SRM array based Multi site Configuration with array pair recoverpoint sra

[coulolrick]

Hello,

I need help for configuring my environnement.

I have on my protected site 3 Array unity with 3 recoverpoint appliance, replicated volums on the secondary site with recovepoint and one vnx 5800.

I have already installed on each site one VCenter and SRM VM.

Now, i was able to create "array pair" with one unity and vnx 5800, but i can't  do the same job for the other unity and the vnx 5800

Can someone have an idea?

Components versions:

Vcenter 6.7,

SRM 8.1

Recoverpoint SRA 2.2.3

[Ashil Krishnan]

Hi

Here is what I understand:

2 vCenter sites with 1 SRM instance at each site.

3 Unity at protected site and 1 VNX 5800 at recovery site

I understand that you have already configured a array pair with 1 Unity to VNX 5800, however facing issues when trying to create another array pair.

Please share details about the error/screenshot for reference.

[coulolrick]

HI Team,

this is the message i got "Duplicate array discovered "RecoverPoint-0x760c9db50f2981a9" for SRA "EMC RecoverPoint Storage Replication Adapter".

Br,

[Ashil Krishnan]

Does your storage array shared recovery site configuration ?

It seems there  was a limitation with recover point where the SRA could only pair one RP cluster as array manager -- > VMWare SRM with RecoverPoint EX to replicate two arrays to a single one

Can you check with EMC once, if this has changed in newer SRAs ?

[coulolrick]

I said to myself that, but I wanted to have opinions to be sure. This would mean that on the protected site, there would be 1 Vcenter connected to the 3 SRM servers. Does this mean that we will have 3 plugins in the vcenter? how should the other SRM VMs be installed?

[Ashil Krishnan]

By default, SRM installations are registered with default plug-in ID 'com.vmware.vcDR'. To register additional SRM servers to same vCenter, we need to choose custom plug-in ID during installation

Please refer this doc --> Install Site Recovery Manager Server on Multiple Protected Sites to Use with a Shared Recovery Site

Hope that helps

[coulolrick]

Hello ,

Find attached the desing i tried to explain.

I tried to use custom-plug-in-ID with a common name when installing the 3 SRM VM, but got error, as the name is already in use

Need help please

[Ashil Krishnan]

Hi,

You would require 2 SRM installations at recovery site as well. You can only pair Site Recovery Manager Server instances that have the same Site Recovery Manager extension ID

For ex:

com.vmware.vcDr   --> com.vmware.vcDr

com.vmware.vCDr1 --> com.vmware.vcDr1

com.vmware.vCDr2 --> com.vmware.vcDr2

[coulolrick]

HI,

Do you mean, a total of 3 SRM at each site??

Do the SRM config can be done using the "default plug-in ID" for for each installation??

[Ashil Krishnan]

We can only register one SRM solution to one vCenter using the default plug-in ID. To register more than one, we need to use custom plug-in ID.

[coulolrick]

Hello,

I just installed SRM VM for each recoverpoint and storage, and noticed that only one array pairing is possible.

According to the attached picture i can't paired another unity(601;602;603) with the vnx5800, as it's already paired with the unity 500.

[Cato Grace]

You need to end up with 3 separate pairs of SRM servers, 1 each for the 3 arrays. Then you install the SRA on each and create array-pairs separately on each one.

See the documentation: Installing Site Recovery Manager to Use with a Shared Recovery Site

And this blog post for details about SRM and multiple sites/pairs: SRM Multi-Site Options - Virtual Blocks

Keep in mind that the separate SRM instances will not be aware of each other so make sure that there isn't any overlap in what they manage.

It may be that the SRA (which comes from DellEMC) doesn't support having multiple pairs with the same source/target array? I suggest reaching out to DellEMC as well if you can't get this to work. As an alternative you could look at using vSphere Replication which doesn't require SRAs.