Cut Downtime and CutOver Faster: 15 Tips for Non-Disruptive VMAX3 Migrations

By Phillip Nau, Practice Lead, Storage Technologies, CDI

Do you know the best way to migrate a host from one array to another, with
no downtime, and very limited work required at the client side? Discover the
benefits and opportunities that await you with the new Non-Disruptive
Migration (NDM) technology embedded in the VMAX series of enterprise
storage arrays.

In the past, datacenter downtime for systems was well-planned and relatively
easy. As datacenter applications evolved, maintenance windows became
extremely difficult to schedule. The only ways to complete storage migrations
without an outage required extensive work on the host by the server or
application administrator. Storage migrations were complicated, labor-
intensive operations that often added overhead, stretched resources beyond
capacity, and dragged down host performance.

Today, Non-Disruptive Migrations (NDM) can leverage VMAX replication

technology including new Symmetrix Remote Data Facility (SRDF) settings to
migrate seamlessly from a legacy VMAX to a new VMAX3 hybrid or all-flash
array (AFA).

As a storage professional, allow me to share some strategies and tips for

successful adoption of these new migration techniques:
1.) Verify Code Levels

Implement Dell EMC Solutions Enabler and Dell EMC Unisphere for VMAX
8.3 or higher. Verify that the source and target arrays are at their currently-
supported code levels.
2.) Try Auto-Provisioning

Consider using auto-provisioning in Unisphere. When you migrate, auto-

provisioning mode automatically creates the devices and masking on the
target array. In combination with PowerPath or native MPIO technology, your
migration takes place with zero host or application downtime.
3.) Configure SRDF on Source Devices

The source devices must be in a dynamic SRDF capable state. This step
does not affect the current I/O serviced by these devices, and is not
necessary on targets since all devices on the new VMAX3 array are
automatically dynamic SRDF capable.
4.) Complete the Pre-Migration Requirements

Before starting, verify that at least four SRDF ports are present.
Although dedicated SRDF ports are recommended, they are not required. To
provide communication from one array to the other, verify that you have
 completed all the required zoning and networking between SRDF ports. The
devices cannot be part of Open Replicator sessions or RecoverPoint devices.
5.) Understand a Few Constraints and Limitations

Each storage group can contain up to 4,096 devices. Only 16 storage groups
can be migrated at the same time; this does not include child storage groups.

A source device cannot be part of a SRDF/STAR environment or an ORS

session (including RecoverPoint), and cannot be an R2; however, it can be an
R1 as the source of standard SRDF replication.
 The MPIO software must be able to add and remove paths dynamically. Boot LUN NDM migration is supported, but the redirection of boot WWPN
must be manually changed.
6.) Know the Five Stages of NDM Migration

An NDM migration between the source VMAX and the target VMAX3 array is
typically completed in five stages:
 Environment Setup

 Entity Creation

 Cut-Over

 Commit

 Removal
7.) Follow the State Field

You can watch the value of the State field in the user interface change
from Created to CutoverReady to Migrating to CutoverSync.
8.) Do Not Change the Name of the Target Port Group

The target port group name should only be manually changed after the host
has been migrated, or validation checks will fail. Don’t say I didn’t try to warn
you.
9.) Schedule Multiple Jobs in a Que

You do not have to run just one migration job at a time. You can add separate
jobs to a job list and run them together as a group. Running the NDM
migration process as a batch job saves time when performing multiple
migrations. You can schedule multiple jobs, especially helpful when busy
teams are forced to limit even non-disruptive changes to tight maintenance
windows.
10.) Enable Compression

When you create your migration data, enable the compression option to
activate file compression on the target storage group.
11.) Review the API Log to Troubleshoot

Dell EMC Unisphere for VMAX should show a successful on-screen message
near the end of the migration process. If it doesn’t, review the API log to
determine the cause of the failure.
12.) Cancel If You Must
Until you move beyond the CutoverReady status, the migration can still be canceled,
and access reverted to the source array.
13.) Verify Before You Commit

Don’t issue the final commit until after the application has been fully tested
and verified.
14.) Suggested Post-Migration Tasks

After the migration, remove any dead paths and zones to the source array.
15.) Download Our White Paper

Click here to download our whitepaper, which provides a step-by-step migration

example including screenshots and suggested settings.