D-RP-OE-A-24 Dell RecoverPoint Operate Achievement Questions and Answers

The get_system_status command in the RecoverPoint CLI is used to provide a summary of the system’s health, including any errors and warnings. This command can be executed to check the status of one site or the entire RecoverPoint system. The output includes information about the RecoverPoint Appliances (RPAs), Consistency Groups, and any issues that may need attention.

The process for using this command is as follows:

Access the CLI: Log into the RecoverPoint CLI using appropriate credentials.

Run the Command: Execute the get_system_status command to retrieve the system status.

Review the Summary: The command output will display a summarization of the system’s health, including errors and warnings.

Take Action: Based on the summary, the administrator can take necessary actions to address any reported issues.

This command is a useful tool for administrators to quickly assess the state of the RecoverPoint environment and ensure that it is functioning correctly1.

The save_settings command in Dell RecoverPoint is used to commit cluster configuration changes to the repository volume. When changes are made to the RecoverPoint cluster configuration, they need to be saved to ensure that they persist across system reboots and are recognized by all nodes in the cluster.The repository volume serves as a centralized storage location for these configurations1.

The process of using the save_settings command is as follows:

After making configuration changes to the RecoverPoint cluster, the administrator issues the save_settings command.

The command commits the changes to the repository volume, which is a dedicated space on the storage array for storing system settings.

This ensures that the configuration changes are preserved and can be accessed by the RecoverPoint Appliances (RPAs) when needed1.

It’s important to note that the save_settings command does not create a script file for later use, nor does it modify the configuration backup interval.Its primary function is to ensure that any changes made to the cluster configuration are saved and applied correctly1.

In Dell EMC RecoverPoint, virtual RPAs (vRPAs) use iSCSI protocol for connections. This is because vRPAs are designed to operate in virtual environments where iSCSI is commonly used for storage networking due to its ability to work over standard IP networks.Physical RPAs, such as Gen-5 and Gen-6, typically use Fibre Channel (FC) for direct storage connectivity1.

Here’s a breakdown of the connectivity:

vRPA: Utilizes iSCSI for connections to protected storage. This is suitable for virtualized environments where the RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines (RP4VMs) operates.

Gen-5 and Gen-6 RPAs: These are physical appliances that generally use Fibre Channel for connectivity, which is more common in physical data center environments where dedicated storage networks are present1.

It’s important to choose the correct RPA type based on the storage infrastructure and connectivity requirements of the environment1.

After running the balance_load command on a RecoverPoint cluster, if the administrator did not capture the output, the RecoverPoint Cluster Load report can be found at the specific URL provided by the RecoverPoint management interface.The correct URL format to access this report is https://Cluster_Management_IP/info/load_balancing/, where Cluster_Management_IP is replaced with the actual IP address of the RecoverPoint cluster management interface 1.

The steps to locate the report are

Calculate Daily Changes: With 100 GB of cumulative changes per day, the total amount of changes over two days would be 200 GB.

Determine Journal Size: The Journal size must be large enough to store all the changes for the required rollback periD.Therefore, a Journal size of 200 GB is necessary.

Set Protection Window: The “Required Protection Window” should be set for 2 days to match the rollback requirement.

Configure Copy Policy: The copy policy should be configured to ensure that the Journal maintains the point-in-time images for at least 48 hours.

By following these steps, the company can ensure maximum protection with the least amount of storage used, while also meeting their rollback requirements1234.

When using RecoverPoint Unisphere to collect system information, the “Collect System Information” file can be stored on an FTP server that is configured on the RPA cluster. This allows for centralized storage and easy access to the file for further analysis or troubleshooting. The steps typically involve:

Accessing Unisphere: Log into the RecoverPoint Unisphere interface.

Running the Wizard: Navigate to the appropriate section and run the “Collect System Information” wizard.

Choosing Storage Option: Select the option to store the file on an FTP server configured on the RPA cluster.

Retrieving the File: Access the FTP server to retrieve the “Collect System Information” file as needed.

This method ensures that the collected system information is securely stored and can be accessed by authorized personnel for maintenance or support purposes1.

Under the “System Analysis and Tools” section of Unisphere for RecoverPoint, the tools listed are designed to assist administrators in analyzing and optimizing the RecoverPoint system. The tools include:

Detect Bottlenecks: This tool helps identify any performance bottlenecks within the RecoverPoint system. It analyzes the flow of replication data and points out areas where there might be congestion or delays, allowing administrators to take corrective actions.

Balance Load: The Balance Load tool is used to evenly distribute the workload across the RecoverPoint Appliances (RPAs) to prevent any single RPA from becoming a performance bottleneck. This ensures that the system operates efficiently and that replication tasks are completed in a timely manner.

Collect System Information: This tool gathers comprehensive information about the RecoverPoint system’s configuration and operation. It is useful for troubleshooting issues, performing system audits, and preparing for support calls or maintenance activities.

These tools are integral to maintaining the health and performance of the RecoverPoint environment and are accessible through the Unisphere for RecoverPoint interface1.

When using the CLI to create a new Consistency Group in RecoverPoint, after initiating the process with the create_group command, the next step involves adding volumes to the group. The add_replication_volume command is used to add a volume to a Consistency Group as a replication volume.This command specifies the volume to be replicated and associates it with the newly created group1.

The sequence of commands would typically follow this pattern:

Run create_group to initiate the creation of a new Consistency Group.

Run add_replication_volume to add each production volume that needs to be replicated within the Consistency Group.

Additional commands would follow to configure the properties of the Consistency Group and its replication sets1.

It’s important to note that the add_group_set command is used for different purposes, such as grouping multiple Consistency Groups together, and the create_replication_volume and create_production_copy commands are not standard commands in the RecoverPoint CLI for this context1.

In a Distributed Consistency Group (DCG) configuration, the primary RPA and secondary RPAs work together to manage a larger data throughput than a single RPA can handle. This is achieved by dividing the workload among multiple RPAs. As a result, there is an increase in traffic observed on the WAN network between the RPAs.This is because the data that is being replicated needs to be transferred over the WAN to ensure that all RPAs have the necessary information to maintain consistency and data protection1.

The process involves:

The primary RPA receives write I/Os from the production environment.

The primary RPA then distributes the data to the secondary RPAs over the WAN.

The secondary RPAs process the data and replicate it to their respective Journal volumes.

This distribution of workload allows the DCG to handle higher throughput and IOPS rates than a single RPA could manage1.

It’s important to note that while there is additional traffic on the WAN, this does not necessarily mean that the FC (Fibre Channel) links or management network are unaffected.However, the most significant increase in traffic is observed on the WAN network, which is the communication link between the RPAs in a DCG configuration1.

The Journal lag in a Dell RecoverPoint system refers to the amount of data that has been written to the production volumes but has not yet been replicated to the remote site or copy volumes. The maximum Journal lag setting affects the RPO because it determines the maximum allowable time or data volume that can pass before the data must be replicated to the remote site to meet the recovery objectives.

Here’s how the Journal lag impacts the RPO:

Journal Lag Definition: Journal lag is the measure of the difference between the most recent write to the production volume and what has been replicated to the copy volume.

RPO Impact: The RPO is the maximum targeted period in which data might be lost from an IT service due to a major incident. If the Journal lag exceeds the maximum setting, itmeans that the RPO could be breached, as there would be more data at risk of being lost than what is acceptable per the RPO policy.

Management Actions: Administrators can monitor and manage the Journal lag to ensure that the RPO is maintained. If the lag approaches the maximum setting, actions may be taken to increase replication throughput or address any issues causing replication delays.

In summary, the maximum Journal lag setting is crucial for ensuring that the RPO is met, as it directly influences the amount of data that could be lost in the event of a failure or disaster1.

The Dell RecoverPoint documentation recommends a wait period of 7 days before running the Balance Load tool. This period allows for the system to stabilize and for any anomalies in the load distribution to become apparent, ensuring that the Balance Load tool can operate effectively. It’s important to note that this information is based on the best practices outlined in the Dell RecoverPoint documentation and may be subject to change with different versions or specific system configurations.For the most accurate and up-to-date information, it is always best to consult the latest official Dell RecoverPoint documentation or contact Dell EMC support directly1.

1.The production host writes data to the production volumes, but is first intercepted by the splitter. The splitter sends the write data to the RPA.

2.Immediately upon receipt of the write data, the local RPA returns an acknowledgement (ACK) to the splitter.

3.The splitter then writes the data to the production storage volume.

4.The storage system returns an ACK to the splitter upon successfully writing the data to storage.

5.The splitter sends an ACK to the host that the write has been completed successfully

To reduce the impact of the initial volume synchronization on production applications in a Dell RecoverPoint system, the config_link_policy command can be used with the regulate_application=yes parameter.This command configures the link policy for a Consistency Group and allows for the regulation of I/O to minimize the impact on production applications during synchronization1.

The process involves:

Identifying the Consistency Group: Determine the name of the Consistency Group that contains the production volume you wish to regulate.

Running the command: Execute the config_link_policy command with the appropriate parameters, including the Consistency Group name and the copies involved.

Setting regulate_application=yes: This parameter tells the system to regulate the application I/O, which helps to manage the load on production applications during the initial synchronization.

Monitoring the impact: After applying the command, monitor the production applications to ensure that the impact of the synchronization is minimized as intended.

This command is part of the RecoverPoint CLI and is used to manage the performance impact of replication activities on production environments1.