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SRM User Guide: Configuration of Replication for SRM with the FlashArray Plugin for the vSphere Client

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Creating Datastores

Note this requires the 4.3.0 release or later of the FlashArray Plugin for the vSphere Client.

To create a new VMFS datastore the simplest option is through the use of the FlashArray Plugin for the vSphere Client. Instructions for installation can be found here.

To create a new datastore, right-click on a vSphere Cluster, choose Pure Storage > Create Datastore.

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Choose VMFS and the version (recommended is version 6).

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Then a name and a size.

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Choose a cluster.

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Then choose the FlashArray. You can either choose a FlashArray or a pod. FlashArrays and available unstretched pods will be listed under Local.

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Stretched pods will be listed under Clustered.

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ActiveDR-enabled pods will be under Continuous replication (this requires vSphere Plugin 4.4.x+).

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This will show you all available promoted ActiveDR-enabled pods on that array. If there is an info notice next to the remote pod, it general means the target pod is promoted (in a test state) too.

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The ActiveDR table will list source and target arrays, source and target pods, and the current lab (how far behind the data on the target is from the source).

If a standalone array or a non-ActiveDR pod has been chosen, enabling periodic replication is an option; if they are available, that choice will be marked with a green check in the Async column. If choosing an option without a green check (and also want asynchronous periodic protection), it means that configuring a protection group on the pod or FlashArray prior to SRM management is required.

Choose a protection group.

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And finally optionally QoS configuration or volume group.

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This will create the datastore.

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Viewing Replication Configuration

To see how a datastore is protected, click on the datastore in the vSphere Client and choose the Summary tab.

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The summary view will show if the datastore is in a pod, how many arrays that pod is protected by. Looking at the bottom of the table, the number (if any) of protection groups that volume is in will be listed as well.

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To view the protection group a volume belongs to, right-click the datastore and choose Update Datastore Protection.

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This will list (if any) the protection groups and their high-level configuration that include the specified volume.

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Changing Replication Configuration

To change the protection group a volume belongs to, right-click the datastore and choose Update Datastore Protection.

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This will list (if any) the protection groups and their high-level configuration that include the specified volume.

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Then select the protection groups to add the volume to (and keep any groups that should stay in selected) and deselect the protection groups the volume should be removed from.

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The same volume can exist in more than one protection group at one time. Click Update Protection to commit the changes.