SnapMirror Destination Volume used as SnapVault Primary

[byermann]

IHAC that is currently using asynchronous SnapMirror between Site "A" and Site "B". They now would like to add further protectection by SnapVaulting the destination SnapMirror volume(s) to a 3rd site. With respect to the SnapVault primary, to avoid conflicts with SnapMirror and SnapVault at Site "B" can the destinaition SnapMirror volume be FlexCloned and used at the primary SnapVault copy?  

[prasads]

Hi,

With 'Protection Manager', using policy "Mirror, then back up", we can achieve what the customer wants.

Protection Manager takes local backups on primary, then mirror primary to secondary, then back up secondary to tertiary.

And I don't think you need to create FlexClones for this.

Regards,

Prasad

[byermann]

I just want to be absolutely clear on your response. Protection Manager will utilize SnapMirror for the primary to secondary copy AND SnapVault for the asecondary to tertiary copy?

I am not well versed with Protection Manger.

If this approach was used Protection Manager is use to establish the mirroring (SM) and backup (SV) realtionship, versions, retention etc.? 

[prasads · Accepted solution]

>Protection Manager will utilize SnapMirror for the primary to secondary copy AND SnapVault for the asecondary to tertiary copy?

Yes you are right on this.

Protection Manager has its own schedules to update SnapMirror between primary & secondary, and SnapVault between the secondary & tertiary copy.

Also the retention of snapshots are managed by Protection Manager.

Both the parameters, schedules & retention, are configurable in Protection Manager.

Note: Protection Manager does not create schedules on the Storage Systems, while creating relationships.

Also you can use import existing SnapMirror or SnapVault relationships into Protection Manager for it to manage & alert on lag warnings.

Reference docs:

http://now.netapp.com/NOW/knowledge/docs/DFM_win/rel38/pdfs/protect.pdf

http://now.netapp.com/NOW/knowledge/docs/DFM_win/rel38/pdfs/help.pdf

[radek_kubka]

Be wary though of following gotcha when cascading volumes with LUNs over SM/SV:

http://communities.netapp.com/message/5413#5413

Regards,

Radek

[alapati]

Starting Data ONTAP 7.3.2, SnapVault can backup a specific Snapshot. In previous versions, SnapVault always chose the latest Snapshot (which is the VSM Snapshot). I think this new feature is not supported by Protection Manager yet