VMware & NetApp DR procedure

[optimus]

I'm trying to get a basic understanding of the procedure for failover to DR. Here's what I'm working with...

My production site has VMware vSphere 6.7 hosts and a NetApp AFF A200 running ONTAP 9.4

My DR site has VMware vSphere 6.7 hosts and a NetApp FAS-2650 running ONTAP 9.4

The NetApp storage at both sites has iSCSI LUNs for the ESXi hypervisor installation and vSphere datastores

I have mirror and vault Protection Relationships from production to DR

Here's what I have so far for the procedure. Is this a good starting point to begin some testing and detailed documentation of the process? I am not using VMware SRM or using whole-SVM replication.

Failover

1. Break the Protection Relationships

2. Create FlexClone LUNs from the mirror LUNs

3. Split the FlexClone LUNs from parent

4. Mount FlexClone LUNs as datastores to vSphere

5. Register and power on VMs

Failback

1. Create Protection Relationships and allow data to transfer

2. Break the Protection Relationships

3. Create FlexClone LUNs from the mirror LUNs

4. Split the FlexClone LUNs from parent

5. Mount FlexClone LUNs as datastores to vSphere

6. Register and power on VMs

[optimus]

I guess I'm wondering why I need to do steps 2-4 for the failover procedure? Shouldn't I be able to simply mount the mirror LUNs right now so that they're ready to go, and then in a DR scenario all I'd need to do is break the Protection Relationships and then register/power on the VMs?

[Mjizzini · Accepted solution]

Creating the clone and splitting it will require space and time.

 Snapmirror break command will change the destination volume to be writable. The destination will be used in RW mode.

Guidelines for SnapMirror Disaster Recovery (DR) testing and reverse SnapMirror in ONTAPE

More about Snapmirror: SnapMirror Commands  

[optimus]

Thank you.

So is it true that I can mount the read only mirror volumes to my DR hosts right now? And then in a DR scenario all I need to do is break the relationship to make them read/write?

[Mjizzini]

You are correct. You can still mount the DR volume as a read only.