SMSQL and PM

[clilescapario]

A couple of questions about running SC with SMSQL and PM integration.

Overall goal is to have SC schedule and execute the SMSQL backups, register them in PM, and then have PM handle the snapmirror/snapvaulting. I am wondering what is the best setup for managing the data, log, and snapinfo volumes? I currently have a setup with 2 different SC configs, 1 that drives the backup, and 1 that drives the PM registration. These configs include both the data and snapinfo volumes. I am to the point now where I want to add in hourly tlog backups. I am thinking to just create another config that will drive SMSQL to run tlog backups, but I don't know how to handle the snapinfo volume.

Should I have 3 different configurations to manage data, logs, and snapinfo individually? Do I even need the log volume since the logs are rolled over to snapinfo? How is anyone else handling their SMSQL configs?

Thanks

[ktenzer]

You could have three different configs certainly and this would make sense perhaps if all three data logs, and snapinfo were handled in different datasets. In theory you could have everything in same dataset and single SC config, however SMSQL creates two different snapshots, one for data / logs and another for snapinfo. SC cant handle this in same config today, SC will only recognize one snapshot I believe. You can certainly try to put everything in one dataset and one SC config but I believe it will register one and only one snapshot to dataset. I am positive if snapinfo and logs are on same volume it will only find one snapshot not two since two would be created logs and snapinfo. However if snapinfo is a completely separate volume it will find the snapinfo snapshot just not sure if when it registers against protection manager if things will work.

The logic for external snapshot support is SC will check volume and latest snapshot or latest snapshot that matches regex for a volume will be chosen, this is why snapinfo definitely must be on separate volume.

1) Make sure you are using SC 3.6

2) enable option NTAP_USE_EXTERNAL_SNAPSHOT=Y

3) Follow directions in below video to setup PM properly, you can of course just edit NTAP_PM_DATA_SET and set PM_UPDATE=Y in config file.

https://communities.netapp.com/videos/1998

Regards,

Keith

[clilescapario]

To sum it up,

Keith is giving the abridged version of https://communities.netapp.com/thread/18678

Hopefully the limits around smsql will be addressed in SC 4.0+. SC will error out when trying to register more than 1 snapshot, and I couldn't use external snapshots with the smsql plugin (it would again error). It would be possible to call the powershell script via a QUIESCE_CMD but would only work for a tlog backup. I was unable to get it to work with a single SC config.

I opted not to worry about QUIESCE commands and stuck with the smsql plugin and just broke it down into the following:

3 volumes - 1 for data, 1 for logs, 1 for snapinfo

1 PM dataset which includes all 3 volumes

4 SC configs

     - Daily config with volumes for data, logs, and snapinfo. APP_NAME=smsql and NTAP_PM_UPDATE=N. This runs the smsql command for daily full backups and produces a snapshot on all 3 volumes.

     - Hourly config with only snapinfo volume. APP_NAME=smsql and NTAP_PM_UPDATE=N. This runs the smsql command for hourly log backups only and produces a snapshot only on the snapinfo volume.

     - Config that has all 3 volumes again, NTAP_USE_EXTERNAL_SNAPSHOT=Y,  APP_NAME= and NTAP_PM_UPDATE=Y.

      - Config that has only snapinfo volume, NTAP_USE_EXTERNAL_SNAPSHOT=Y,  APP_NAME= and NTAP_PM_UPDATE=Y.

All configs have NTAP_SNAPSHOT_NODELETE=Y

From the daily and hourly configs I call a wrapper script via POST_NTAP_CMD01 that will then unset some env vars and then execute either of my "register" configs (based on env vars prior to unset) to push the snapshots to PM.

Thanks for the info,

Chris