EMC - Appsync - Fundamental

1. Overview

EMC AppSync is a product that offers diversity to EMC’s replication and replication management portfolio. AppSync provides a simple, self-service, SLA-driven approach for protecting applications and data in VMAX and VNX environments.

• AppSync protects supported Windows, Linux, and Unix file systems, versions ofOracle, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Exchange Server, and VMware environments.AppSync takes advantage of snapshot technologies present in both VMAX and VNXarrays in coordination with the VSS framework, allowing point-in-time, applicationconsistent copies of file systems and their data to be created with reduced storagerequirements.

• In addition, AppSync is fully aware of VMware virtual environments, allowing it todynamically respond to changes by following the application as it moves within theinfrastructure, assuring SLAs are maintained. AppSync also supports VM-level andWindows directory and file-level granular restores. The Protected VM Restore Wizardallows users to restore individual virtual machines or mount virtual disks and chooseindividual files/directories within the VM datastore or associated datastore they needto restore.

• Protecting data is made easy by a customizable service catalog with pre-built serviceplans and a workflow-like editing tool to callout actions that should be taken beforeand after the replication. After defining a Service Plan, an application owner canprotect and make space-efficient copies of production data without involving IT andrecover data quickly with item-level granularity. AppSync provides an applicationprotection monitoring service that generates alerts when the SLAs are not met.

AppSync provides customized control of application consistent replicas with minimal effort. Control of the application comes from the ability to create application aware replicas using software automation based on policies determined by the end user. This single solution for different underlying replication technologies allows for lower training costs and results in less complexity in the environment.
As a result, AppSync does not require EMC professional services for installation as it is customer installable. There are also custom TS kits available for those that desire EMC guidance. AppSync monitoring provides quick notification of any issues and verification compliance with Service Level Agreements (SLAs). AppSync’s REST API allows integration with web portals, management systems, and custom applications.

AppSync supports the ad-hoc creation of Oracle database copies, followed by the creation of copies of those copies. This practice is referred to as repurposing. Repurposing serves many useful functions including test-dev, break-fix, data mining and reporting.
Repurposing an Oracle database creates a multi-level tree of copies of the database. Repurposing copies are identified by a generation removed from the production source data, i.e., Gen1, Gen2, and so forth. Although there is no practical limit to the number of generations, support is currently limited to 2 generations removed from the production data.
AppSync simplifies the process of repurposing by using a wizard to walk you through the creation of 1st and 2nd gen copies, allow their creation on both local and remote arrays. In addition, AppSync provides real-time monitoring of these activities through a Repurpose Monitor, found under the Monitoring toolbar (discussed more in a later module). The Repurpose Monitor shows the item being repurposed (source) and the label of the item being created or refreshed along with the application type.

2. Architecture

EMC AppSync consists of several components that work together to create replicas and mount and schedule replication via Service Plans. Shown here is a sample AppSync deployment, depicting not only each of the AppSync components, but also supported enterprise applications that can be protected by AppSync. Because AppSync supports both physical and virtualized environments, there are a wide variety of supported deployment scenarios, as shown here.

• The AppSync Server component consists of the core software binaries, log files, and an embedded data repository containing configuration data that describes the defined service levels and resultant replicas. The server component may reside on either a physical or virtual host.

• The AppSync Client component acts as an interface to the protected applications installed on each production host containing data that you want to replicate.

• The AppSync web-based GUI is the user interface that controls the AppSync system running from within a supported browser. Although shown here running on the AppSync Server, it can be run on any host or VM that meets the browser, Flash, and Java requirements.

Networking

Logically, the web console speaks to the AppSync server, and in turn the AppSync server communicates with the clients. The AppSync client is the component responsible for discovering how the application is laid out on the array. In the case of replicating VMware datastores, instead of speaking directly to the ESXi hosts, AppSync communicates via a vCenter server that is configured on the AppSync server.
Some form of LAN, WAN, or SAN connectivity is required between all components. The protocols required depend on the requirement of the objects connected.
For example, a remote replication via RecoverPoint, WAN connectivity between the RPAs is required. SAN connectivity is required by the protected applications as well as any hosts used to mount/surface production replicas.

3. Features and Capabilities

To create and manage copies of your applications running on VMAX arrays, AppSync supports TimeFinder Clone and TimeFinder VP Snap replication technology. AppSync also supports remote copy management off of an R2 in a SRDF/S or SRDF/A configuration.
An AppSync administrator should work closely with their Storage Administrator (if they are different individuals) to first ensure that copy target storage has been configured on the VMAX array. AppSync can make use of either a Storage pool, or a Storage Group on the VMAX.
If AppSync is provisioning targets from a pool, once a source is associated with a target within a specific pool, all subsequent copy target devices for that source must be allocated in the same pool as the first provisioned target.
Alternatively, you can specify specific targets in a Storage Group to be used by AppSync as copy targets

AppSync supports the creation and management of application copies using VNX SnapSure copy technology for CIFS and NFS file systems, and VNX Snapshots for block-based storage copy protection.
AppSync-managed file copies can be local, remote (off of the VNX Replicator target) or identical point-in-time local and remote copies.
VNX SnapSure creates a point-in-time copy of all the data on the network file system (NFS). For the initial snapshot, this method creates a full copy of the original file system, therefore requiring the same amount of space on the file system. Subsequent snapshots space usage depends on how much the data has changed since the last snapshot was taken.
VNX Replicator creates a point-in-time copy of all the data on the network file system (NFS). VNX Replicator maintains consistency between the source and target file systems based on the Time Out of Sync policy settings.
In the case of Service Plans that leverage block-based protection, AppSync requires that Pool LUNs be used for the location of both the production and replica LUNS. This is a requirement based on the use of VNX snapshots, which are core to how AppSync protects using bronze-based service plans.

AppSync supports a full range of RecoverPoint replication options, including Continuous Data Protection (CDP), Continuous Remote Replication (CRR), and Concurrent Local and Remote Replication (CLR).
When using CDP, RecoverPoint replicates to a storage array at the same site. In a RecoverPoint installation that is used exclusively for CDP, you install RPAs at only one site and do not specify a WAN interface. The Bronze service plan protects application replication.
In a RecoverPoint CRR configuration, you are replicating over a WAN to a remote site. There is no limit to the replication distance. The Silver service plan protects application replication.
In Concurrent Local and Remote Replication (CLR), RecoverPoint protects production LUNs locally using CDP and remotely using CRR. Both copies have different protection windows and RPO policies. The Gold service plan protects application replication.
Copies created using RecoverPoint can be mounted either statically or dynamically. (Previous versions of AppSync required all RecoverPoint target volumes to be pre-exposed to their associated mount hosts).
Given proper zoning, AppSync can now presents storage to the host automatically when a copy is Mounted. The RecoverPoint target LUNs are mapped at mount time to identify the LUNs, and the LUNs are masked (moved to the mount host storage group) and surfaced prior to mounting.
Note that when the target LUNs for dynamic mount are on VNX storage, the VNX must be registered with AppSync. When target LUNs reside on VMAX storage , VMAX auto-provisioning requirements must be met, which requires the mount host to be zoned to the VMAX array. A masking view with the appropriate initiator group, port group and storage group must already exist.

EMC AppSync offers a better way to manage the protection, replication and cloning of critical applications and databases with tiered protection options and proven recoverability.
AppSync leverages Microsoft’s VSS framework to create application-consistent snapshots of Exchange mailbox server databases containing all the necessary database, log, and system files needed to recover an Active or Passive database copy. When you add an Exchange Mailbox Server as a host, AppSync identifies whether it is an Exchange standalone or an Exchange DAG member server. You can mount the copies on a Windows Server 2008 or Windows 2012 host that has the Exchange management tools installed to run a consistency check or to back up the copies to long-term storage. AppSync can restore individual Exchange 2010 and Exchange 2013 mailboxes and mailbox items when EMC ItemPoint™ for Microsoft® Exchange™ Server is installed.
As with Exchange, AppSync can create and manage application-consistent copies of Microsoft SQL Server databases, including support for advanced SQL features, such as AlwaysOn Availability Groups, Protection for standalone and clustered production SQL Server instances, and support for databases on physical hosts, RDMs, and virtual disks on virtual hosts.
AppSync can also be used to create and manage application consistent (using hot backup mode) and crash consistent (without hot backup mode) copies of Oracle® databases. The copies can be used for mount (with/without recovery) and restore.
For AppSync to create app-consistent copies of Oracle databases, the data files and archive logs must not share the file-system, volume group, ASM disk group, RP consistency group, or data store. If the Oracle configuration is such that the data files and archive logs share any of these groupings, then AppSync can create crash-consistent copies for such databases. When using VNX, make sure all consistency groups are VNX consistency groups. Additionally, the archive log files must be on a different CG from the rest of the database files.

4. Docs