the host environments, storage stacks, and DR relationships of the corresponding

applications.


DR topologies are generated based on the environments and data protection measures of

applications.


ReplicationDirector achieves intuitive DR management, enabling users to know DR paths and

status at any time.

4.6 Northbound Integration

4.6.1 Background

A well-designed system must be open and easily integrated with third-party systems, and its

external development interfaces must comply with industrial standards and development

trends.


The ReplicationDirector modules such as device resource management, protection

configuration, DR restoration, and service monitoring function as SOA service components

and are exposed by the RESTful interface. This interface can be used for the development of

the ReplicationDirector web GUI and third-party integration.





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ReplicationDirector provides light-weighted RESTful web services based on the SOA

mechanism and industrial standards.


This facilitates the integration with customers' existing systems.


Technical White Paper 5 Acronyms and Abbreviations



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5 Acronyms and Abbreviations

VSS Volume Shadow Copy Service

SOA Service-Oriented Architecture

REST Representational State Transfer

OSGI Open Service Gateway Initiative

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