DellEMC AppSync 3.7 Is here!
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 […]
Dell Storage, PowerStore, PowerFlex PowerMax & PowerScale, Virtualization & Containers Technologies
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 […]
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
Hello – can you tell me where I can download AppSync 3.7? The AppSync website only shows version 3.5 as available with a 90-day trial and a chat with a sales rep confirmed that only 3.5 was available.
There you go
https://download.emc.com/downloads/DL87748_AppSync_3.7.0.0_(Build_PR-3.7.0.0-43).zip?source=OLS