We have just released Appsync 3.7 and there are some new, exciting features in this release

Application Feature Support

Reporting on Affected Entities of Volume Groups
Applies only to Oracle and UNIX file systems
Applies to non-clustered Volume Groups in AIX and LINUX
Provides the ability to detect and report filesystems and/or Oracle databases which are considered “affected entities” when laid out on the same Volume Group
Warning occurs during
restore only
i.e. when restoring a database, if there are other file systems or databases using the same volume group, a warning occurs identifying what will also be restored, as AppSync restores the entire VG

Windows Clustered File Systems


Extending cluster support (previously just SQL) to Windows file systems (WSFC)
Supports protection, mounting, restoring, and repurposing
This feature mounts the clustered file system as a cluster resource, back to the production or to an alternate cluster
Supports restores to either node, irrespective if a failover has occurred
Does not require making the original node active before the restore
Supports repurposing multiple clustered file systems together

VMWare NFS Datastore Support
Supports Linux file systems and Oracle on vmdks on NFS datastores
Unity, VNX file, and VMAX eNAS are supported back-end arrays
All typical Oracle protection workflows are supported (standalone, RAC on ASM, file system, and mixed ASM/FS, etc.)
Exclusions:
Repurposing
Clustered file system
VSS applications, i.e. SQL, Exchange, and Windows file systems

UNIX Freeze Command Support
Ability to provide application consistency for UNIX file systems
Supports the Linux freeze command for ext3, ext4, and xfs
Supports the AIX freeze command for jfs2
Reduces the FSCK time during mount/restore for larger file systems

Storage Feature Support

Dell SC Storage Support


Providing the ability to use AppSync to create and manage copies of production data residing on
Dell SC arrays (always refer to the latest ESM for specific models supported)
All typical applications and operating systems are supported
Dell Storage Manager (Enterprise manager) managing the environment is a pre-requisite
Local block (FC and iSCSI) protection, mount, and unount use cases are supported
VM & Granular File restore is allowed (typical/normal restore is not available)
Excludes:
Repurposing
Remote copies for block devices
NFS mounted devices
TCE / Usability Improvements
/

ESRS Gateway Integration & Information Gathering
The Dell EMC ESRS GW MFT services must be registered within AppSync
in order to send the collected data for diagnostic purposes
see next slide for a screenshot on configuration…
Collects both static and dynamic information
Static: SW versions, configuration data, hosts, storage, and applications
Dynamic: performance, copy information, and capacity consumed
The data is pushed to ESRS and then back to Dell EMC
Ability to integrate with the Dell EMC Secure Remote Services Gateway
Provides an easy way to configure and manage ESRS integration


ESRS GW Configuration

VMAX In-Use Devices


Provides a list all devices currently in-use by AppSync
Navigate to
Settings > Storage Infrastructure,
highlight the array, then click on the “Number of Devices” number, which is blue in color,
This provides a pop-up with a series of details, such as:
Physical Device Name
In-Use for Replication
Storage Group or Storage Pool Name

Enhanced VMAX Storage Group Level Control


Navigate to
Settings > Storage Infrastructure, highlight the array, then click Manage Copy Storage
Ability to terminate AppSync created clone sessions when using a VMAX storage group, during the de-configuration of that particular storage group
Applies to v2 only (SnapVX session copies are terminated automatically on the back-end after clicking Expire within AppSync)
Deleting devices in the pool that AppSync created/provisioned only applies to v2 as well

MAX – No Stale Copies
Ensures snapshots are terminated and removed after no longer being active
Ensures that if a phase fails the copy is cleaned up/removed
e.g. if an unmount, expire, or run copy fails, the “stale” copy is cleaned up automatically
A scheduled maintenance is being incorporated into AppSync, to include cleaning stale snapshots that no longer reside on the array
Often occurring during a job failure which may leave snapshots on the array, which are not actually being used
No GUI changes are necessary/required – automatically handled by AppSync

AppSync Server Enhancements
Avoid Delays due to Mapping
Prevents timeouts during the mapping phase causing jobs to fail (e.g. when delays occur during large virtual
disk mapping phases)
Scheduled backup of AppSync database
Documentation steps on how to setup and run a scheduled backup of the internal database using Windows scheduler
Install Check for Busy Ports
Check occurs during installation identifying if any ports required are in-use
Install Check for Memory
Check occurs during installation identifying if the server has enough memory

Recovery Retry Option for Oracle Mounted Copies


Ability to recover Oracle applications after a mount & recover process completes (existing mounted copy)
Prevents the need to unmount and then re-mount with the configured options
Suitable for when the recovery phase fails, or when needing to re-run recovery with different options, such as
SPFile creation, etc…
See “Oracle Robustness Improvements – 3 of 4” slide for screen shots


Improved SMI-S Requirements Documentation
Specifically relating to when using the Silver/Gold Service Plans
This documentation note explains the need for having the same SMI-S provider utilized for both local and remote arrays


Disable Copy Expiration
Ability to mark a copy to be saved, and never expired during normal copy expiration rotation
Select copy > Expire > Rotation > then choose to Disable (will keep copy) or Enable (will expire next rotation cycle as appropriate)


Hide LDAP Group Support Option
Removed unsupported LDAP Group configuration options from GUI
Change Callout Timeout Settings
Ability to modify the timeout setting’s parameter for “callout” scripts under both Service Plan and Repurposing
Advanced Plan Settings


Oracle Robustness Improvements

Support for Multiple Redundant Control File Protection
Ability to have one to three (multiple/redundant) control file copies to protect against corruption
Gets created either on the primary ASM disk group or the data file system
ADR Folder Support
Ability to use the folder specified in the ADR configuration to be used for the logs instead of the /tmp folder
Preserves the ADR location for diagnostic logs
Support for Unique DBIDs per Multiple Same Oracle DB Copies
Utilizes the DBNEWID (nid) utility
Ability to Disable Archive Log Mode during Mount
Ability to disable archivelog mode
Applies to mount host only…does not change mode on source
Found under
Mount options > Advanced Recovery Options


Ability to Automatically Create an SPFile from the Init File
Ability to copy the init file parameters into a spfile and
optionally store in an ASM diskgroup
Support for the “BIGFILE” Option
Supports the “bigfile” option when creating the tempfile
When selected, only one tempfile will be allowed
Oracle Clean Shutdown
Will now use a three-phase approach of “shutdown abort;
startup restrict; shutdown immediate” to ensures all
transactions are properly terminated, and all I/O channels are
appropriately closed as opposed to just “shutdown
immediate.


Oracle Recover Retry Option
Ability to re-run recovery as its own step, rather than having to unmount and remount with recovery
Supported with both service plans and repurposing workflows


Ability to Map and Protect the Different Archive Log Destinations

– Selected by the user in AppSync’s Oracle workflows’ Create Copy page

› Supported using both the service plan and 1st generation repurposing workflows

› Protects all the archivelog destinations by default

› Option to specify one or more Oracle archivelog destinations

• Ability to Protect Large BCT Files

– Ability to access the BCT file for RMAN catalog feature post mount

› The file is copied as part of archivelog protection in AppSync and will no longer reside in AppSync persistence

› Available at the archivelog destination of the mounted copy instead of the temporary location (/tmp) on the mount host

• Proper BCT File Location Confirmation

– Error message is displayed if the BCT location in the Oracle DB and the actual location don’t match


Oracle Event Logging

Support Links


AppSync product page on support.emc.com – https://support.emc.com/products/25364_AppSync
AppSync Support Matrix – https://elabnavigator.emc.com/vault/pdf/EMC_AppSync.pdf
AppSync CSE Team Email DL – appsync.cse.team@emc.com
AppSync Training path –
https://education.emc.com/content/_common/docs/NPR/NPR_AppSync_Directory.pdf

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