Creating a Remote Copy partnership over an IP connection

How to create a Metro Mirror or Global Mirror partnership over Ethernet ports using IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, how to create a Remote Copy port group, and best practices.

Creating the partnership

To create a remote-copy partnership over an IP connection, complete these steps:
  1. Configure VLAN tagging by completing these steps:
    1. In the management GUI, select Settings > Network > Ethernet Ports.
    2. Right-click the port on which to configure the VLAN and select Actions > Modify VLAN.
    3. On the Modify VLAN page, select to enable VLAN for either IPv4 or IPv6 connections that are part of the remote-copy group.
    4. Enter the VLAN tag and select whether to use the same VLAN tag for the failover port.
    5. Click Modify.
  2. Define the remote-copy groups on both the local and partner systems.
    1. On the primary system, select Settings > Network > Ethernet Ports.
    2. Right-click the port on which you configured the VLAN tag, and select Modify Remote Copy.
    3. Depending on the type of IP connection you are using, select the remote-copy group to associate with the port.
    4. Click Modify.
    5. Repeat these steps on the remote system, ensuring that you use the same remote-copy group to ensure connectivity between the two systems.
  3. Configure IP partnerships on the local system in the management GUI by completing these steps:
    1. Select Copy Services > Partnerships and select Create Partnership.
    2. On the Create Partnership panel, select IP and enter the IP address for the partner system, link bandwidth, and background copy rate for the partnership.
    3. Specify the CHAP secret for the partner system if you plan to use Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP) to authenticate connections between the systems in the partnership.
  4. Configure IP partnership on the partner system in the management GUI by completing these steps:
    1. Select Copy Services > Partnerships and select Create Partnership.
    2. On the Create Partnership panel, select IP and enter the IP address for the partner system.
      Note: This is the system that you configured in step 2.
      Enter the same link bandwidth and background copy rate for the partnership that was entered in step 2.
    3. Specify the CHAP secret for the partner system if you plan to use Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP) to authenticate connections between the systems in the partnership. Use the same CHAP secret specified in step 2.

Best practices for creating a remote-copy group

  • If you have one inter-site link, configure one remote-copy port group.
  • If you have two inter-site links, configure two remote-copy port groups.
    Note: No more than two inter-site links or remote-copy port groups are supported.
  • If you have one remote-copy group, then configure at least one port from each node in one I/O group in that remote-copy port group. For systems with more than one I/O group, add ports from a second I/O group to the remote-copy group.
  • If you have two remote-copy groups and one I/O group, configure one port on each system from one node in the first remote-copy group. Then configure a port from the other node in the second remote-copy port group. For systems with more than one I/O group, add ports from a second I/O group to each of the two remote-copy groups.