Techniques for SAN storage cluster synchronous disaster recovery
Improved techniques for disaster recovery of storage service accessible through storage area networks are disclosed. Embodiments include establishing peer relationships between nodes of primary and secondary computing clusters. Configuration information is replicated in near synchronous manner from a primary cluster and used to configure a secondary cluster in a similar manner. Host data is replicated in synchronous manner for all the storage devices and LUNs within them. The secondary cluster is kept updated continuously with configuration information and user data in LUNs on storage devices such that a host may be served data from the secondary cluster when the primary cluster experiences a disaster or failure. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
1. A method, comprising:
creating, by a processor, a relationship between a primary and a secondary cluster of a storage area network, the primary and secondary clusters having a plurality of nodes and a plurality of storage devices for storing data;
wherein based on the relationship, a first virtual server corresponding to a first node of the primary cluster and a second virtual server corresponding to a second node of the secondary cluster are automatically configured to operate as high-availability peer nodes executing same processes for disaster recovery, the first virtual server providing storage access to a host via an assigned logical interface (LIF) in an operational state, while the second virtual server operates in a restricted state which limits host access to storage via the second virtual server, while the first virtual server operates in the operational state;
mapping the LIF to the second virtual server of the second node, upon validation of the LIF; wherein the mapped LIF is unavailable to obtain storage access during the restricted state of the second virtual server;
configuring a second logical storage object for the second virtual server at the second node using a same number of paths used to access a first logical storage object of the first virtual server at the first node; wherein the first and second logical storage objects have a same configuration for storing data;
validating a detected change in configuration of the first logical storage object;
applying the detected change to the second logical storage object; and
modifying the restricted state of the second virtual server to the operational state to provide non-disruptive storage access to the host via the mapped LIF, when the first virtual server becomes unavailable.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the LIF is mapped to a port of an adapter of the second node with connectivity similar to port connectivity for a port of the first node.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processor executes a command at the primary cluster and the secondary cluster to automatically generate the first and second virtual servers, each with an attribute indicating that the first virtual server is a source and the second virtual server is a destination for enabling disaster recovery.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the second virtual server operates in the restricted state, then a storage volume available for storing data via the first storage server is unavailable via the second virtual server.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein upon disaster recovery when the second virtual server operates in the operational state, then access to the storage volume is unavailable through the first virtual server.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the restricted state of the second virtual server is changed to the operational state without rebooting the second node.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein each node of the primary cluster and each node of the secondary cluster are connected using a common fabric to enable a switchover operation and transfer of a storage aggregate from the first node to the second node.
8. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions for performing a method, comprising machine executable code which when executed by at least one machine, causes the machine to:
create, by a processor, a relationship between a primary and a secondary cluster of a storage area network, the primary and secondary clusters having a plurality of nodes and a plurality of storage devices for storing data;
wherein based on the relationship, a first virtual server corresponding to a first node of the primary cluster and a second virtual server corresponding to a second node of the secondary cluster are automatically configured to operate as high-availability peer nodes executing same processes for disaster recovery, the first virtual server providing storage access to a host via an assigned logical interface (LIF) in an operational state, while the second virtual server operates in a restricted state which limits host access to storage via the second virtual server, while the first virtual server operates in the operational state;
map the LIF to the second virtual server of the second node, upon validation of the LIF; wherein the mapped LIF is unavailable to obtain storage access during the restricted state of the second virtual server;
configure a second logical storage object for the second virtual server at the second node using a same number of paths used to access a first logical storage object of the first virtual server at the first node; wherein the first and second logical storage objects have a same configuration for storing data;
validate a detected change in configuration of the first logical storage object;
apply the detected change to the second logical storage object; and
modify the restricted state of the second virtual server to the operational state to provide non-disruptive storage access to the host via the mapped LIF, when the first virtual server becomes unavailable.
9. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the LIF is mapped to a port of an adapter of the second node with connectivity similar to port connectivity for a port of the first node.
10. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the processor executes a command at the primary cluster and the secondary cluster to automatically generate the first and second virtual servers, each with an attribute indicating that the first virtual server is a source and the second virtual server is a destination for enabling disaster recovery.
11. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein when the second virtual server operates in the restricted state, then a storage volume available for storing data via the first storage server is unavailable via the second virtual server.
12. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein upon disaster recovery when the second virtual server operates in the operational state, then access to the storage volume is unavailable through the first virtual server.
13. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the restricted state of the second virtual server is changed to the operational state without rebooting the second node.
14. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein each node of the primary cluster and each node of the secondary cluster are connected using a common fabric to enable a switchover operation and transfer of a storage aggregate from the first node to the second node.
15. A system, comprising:
a memory containing machine readable medium comprising machine executable code having stored thereon instructions; and a processor coupled to the memory to execute the machine executable code to
create a relationship between a primary and a secondary cluster of a storage area network, the primary and secondary clusters having a plurality of nodes and a plurality of storage devices for storing data;
wherein based on the relationship, a first virtual server corresponding to a first node of the primary cluster and a second virtual server corresponding to a second node of the secondary cluster are automatically configured to operate as high-availability peer nodes executing same processes for disaster recovery, the first virtual server providing storage access to a host via an assigned logical interface (LIF) in an operational state, while the second virtual server operates in a restricted state which limits host access to storage via the second virtual server, while the first virtual server operates in the operational state;
map the LIF to the second virtual server of the second node, upon validation of the LIF; wherein the mapped LIF is unavailable to obtain storage access during the restricted state of the second virtual server;
configure a second logical storage object for the second virtual server at the second node using a same number of paths used to access a first logical storage object of the first virtual server at the first node; wherein the first and second logical storage objects have a same configuration for storing data;
validate a detected change in configuration of the first logical storage object;
apply the detected change to the second logical storage object; and
modify the restricted state of the second virtual server to the operational state to provide non-disruptive storage access to the host via the mapped LIF, when the first virtual server becomes unavailable.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the LIF is mapped to a port of an adapter of the second node with connectivity similar to port connectivity for a port of the first node.
17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the processor executes a command at the primary cluster and the secondary cluster to automatically generate the first and second virtual servers, each with an attribute indicating that the first virtual server is a source and the second virtual server is a destination for enabling disaster recovery.
18. The system of claim 15 , wherein when the second virtual server operates in the restricted state, then a storage volume available for storing data via the first storage server is unavailable via the second virtual server.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein upon disaster recovery when the second virtual server operates in the operational state, then access to the storage volume is unavailable through the first virtual server.
20. The system of claim 15 , wherein each node of the primary cluster and each node of the secondary cluster are connected using a common fabric to enable a switchover operation and transfer of a storage aggregate from the first node to the second node.