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 IBM FS7000 Series Replication to Another IBM Array (Non-FS7000 Series)

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Bacil123's profile image
Bacil123 posted Tue July 22, 2025 11:23 AM

Hi All.  Is it possible to setup a replication (async) between Primary FS7000 FlashSystem and Secondary(Remote) as another IBM Storage Array(Non-FS7000 Series).  Does there exists any methodology to accomplish this. Or, is there a way to use FS7000 Storage Virtualize or External Storage Virtualization to do the replication. Any pointers much appreciated.  Thanks.

Antonio Esculca's profile image
Antonio Esculca IBM Champion posted Tue July 22, 2025 02:21 PM  Best Answer

"The other array is IBM Flash System A9000R (it is still in Soporte as a specific case, but officially IBM has called it as EoL/EoSL). I think it doesn't run Storage Virtualize."

If you have an A9000 it cannot natively replicate with a Flashsystem the only option you would have is to virtualize that A9000 with either a Flashsystem(5300, 7300 or 9500) or an SVC. Any of those options would require virtualization licenses but depending on the size of the A9000 it might be cheaper to just replace it with a new flashsystem.  The other option would be to do it through software (hypervisor or on the application layer).  

"When you say - IBM array from another vendor, do you mean any 3rd Party Array can be a DR Target. Possible?"

Sorry I meant to say Array from another vendor and not IBM array from another vendor. Any third party vendor can be virtualized by a flashsystem (5300, 7300 or 9500) and then that combination of Flashsystem+Other Array can replicate to another Flashsystem.

"And once we do the External Storage Virtualization, how can we make it seem like a 'Replication' or some kind of a DR setup.  Does there exists some kind of copy services in this case. Or, can we use 'mirrored volumes' concept of FS7X00 to get into REPL/DR thing."

After you virtualize the external storage you can treat those volume like you would all the local Flashsytstem volumes, you can replicate using either legacy Metro Mirror or Global Mirror or the new Policy based Replication, it will all depend in the version of Storage Virtualize you are running on the Flashsystems at each site.

"On a different note: We also have a totally unused licensed - IBM Storage Scale Data Management Edition. Can it be used along with FS7X00 to provide a DR solution. Thanks."

Unfortunately not, Storage Scale is a File/Object Storage solution while the Flashsystems are block storage systems.

Hope this helps,

Regards, 

Antonio Esculca's profile image
Antonio Esculca IBM Champion posted Tue July 22, 2025 11:38 AM

Hi Bacil123,

Can you give us more information about the other storage? Does it run Storage virtualize even if it not a FS7X00? If so yes you can. If it is a storage array from another vendor you can virtualize that array with a flashsystem 5300 and have that replicate to the FS7X00. 

Regards, 

Bacil123's profile image
Bacil123 posted Tue July 22, 2025 01:32 PM

Hi Antonio. Thanks for the excellent advice.

The other array is IBM Flash System A9000R (it is still in Soporte as a specific case, but officially IBM has called it as EoL/EoSL). I think it doesn't run Storage Virtualize.

When you say - IBM array from another vendor, do you mean any 3rd Party Array can be a DR Target. Possible? And, when you say virtualize it to 5300 and then replicate to another FS7X00, does that needs a 3 Storage. We only want to use 2 Arrays.  And, locally for few migrations, we indeed virtualized A9000R to FS7300. I mean we placed FS7X00 in Front of A9KR.  This was in a local DC. So, can we do the same by moving A9KR to a remote DC (another city). And once we do the External Storage Virtualization, how can we make it seem like a 'Replication' or some kind of a DR setup.  Does there exists some kind of copy services in this case. Or, can we use 'mirrored volumes' concept of FS7X00 to get into REPL/DR thing. On a different note: We also have a totally unused licensed - IBM Storage Scale Data Management Edition. Can it be used along with FS7X00 to provide a DR solution. Thanks.

Bacil123's profile image
Bacil123 posted Tue July 22, 2025 07:22 PM

Hi Antonio. Thanks again.

Yes, for migrations we had done external storage virtualization (A9KR) within the same Data Center and those volumes (recognized as unmanaged MDisks) and as local Flash System volumes. And, then while doing image import, we noticed mirroring (two more copies of A9KR volumes in FS7300 end).  So, wondering, if we do the same with A9KR in remote Data Center, and once volumes are seen as local, we keep it that way and maintain some kind of DR copy that way. Just a thought. Please advise.

And, lastly, I read a statement: IBM Spectrum Control and IBM Spectrum Control Select Edition(we have it) include IBM Spectrum Protect Snapshot as a supporting program for all clients with IBM Spectrum Control 5.4.0, or later. Can that be used some way for Disaster Recovery copies and somehow move them to A9000R as well. SmileThinking

Thanks

Antonio Esculca's profile image
Antonio Esculca IBM Champion posted Wed July 23, 2025 07:42 AM

Hi again Bacil123,

Yes you can do the same with the A9KR at the DR site and have volume copies of that data at either site. Regarding you question about IBM Spectrum Protect Snapshot, it is used to provide application consistent snapshots for data running on a IBM storage. These snapshots can be used as a local backup or sent off to a Storage Protect Server (former TSM) but if all you need is to maintain crash consistent copies of volumes of data on a flashsystem ( or virtualized system) you dont need Spectrum Protect Snapshot. For more information about how to used Protect Snapshot you can check the documentation at: IBM Spectrum Protect Snapshot - IBM Documentation.

Hope this helps,

 

Bacil123's profile image
Bacil123 posted Wed July 23, 2025 12:12 PM

Thanks Antonio once again.

" Have volume copies of that data at either site".   Yes, this is what I wanted to have clarity.  As we want source volumes from FSXx00 and protected copy on A9KR. So, maybe we'll first create empty volumes on A9000R (with exact same size or a little bigger than the ones we want to protect from FSXx00). As the moment we virtualize, FS7X00 immediately creates a MigrationPool_xxxx and keeps all these volumes (A9000R vols) as 'unmanaged' under this pool. So, do we have to make them as 'managed' first, or we can straightaway start using them as mirror copy of the source FS7X00 volumes.  Thanks

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