9 remote copy for recovery manager, Overview, How remote copy works – HP 3PAR Application Software Suite for Microsoft Exchange Licenses User Manual

Page 86: Synchronous mode remote copy, Asynchronous periodic mode remote copy, Overview how remote copy works

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9 Remote Copy for Recovery Manager

Overview

HP 3PAR Remote Copy Software helps you safeguard against disasters that might occur at one
location by allowing you to keep copies of data on a separate server, which can be placed at a
remote location. For example, if there were a fire or earthquake at one location, all of the data
stored there could be lost unless a backup copy can be recovered from a separate location not
affected by the disaster.

To maintain updated copies of data at a remote location, Remote Copy uses two HP 3PAR Storage
Systems: a primary server (used for production) and a backup server, which can be located
anywhere. Therefore, when disaster strikes in one location, there is always a backup of your data
at the backup site.

Recovery Manager automatically detects the Remote Copy mode in use (synchronous or
asynchronous periodic) and creates virtual copies as appropriate for the configured mode.

For more information, see the HP 3PAR Remote Copy Software User’s Guide.

How Remote Copy Works

When you synchronize data between a production system (the Remote Copy primary system) on
one site and the backup server at another site, the systems involved perform the following steps in
sequence:

NOTE:

For the Recovery Manager GUI to manage virtual copies on the Remote Copy backup

server, you must register the mailbox server using the precise server name.

Synchronous Mode Remote Copy

Recovery Manager leverages the VSS framework to freeze the I/O at the application level.

For synchronous mode Remote Copy, the VSS provider creates a virtual copy of the storage
groups and log volumes.

At the same time on the remote backup site, the Remote Copy backup server takes a snapshot
of the secondary volumes.

The Remote Copy backup server saves the virtual copy in its repository at the remote site, and
the local backup server saves a local copy of the virtual copy.

NOTE:

Running Recovery Manager with synchronous mode Remote Copy requires HP 3PAR VSS

Provider Software 2.1.0 or higher.

Asynchronous Periodic Mode Remote Copy

Recovery Manager leverages the VSS framework to freeze the I/O at the application level.

For asynchronous periodic mode Remote Copy, the VSS provider creates a virtual copy of
the mailbox database and log volumes.

Remote Copy synchronizes the data on the primary server with the data on the backup server
(thus updating the backup server).

After synchronization is complete, Remote Copy creates a virtual copy (aka a snapshot) on
the backup server.

The backup server saves the virtual copy in its repository at the remote site.

For asynchronous periodic mode Remote Copy, Recovery Manager removes the virtual copy
created on the production system (the Remote Copy primary system).

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Remote Copy for Recovery Manager

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