Dell POWERVAULT MD3600I - Manual (Page 194)

Activating Remote Replication (Legacy)
NOTE: If you ordered the Remote Replication (Legacy) feature, you received a Premium Feature Activation card in
the Dell PowerVault MD Series storage array shipping box. Follow the directions on the card to install and enable
this feature.
After the Remote Replication (Legacy) feature has been installed following the steps on the Premium Feature Activation
card, it must be activated using a wizard based process. As part of activation, the following actions occur:
• Two replication repository virtual disks are created using existing capacity on either a disk group or storage
array specified by the user.
• All hosts currently using the highest-numbered Fibre Channel host port (Port 3) on each RAID controller are
logged out.
• The highest-numbered Fibre Channel host port (Port 3) on each RAID controller is reserved for replication data
transmission.
• The highest-numbered Fibre Channel host port (Port 3) on each RAID controller is not available to direct host
access when the Remote Replication premium feature is activated. Any attempted host communication to this
port is rejected.
• Communication between the replication-reserved Fibre Channel ports requires established zoning of Fibre
Channel switches in the fabric, see Required Switch Zoning Configurations .
• Before establishing virtual disk replication pairs, the Remote Replication premium (Legacy) feature must be
activated on each of the storage arrays participating in replication.
Replication Repository Virtual Disks
Using the Remote Replication (Legacy) premium feature on the storage array requires that two replication repository
virtual disks be created on one of the disk groups on the storage array. The RAID controller module stores replication
information on these virtual disks, including information about incomplete remote writes that can be used to recover
from RAID controller module resets and accidental storage array shutdown.
Other information about replication repository virtual disks include:
• Specifying that replication repository virtual disks be created from unconfigured free capacity on the disk group,
or creating a new disk group and its member replication repository virtual disks from unconfigured free capacity
on the storage array.
NOTE: The disk group containing replication repository virtual disks cannot be deleted without disabling
the Remote Replication premium feature.
• Default names of the replication repository virtual disks are Replication Repository 1 and Replication Repository
2. These names cannot be changed.
• The activation process creates replication repository virtual disk with identical capacity. In a dual RAID
controller module storage array, the default capacity for each replication repository virtual disks is 128 MB per
controller (requiring a total of 256 MB in the RAID group). This default capacity cannot be modified.
RAID Levels For Replication Repository Virtual Disks
If replication repository virtual disks are created from unconfigured free capacity on the storage array, you can select a
RAID level for the disk group of either RAID 1/10, RAID 5, or RAID 6. However, if the replication repository virtual disks
are created from an existing disk group, RAID levels are not user configurable.
Primary And Secondary Virtual Disk Pairs
After the Remote Replication (Legacy) feature is activated and configuration of the FC fabric, individual virtual disk
replication pairs are be created. Up to 16 replication virtual disk pairs can be established. Each pair consists of a primary
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