TimeFinder (SUN)

Summary:

In this lab exercise students will explore the configuration and basic setup of the Symmetrix TimeFinder facility using the EMC Solutions Enabler Command Line Interface (SYMCLI). Business Continuance Volumes (BCVs) will be identified and associated with a SYMCLI Device Group of type REGULAR. The contents of the Standard Volumes will be copied over to the BCVs. After synchronization, the BCVs will be split from the Standard Volumes, giving a point-in-time copy of the data

Objectives:

a)    Display and identify the configured BCVs.

b)    Create a SYMCLI device group of type REGULAR.

c)     Associate BCVs with a SYMCLI device group.

d)    Synchronize the BCVs with the Standard Volumes belonging to the SYMCLI device group.

e)    Monitor the status and synchronization of the BCVs

f)       Split the BCVs from the Standard Volumes to obtain point-in-time copy of the data.

1.      Verify or setup your user environment for SYMCLI.

a)     Check to see if the directory for SYMCLI executables is included in your PATH variable and if not set, and export it.
# echo $PATH
Is the directory /usr/symcli/bin included in the PATH? _________
If not add /usr/symcli/bin to your PATH and export it, using the commands below.
# PATH=$PATH:/usr/symcli/bin

b)     Check to see if the directory for SYMCLI manual pages is included in your MANPATH variable and if not, set and export it.
# echo $MANPATH
Is the directory /usr/symcli/man included in the MANPATH? _________
If not add /usr/symcli/man to your MANPATH and export it, using the commands below.
# MANPATH=$MANPATH:/usr/symcli/man

2.      Initialize the SYMAPI Database.  (The file /var/symapi/db/symapi_db.bin)
# symcfg discover

3.      Identify the volumes accessible to your host.  This and following TimeFinder exercises require two standard volumes, two BCV volumes, and a gatekeeper device. In the output of the syminq command, locate the devices assigned to you and complete the table below.

a)     List all the volumes available to your host.
# syminq | more

b)     Identify  two standard volumes assigned to you, and record the host device names (PdevName) and the Symmetrix device names (SymDevName).
Note: Standard Volumes are those which do not have any description under the “Type” column in the output of the syminq command.

c)      Identify your gatekeeper device from the syminq output above.  While SYMCLI does not require a dedicated gatekeeper device, it is recommended that a number of small devices be defined as gatekeeper devices and associated with device groups. Enter the information in the following table.

d)     List the BCVs configured on the Symmetrix and identify and record a pair of BCVs to be used in this exercise.

i)        Display summary information about all BCVs in the attached Symmetrix.
 # symbcv list dev | more

ii)      Display summary information about all BCVs accessible to your host.
# symbcv list pd | more

iii)    Identify the two BCV Volumes assigned to you, and record the host device names (PdevName), the Symmetrix device names (SymDevName), attribute, and status in the table below.

4.      Create a device group, add standard devices and associate BCVs and gatekeeper devices.  The device group type should be of type REGULAR. In the steps below replace “my” with your initials in the device group name.
Your device group name: ________________
Create a regular device group with the name mystddg
 # symdg -type REGULAR create mystddg

a)     Add the two standard devices to the device group.  Add the first device using its Physical Device Name (c#t#d#), and the second device using its Symmetrix Device Name (eg. 089).
# symld -g mystddg add pd PdevName
# symld -g mystddg add dev SymDevName

b)     Define your gatekeeper device in the SYMAPI database and associate it with your device group.
# symgate define pd PdevName
# symgate –g mystddg associate pd PdevName

c)      Verify that the device group was added to the SYMAPI database.
# symdg list

d)     Show detailed information about your device group and Record the Logical Device Names (LdevName) given to your two Standard Volumes.
# symdg show mystddg | more

            Where is the information about a device group and its members stored?
            ____________________________________________

e)     Associate your assigned BCVs, with the device group mystddg
# symbcv -g mystddg associate dev SymDevName
# symbcv -g mystddg associate dev SymDevName

f)        Verify association and record the Logical Device name given to your BCVs
# symdg show mystddg | more

g)     Set and export the variable that holds the value of your default device group name. If this variable is set, the device group name need not be specified in the command line for subsequent steps.  Note: Variables are case sensitive
# export SYMCLI_DG=mystddg

5.      Query the BCV devices in your device group.  As you have set the environment variable SYMCLI_DG, it is not necessary to specify the device group with the –g flag.
# symmir query

The current state of your device pairs should be split.  If not notify your instructor

6.      Establish the pairing between the BCVs and the Standard Volumes. This synchronizes the contents of the BCVs with those of the Standard Volumes. If this is the first ever establish operation between the BCVs and the Standard Volumes, the “-full” option has to be specified. This is because, the default is an incremental establish.
Establish a BCV with each standard device in your device group.  Use the -full and –exact options.
# symmir establish -full -exact

a)     Query the status of the BCV devices. Obtain the synchronization rate, estimated time to completion. The command below repeats the query every 5 seconds, 10 times.
# symmir query -i 5 –c 10

Synchronization rate:  _______________________

Estimated time to completion: _________________

BCV Device Status: _________________________

7.      Split the BCVs. A BCV must be fully synchronized before it can be split.
Before synchronization is complete, attempt to split the BCV pairs.
# symmir split

Did the split action succeed? ______________

a)     Run the “query” again and when the synchronization completes, attempt the split again.
# symmir query -i 5
# symmir split

# symmir query
You now have a point-in-time copy of your “data”!

b)     Re-establish your BCV you split above and again query your devices.
# symmir establish
# symmir query
Why did this establish complete so quickly?__________
______________________________________

In preparation for TimeFinder Lab 2, create a File System on the Standard Volumes. Replace “my” with your initials, as usual.

a)     Initialize the Physical Volumes   Initialize both of your Standard Volumes
# format

b)     Initialize the volumes.

Choose the first volume by number from the disk list and choose the option “Label”. Do the same for the second disk.

a)     Add a file system to your logical volume. 

Create a filesystem on slice 0.
# newfs /dev/dsk/c#t#d#s0.
# fsck /dev/dsk/c#t#d#s0.

create a mount point for each filesystem and mount it.

# mkdir /mymp1

# mkdir /mymp2

# mount /dev/dsk/c#t#d#s0 /mymp1

# mount /dev/dsk/c#t#d#s0 /mymp2

Verify that the filesystems are mounted.

# mount

b)  Add “data” to each file system The first script will create a file called prod_data in the directory /mystdfs, with the line “Production Data” repeated 1000 times. The second script will copy prod_data to files prod_data1 through prod_data10

First Script
# ksh
# let i=1; while [ $i -le 1000 ]
  do
    echo “Production Data” >> /mymp1(2)/prod_data
    let i=$i+1
  done

Second Script

# let i=0; while [ i -le 10 ]
  do
    cp /mymp1(2)/prod_data /mymp1(2)/prod_data$i
    let i=$i+1
  done

Exercise Wrap-up:

symlmf - __________________________________
 
symcfg - __________________________________

symdg - ___________________________________

symld - ____________________________________

symbcv - ___________________________________

symdev - __________________________________

symmir - ___________________________________________

This concludes TimeFinder Lab 1 (HP). In the next exercise, we will split our BCV mirror and use it on the same host for Business Continuance Operations.

Good Luck!