Introduction
IBM Storage FlashSystem recently just announced new version of the product v8.7.3.0, Introducing FlashSystem grid, simple and unique storage management experience that allows user to achieve federated storage system infrastructure and manage it with a common user interface. One of the differentiating features, Storage Partition, it helps managing storage at workload level. Storage partition is a set of objects such as volume, volumegroups, hosts, hostmappings in the system. Typically, Storage Partition is designed such a way that it can be assigned to specific workload. This further enables the flexibility of easy non-disruptive Storage Partition Migration to significantly simplify data transfers across different storage controller, enhancing the prior experience of guided steps.
This blog explores snapshot management during migration, giving user the choice to wait for snapshot creation on target system, according to their operational needs and provide high availability during storage and workload management.
Understanding Storage Partition Migration with Snapshots
With Storage partition feature, IBM Storage Virtualize can now help storage admin to execute non-disruptive storage partition migration between different systems in given network. This function allows data mobility at the Storage Partition, granularity across multiple flash systems without any application downtime.
After data synchronization is completed from source system to target system, application I/Os are served from target system after all storage paths are detected on the host. After this, if a storage partition on source system contains volume groups with snapshot policies assigned, similar snapshot policies are created on the target system and assigned to volume groups as part of migration process.
After assignment of snapshot policies, user has following choices:
· Wait for snapshots creation on the target system, based on scheduling as per snapshot policies.
· Rollback the migration to source system.
· Complete the migration while keeping the source snapshots stranded.
Single Click Storage Partition Migration with Snapshot
- The version of the product enhanced Storage Partition Migration as
- Easy to use One-click administration: A flawless transition and non-disruptive migration are possible by well-planned stages.
- Automatic data copy: All associated objects and mappings are created as part of the storage partition migration procedure, which also ensures data copy synchronization between the systems.
- Automatic host path switch: partition migration ensures that hosts in storage partitions with automatic storage rescan capabilities have accurately identified various pathways to the storage and that application I/O are served from the storage partition migrated system.
- Features for aborting and rolling back the storage partition migration: If the user wishes to, they can simply abort the migration till control is at the system from which it started, and after switching the control to storage partition migrated system, rollback operation will bring back the IO operations to the system from which the partition migration began.
- Options for managing snapshots during migration, giving users the choice to wait for snapshot creation on target system before proceeding to commit the partition migration.
- Automatic source copy deletion: After data synchronization the source system copy deletion process removes partition and all associate objects from source system without affecting the performance of storage partition migrated system.
Conclusion
The improvements in Non-disruptive Storage Partition Migration with Snapshot Technology greatly increase usability of managing snapshot during migration processes and offering useful solutions. These advancements empower users to make informed decisions and ensure a seamless, efficient data mobility experience.
Reference
https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/flashsystem-9x00/8.7.x_cd?topic=concepts-storage-partitions
https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/flashsystem-9x00/8.7.x_cd?topic=volumes-snapshots
https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/flashsystem-9x00/8.7.x_cd?topic=migration-migrating-storage-partitions-between-systems
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