EMC Symmetrix Timefinder survival guide
During a previous project I had the opportunity to work very closely with the EMC people and Symmetrix arrays, in fact I got a couple of very good friends from that project. At the time I created a bunch of text files for my self reference about EMC SRDF and Timefinder technologies.
Today I decided to review that files, give them some order, well sort of, and put them here as a survival guide/quick reference in the hope that will be of help to any of you. The first of this guides will be about EMC Symmetrix Timefinder.
I don’t have sample output for every command, been more than a year since the last time I work with Timefinder, to complement my own samples I got several outputs from the Timefinder manuals.
This is not a complete Timefinder usage guide, just my personal notes taken from my direct experience with product.
Timefinder Basics
EMC Timefinder is a replication solution that creates full volume copies. For the full-HP guys out there this is very similar to the XP or EVA Business Copy product.
There are two basic types of replication:
- TimefinderClone – Creates point-in-time copies.
- Timefinder/Snap – Creates pointer-based replicas, snapshots, only the changed data is written.
There are several optional components.
- Timefinder/Mirror.
- Timefinder/CG (Consistency Groups)
- Timefinder/EIM (Exchange Integration Modules)
- Timefinder/SIM (SQL Integration Modules)
Timefinder allows to retain multiple copies at different checkpoints for lowered RPO and RTO.
Symcli basics
Following is a list of the most basic symcli commands necessary to get your way around when you perform any Symmetrix task, including Timefinder.
- Get the list of the Symmetrix devices
root:/# symdev list
Symmetrix ID: 00029xxxxxxx
Device Name Directors Device
--------------------------- ------------- -------------------------------------
Cap
Sym Physical SA :P DA :IT Config Attribute Sts (MB)
--------------------------- ------------- -------------------------------------
0000 Not Visible ???:? 01A:C0 BCV Asst'd RW 8632
0001 Not Visible ???:? 16C:D0 BCV Asst'd RW 8632
0002 Not Visible ???:? 01B:D0 BCV Asst'd RW 8632
0003 Not Visible ???:? 16D:C0 BCV Asst'd RW 8632
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
0048 Not Visible ???:? ???:?? VDEV N/Grp'd RW 8632
0049 Not Visible ???:? ???:?? VDEV N/Grp'd RW 8632
004A Not Visible ???:? ???:?? VDEV N/Grp'd RW 8632
004B Not Visible ???:? ???:?? VDEV N/Grp'd NR 8632
004C Not Visible ???:? ???:?? VDEV N/Grp'd NR 8632
004D Not Visible ???:? ???:?? VDEV N/Grp'd NR 8632
004E Not Visible ???:? ???:?? VDEV N/Grp'd NR 8632
004F Not Visible ???:? ???:?? VDEV N/Grp'd NR 8632
0050 Not Visible ???:? ???:?? VDEV N/Grp'd NR 8632
0051 Not Visible ???:? ???:?? VDEV N/Grp'd NR 8632
0052 Not Visible ???:? 16B:D1 2-Way Mir N/A (SV) RW 8632
0053 Not Visible ???:? 01C:C0 2-Way Mir N/A (SV) RW 8632
0054 Not Visible ???:? 16B:C0 2-Way Mir N/A (SV) RW 8632
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
- List all available devices from a device group
root:/# symld -g dg_oradev_01 list
- List host physical devices
root:/# sympd list
- List the disk groups:
root:/# /usr/symcli/bin/symdg list
D E V I C E G R O U P S
Number of
Name Type Valid Symmetrix ID Devs GKs BCVs VDEVs
dg_oracle_prod1 REGULAR Yes 00029xxxxxxx 26 0 26 0
dg_oracle_prod2 REGULAR Yes 00029xxxxxxx 21 0 21 0
dg_rac_01 RDF1 Yes 00029xxxxxxx 23 0 23 0
dg_clvx_01 RDF1 Yes 00029xxxxxxx 5 0 5 0
dg_oradev_01 REGULAR Yes 00029xxxxxxx 3 0 0 0
dg_timetest_02 RDF1 Yes 00029xxxxxxx 16 0 16 0
grupo1 RDF1 Yes 00029xxxxxxx 22 0 0 0
root:/#
- Add devices to a disk group
- Add physical devices
root:/# symld -g dg_oradev_01 add pd /dev/dsk/c2t4d12
- Add Symmetrix devices
root:/# symld -g dg_oradev_01 add 006E
- Get diskgroup detailed info.
root:/# /usr/symcli/bin/symdg show dg_prod_01
Group Name: dg_prod_01
Group Type : RDF1 (RDFA)
Device Group in GNS : No
Valid : Yes
Symmetrix ID : 00029xxxxxxx
Group Creation Time : Mon Nov 29 18:49:29 2007
Vendor ID : EMC Corp
Application ID : ECC
Number of STD Devices in Group : 2
Number of Associated GK's : 0
Number of Locally-associated BCV's : 2
Number of Locally-associated VDEV's : 0
Number of Remotely-associated VDEV's(STD RDF): 0
Number of Remotely-associated BCV's (STD RDF): 0
Number of Remotely-associated BCV's (BCV RDF): 0
Number of Remotely-assoc'd RBCV's (RBCV RDF) : 0
Standard (STD) Devices (2):
{
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Sym Cap
LdevName PdevName Dev Att. Sts (MB)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
DEV001 N/A 01C8 RW 8714
DEV002 N/A 01C9 RW 8714
}
BCV Devices Locally-associated (2):
{
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Sym Cap
LdevName PdevName Dev Att. Sts (MB)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
BCV001 N/A 08A8 RW 8714
BCV002 N/A 08A9 RW 8714
}
Device Group RDF Information
{
RDF Type : R1
RDF (RA) Group Number : 2 (01)
Remote Symmetrix ID : 000287xxxxxx
R2 Device Is Larger Than The R1 Device : False
RDF Pair Configuration : Normal
RDF STAR Mode : False
RDF Mode : Synchronous
RDF Adaptive Copy : Disabled
RDF Adaptive Copy Write Pending State : N/A
RDF Adaptive Copy Skew (Tracks) : 32767
RDF Device Domino : Disabled
RDF Link Configuration : Fibre
RDF Link Domino : Disabled
Prevent Automatic RDF Link Recovery : Disabled
Prevent RAs Online Upon Power ON : Enabled
Device RDF Status : Ready (RW)
Device RA Status : Ready (RW)
Device Link Status : Ready (RW)
Device Suspend State : N/A
Device Consistency State : Disabled
RDF R2 Not Ready If Invalid : Disabled
Device RDF State : Ready (RW)
Remote Device RDF State : Write Disabled (WD)
RDF Pair State ( R1 <===> R2 ) : Synchronized
Number of R1 Invalid Tracks : 0
Number of R2 Invalid Tracks : 0
RDFA Information:
{
Session Number : 1
Cycle Number : 0
Number of Devices in the Session : 491
Session Status : Inactive
Session Consistency State : N/A
Minimum Cycle Time : 00:00:30
Average Cycle Time : 00:00:00
Duration of Last cycle : 00:00:00
Session Priority : 33
Tracks not Committed to the R2 Side: 0
Time that R2 is behind R1 : 00:00:00
R1 Side Percent Cache In Use : 0
R2 Side Percent Cache In Use : 0
}
}
root:/#
Timfinder commands
- Associate BCVs to a device group. There are two ways:
root:/# symbcv -sid xxxx -g dg_oradev_01 associate dev 0001
- Establish the mirrors
root:/# symmir -g dg_oradev_01 -full establish DEV001 BCV001
- Split operations.
root:/# symmir -g dg_oradev_01 split
There are several additional split modes and/or modifiers.
- Instant
root:/# symmir -g dg_oradev_01 split -instant
- Force
root:/# symmir -g dg_oradev_01 split -force
- Differential
root:/# symmir -g dg_oradev_01 split -differential
- Reverse
root/# symmir -g dg_oradev_01 reverse split
- Reverse differential
root:/# symmir -g dg_oradev_01 reverse split -differential
- Restore the BCV mirrors. The restore operation will copy the data from the BCV to the Standard device.
- Differential restore
root:/# symmir -g dg_oradev_01 restore
- Full restore
root:/# symmir -g dg_oradev_01 -full restore
- Reestablish operations. It is very important to tell the difference between Restore and Reestablish. Reestablish will do a differential update from the Standard device to the BCV device.
root:/# symmir -g dg_oradev_01 establish
- Get the list of BCV devices
root:/# symbcv list
Symmetrix ID: 00029xxxxxxx
BCV Device Standard Device Status
------------------------------------ --------------------------- ------------
Inv. Inv.
Physical Sym RDF Att. Tracks Physical Sym Tracks BCV <=> STD
------------------------------------ --------------------------- ------------
Not Visible 0030 (M) 0 N/A N/A 0 NeverEstab
Not Visible 0031 (m) - N/A N/A - NeverEstab
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
c4t1d0s2 0088 0 c4t0d0s2 0084 0 Split
c4t1d1s2 0089 0 c4t0d1s2 0085 0 Split
c4t1d2s2 008A 0 c4t0d2s2 0086 0 Split
c4t1d3s2 008B 0 c4t0d3s2 0087 0 Split
- Get the state of mirroring of the device pairs within a device group
root:/# /usr/symcli/bin/symmir -g dg_oracle_prod_01 query
Device Group (DG) Name: dg_oracle_prod_01
DG's Type : RDF1
DG's Symmetrix ID : 00029xxxxxxx
Standard Device BCV Device State
-------------------------- ------------------------------------- ------------
Inv. Inv.
Logical Sym Tracks Logical Sym Tracks STD <=> BCV
-------------------------- ------------------------------------- ------------
DEV001 0184 0 BCV001 039C * 0 Split
DEV002 0186 0 BCV002 039E * 0 Split
DEV003 0187 0 BCV003 039F * 0 Split
DEV004 0188 0 BCV004 03A0 * 0 Split
DEV005 0189 0 BCV005 03A1 * 0 Split
DEV006 018E 0 BCV006 03A6 * 0 Split
DEV007 018F 0 BCV007 03A7 * 0 Split
DEV008 0190 0 BCV008 03A8 * 0 Split
DEV009 0191 0 BCV009 03A9 * 0 Split
DEV010 01C7 0 BCV010 08A7 * 0 Split
DEV011 01CD 0 BCV011 08AA * 0 Split
Total ------- -------
Track(s) 0 0
MB(s) 0.0 0.0
Legend:
(*): The paired BCV device is associated with this group.
root:/#
- List all BCV sessions in a Symmetrix array
root:/# symmir list -sid xxxx
Symmetrix ID: 00000000xxxx
Standard Device BCV Device State
-------------------- ----------------------- --------------
Invalid Invalid GBE
Sym Tracks Sym Tracks STD <=> BCV
-------------------- ----------------------- --------------
002B 0 0E0B 0 ... Synchronized
002E 0 0E00 0 ..X Synchronized
002E 0 0E0A 0 ... Synchronized
0032 0 0E0F 0 ... Split
00FF 0 00FD 0 ... Split
0DF5 0 0DA5 0 ..X Synchronized
0DF5 0 0DA4 0 ..X Synchronized
0F70 0 001B 3592 X.. SyncInProg
0F71 0 001C 4496 X.. SyncInProg
0F93 0 0DF9 0 ..X Split
1015 0 1069 0 X.. Synchronized
Total -------- --------
Tracks 0 8088
MB(s) 0.0 505.5
And we are done. As I said this is not a full guide so please if there is anything that you don’t get please leave a comment and I will try to clarify. Also if any of you have additional tips or “recipes” for Timefinder please comment :-)
Juanma.
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I created volumes and done masking and mapping but for some reason my volume show pysical device name Not visible… Now problem is that since I am not able to see the physical device name I cannot create gate keeper out of it….
check you zoning part
Hi,
I have the bcv volume in split state, how do I reestablish them? Just hit the establish command..like
symdg -g establish
and then this would change the device state from split to establish and during that establish process is when the incremental updates would happen from the STD device to the BCV volumes?
Please help my understanding.