Replication Strategy

Several options for replication strategy are available. Each has advantages and disadvantages. You need to decide on the best strategy for your environment. For example, you might use different configuration options that are based on available space, application, criticality of data, and legal requirements. Consider your environment, applications, availability needs, storage growth patterns, and recovery windows to create a replication strategy that best serves your needs.

The Nimble array relationships are based on the direction of replication. The source of the volume collection that is being replicated is the upstream replication partner. The destination is the downstream replication partner. A volume source that is upstream to one partner can be downstream to another. Downstream partners can become upstream partners by sending data to other replication partners and by replicating replicas.

One-to-One Replication

Basic replication involves replicating volumes from one array to another based on the protection schedules configured for their associated volume collections. Each volume collection always replicates to the same replication partner. In this scenario, the second Nimble array could be used strictly for disaster recovery.

In this example, Hourly and Daily represent volume collections that are configured with protection schedules that take snapshots at the specified frequency. Volume collections can be configured with multiple protection schedules.

1. Network
2. Single volume assigned to the Hourly volume collection
3. Multiple volumes assigned to the Daily volume collection
4. Replica of volume in the Hourly volume collection
5. Replicas of volumes in the Daily volume collection

Reciprocal Replication

Reciprocal replication involves replicating volumes that originate on two separate arrays to each other. Volumes on one Nimble array are replicated to a second Nimble array, and volumes on the second Nimble array are replicated to the first array. Each array acts as a disaster recovery option for the other. Reciprocal replication is sometimes called mutual replication.

In this example, SQL and Outlook represent volume collections that are configured with protection schedules and performance policies appropriate for those application types.

1. Network
2. Multiple volumes assigned to the SQL volume collection
3. Replicas of volumes in the Outlook volume collection
4. Replicas of volumes in the SQL volume collection
5. Multiple volumes assigned to the Outlook volume collection

Many-to-One (Centralized) Replication

You can use one Nimble array as a centralized replica for volumes that originate on several other Nimble arrays.

In this example, Hourly, Daily, SQL, Outlook, and Datastore1 represent appropriately configured volume collections.

1. Network
2. Single volume assigned to the Daily volume collection
3. Multiple volumes assigned to the SQL volume collection
4. Multiple volumes assigned to the Hourly volume collection
5. Replicas of volumes in the SQL volume collection
6. Replicas of volumes in the Hourly volume collection
7. Replicas of volumes in the Outlook volume collection
8. Replicas of volumes in the Datastore1 volume collection
9. Replica of volume in the Daily volume collection
10. Multiple volumes assigned to the Outlook volume collection
11. Multiple volumes assigned to the Datastore1 volume collection

Many-to-Many Replication

Many-to-many replication involves replicating volumes on the same array to multiple replication partners.

In this example, Hourly, Daily, SQL, Outlook, Datastore1, and Temporary represent appropriately configured volume collections.

1. Network
2. Multiple volumes that are assigned to the SQL volume collection
3. Single volume that is assigned to the Daily volume collection
4. Replicas of the volumes in the Hourly volume collection
5. Replicas of the volumes in the Datastore1 volume collection
6. Replicas of the volumes in the SQL volume collection
7. Multiple volumes assigned to the Datastore1 volume collection
8. Multiple volumes assigned to the Outlook volume collection
9. Multiple volumes assigned to the Temporary volume collection
10. Replicas of volumes in the Outlook volume collection
11. Multiple volumes that are assigned to the Hourly volume collection
12. Replica of volume in the Daily volume collection
13. Replicas of the volumes in the Temporary volume collection