SnapManager integration with Mirror and Back-up policy

[mheimberg]

Dear all

We would like to implement a SnapManager for SQL server (SMSQL) integration into Protection Manager with a policy doing mirroring for DR and vaulting for backup.

So we created a policy based on the template "Mirror and Back up". But when running the configuration wizard in SMSQL we are not able to select that policy - all we can choose from are policies of the kind "remote backups only".

As a workaround we selected the policy "remote backups only" and then changed it in PM to "Mirror and Back up" - it works, but it's a two-step procedure.

Another point is: as soon as PM has established the SnapMirror-relations we are able to select "Update Mirror" in the SMSQL Backup and Verify window. What would best practices be here: let PM do the replication or trigger SnapMirror from SMSQL?

Or is it meant to have a SnapVault relationship managed by ProtectionManager and a SnapMirror relationship managed by SnapManager?

Thanks

Markus

[rgraves2572]

SnapManager products such as SME and SMSQL are not fully integrated with Protection Manager. In SME and SMSQL you can backup to a dataset for the purpose of SnapVault backups. There is no Protection Manager integration for SnapMirror that I'm aware of and the result is SME/SMSQL performs the SnapMirror update directly iwthout the knowledge DFM and Protection Manager.

-Robert

[BrendonHiggins]

The newer versions of SME and SMSQL have much higher levels of intergration.  Are you running the latest versions?

Bren

[mheimberg]

Hi again

The newer versions of SME and SMSQL have much higher levels of intergration.  Are you running the latest versions?

We run SMSQL 5.0R1 - this should be the newest, I think

SME 5.0, but the only changes in SME 6.0 are "only" the Exchange 2010 support and that we can call SMBR directly by right-clicking on the backup. But for ProtectionManager I thought there are no changes, but didn't check so far....

Regards

Markus

[mheimberg]

Hi Rob

SnapManager products such as SME and SMSQL are not fully integrated with Protection Manager.

That is exactly what I thought too.

I wrote my conclusion in http://communities.netapp.com/message/21572#21572

"IMHO this clearly shows that the whole DFM/PM/SM-thing is not matured, not even Version 1.0. I mean: do the SnapVault with PM, but you must use PM and SM to get the integration done, but SnapMirror is still done the old way, not to mention all the bugs DFM/PM shows....

I tend to kick away Protection Manager and do it the old way with self-made scripts and look again at it in a year or so."

I am more and more disappointed about NetApps software development.

Regards

Markus

[rgraves2572]

I also found the intergration between SnapManager productions Protection Manager frustrating. However, Protection Manager works very well for us in managing SnapVault backups. We have a Hyper-V enviroments with many Qtree/LUN relationships and Protection Manager handles all of the SnapVault configuration. This is very useful in ensuring that when a new Qtree/LUN is added it also is automatically updated with a SnapVault policy.

It would be nice if Protection Manager could be the single policy engine for SnapVault and SnapMirror backups.

-Robert

[lyndonfrei]

Hi Robert

I am now in the same situation where I'd like to integrate SMHV with SnapVault, but had to realize Protection Manager would not play nice with SnapManager Hyper-V.

May I ask you to explain in detail how you still manage to SnapVault your Hyper-V environment where Protection Manager seems to handle all the configurations? Unfortunately your statements are rather contradictory to me.

Of course I'd prefer you really were able to pull it off. For my part I only see it made possible with scripting snapvault updates with given SMHV consistent snapshot names to use, the one issue Protection Manager misses.

Kind regards

     Lyndon