PDF D-VPX-OE-A-24 Study Guide

To streamline the encapsulation process of LUNs across multiple servers to a VPLEX Metro cluster, the storage administrator can use the VIAS (VPLEX Integrated Array Services) Provisioning Wizard. This tool simplifies the process by automating many of the steps involved in encapsulating LUNs.

Here’s how the VIAS Provisioning Wizard can help:

Preparation: The administrator can prepare many of the encapsulation tasks ahead of time, such as host zoning to VPLEX FE ports, host registration of initiators in VPLEX, and LUN masking/zoning to the VPLEX BE Ports1.

Encapsulation Process: During the outage window, the administrator can use the VIAS Provisioning Wizard to encapsulate the LUNs under VPLEX control.Since the preparation steps like LUN masking and zoning to VPLEX BE have already been prepped, the cutover process becomes quicker1.

Storage View Container Creation: The VIAS Provisioning Wizard allows for the creation of a Storage View container in VPLEX, where only the VPLEX FE ports are included initially1.

EZ Provisioning Wizard: After claiming and encapsulating the LUNs, the administrator can create a 1:1 mapping of Storage volume to virtual volume with the EZ Provisioning Wizard, which is a quick process and helps preserve the data in its current state1.

Finalizing the Cutover: The newly encapsulated 1:1 virtual volumes are added to the previously created Storage View container, and the previously registered host initiators are added to the Storage View as well1.

By using the VIAS Provisioning Wizard, the administrator can efficiently manage the encapsulation of a large number of LUNs, reducing the complexity and duration of the outage window required for such a task.

When considering the use of a VPLEX logging volume, it is important to note that a logging volume must be created on each VPLEX cluster before creating a distributed device. This is because logging volumes play a critical role in the VPLEX architecture by capturing write logs that are essential for data consistency and recovery processes.

Role of Logging Volumes: Logging volumes in VPLEX are used to store write logs that ensure data consistency across clusters, especially in distributed device configurations1.

Creation Before Distributed Devices: Before a distributed device can be created, which spans across clusters for high availability, logging volumes must exist on each cluster to handle the write logging required for the distributed device1.

VIAS and Automatic Provisioning: While VIAS (VPLEX Integrated Array Services) is a tool that simplifies storage provisioning tasks, and automatic provisioning can occur in certain scenarios, the creation of logging volumes is a prerequisite step that typically requires explicit action by the administrator before distributed devices are set up1.

Sequence of Operations: The sequence of operations is such that logging volumes are created first, providing the necessary infrastructure for capturing write logs, followed by the creation of distributed devices that will utilize these logging volumes1.

By ensuring that logging volumes are created on each VPLEX cluster prior to the creation of distributed devices, administrators can maintain the integrity and high availability of data within the VPLEX environment.