Business Continuity and the Hitachi TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform

Transcription

1 Enterprise Storage Business Continuity and the Hitachi TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform A White Paper By Christophe Bertrand, Roselinda Schulman, and Claus Mikkelsen September 2004

2 Executive Summary Effective business continuity and disaster recovery solutions are critical to organizations operating in 24/7 environments. These organizations must meet requirements for business continuity testing and make effective operational use of multiple data centers and heterogeneous IT infrastructures. This white paper highlights several key challenges that large enterprises face in realworld business continuity environments, particularly when business and regulatory requirements mandate long-distance replication of business information. It also introduces a new universal data storage and replication platform from Hitachi Data Systems. The Hitachi TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform helps customers meet business continuity challenges cost-effectively, while protecting and leveraging existing technology investments. It also enables enterprises to increase service levels while reducing management complexity and operational risk. For business continuity applications, the key features and benefits of the TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform include: : : Management of externally attached, heterogeneous disk storage enabling data migration and replication to lower-cost disk when appropriate, and providing consistent tools and procedures for operational resilience : : Replication with data integrity and consistency based on the proven technology of Hitachi TrueCopy Remote Replication and Compatible Replication for IBM XRC (formerly Hitachi Extended Remote Copy or HXRC) software, and now extended to heterogeneous storage and server platforms with the TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform : : New long-distance replication capabilities using disk-based journaling to increase resilience, while improving performance of production applications and reducing costs : : Advanced multi-data-center configurations intelligently combining synchronous and asynchronous replication technologies to meet business needs more effectively, and at lower cost This paper illustrates the application of these new technology choices to meet enterprise needs cost-effectively in a number of scenarios, including business continuity testing, backup operations, and data lifecycle management.

3 Contents Introduction... 1 Universal Storage Platform Overview... 3 Heterogeneous Storage Pooling...4 Data Movement and Data Protection Capabilities...4 Hitachi Universal Replicator for TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform...5 Business Continuity Challenges... 6 Business Continuity Operations and Testing...6 Maximizing Uptime, Productivity, and ROI...7 Backup and Recovery...7 Application Examples... 7 CASE 1. Business Continuity Operations Two Data Centers...7 CASE 2. Business Continuity Operations Three Data Centers...8 CASE 3. Change Control and Application Testing...11 CASE 4. Improving Backup and Recovery for Data Protection...11 Case Study A Large Financial Services Firm...13 Conclusion: Toward Operational Resilience Appendix A: Hitachi Data Systems Software and Services...15 Software...15 Professional Services...17 Appendix B: Bibliography and Resources...18 White Papers...18 Books...18 Web Sites...18

4 Business Continuity and the Hitachi TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform A White Paper By Christophe Bertrand, Roselinda Schulman, and Claus Mikkelsen Introduction Business continuity is a matter of increasing concern to enterprises today as they respond to external threats and operational risks and to more stringent demands from corporate stakeholders and government regulatory agencies. 1 Business continuity involves management and technology strategies that maintain required service levels for essential business functions and processes, preventing or minimizing interruptions caused by planned or unplanned events. Business continuity planning typically focuses on data protection and availability, in addition to business-critical processes, skills, logistics, and recovery execution. Technology capabilities for business continuity often include high-availability infrastructure at primary production locations, combined with disaster recovery capabilities at one or more remote sites. Figure 1 illustrates the key components of a robust business continuity framework that combines local high availability and remote disaster recovery capabilities in a centrally managed infrastructure. 1 For references on emerging regulatory and business requirements for business continuity and out-of-region disaster recovery capabilities, see Appendix B. 1

5 Figure 1. Business Continuity Framework Centralized Performance, Event Problem, Change Management Centralized Replication, Backup/Recovery Management Local High Availability Remote Disaster Protection High-availability Servers, Server Clusters Extended Server Clusters Server, Host Bus Adapter, Switch Path Failover Nondisruptive Tape Backup, Nondisruptive Disk-to-d isk Backup Remote Tape Vault Homogeneous Remote Disk Replication Synchronous Asynchronous Three Data Center Cascaded and Multitarget Highly Available Storage Point-in-time Disk Clones and SnapShot for Rapid Recovery Disaster Recovery Hot Site Service Homogeneous Point-in-time Disk Clones/Snapshots Remote Decision Support Database Backup Redundancy Eliminates Single Point of Failure Disaster Replicator for Disaster Recovery, Planned Outages Business Continuity Strategic Planning, Outsourcing Network & Facilities Hardening Business Continuity Services Application-specific Recovery Solutions Compliance Consulting, Remote Tape Storage Disaster Recovery Planning Software A robust business continuity framework combines local high availability and remote disaster recovery capabilities in a centrally managed infrastructure. This white paper introduces new business continuity capabilities supported by the Hitachi TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform, including cost-effective local and remote data protection and replication solutions. The Universal Storage Platform combines proven hardware and software with important technology innovations, enabling consistent and universal solutions to business continuity challenges and related business needs. These business needs include technology management objectives, such as matching tiers of storage with application requirements across the enterprise enabling organizations to satisfy service-level agreements with cost-effective solutions and a consistent approach to storage management. This consistent approach makes a strong contribution to operational resilience by supporting reliable application of core processes, skills, and technology. Consistent platforms and technology management processes help enterprises build robust organizational capabilities to manage and absorb change, and to respond effectively to new threats and opportunities. 2

6 Universal Storage Platform Overview The Hitachi TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform is a combination of proven hardware and software technology that delivers universal data and storage services across heterogeneous platforms. 2 Figure 2. The TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform Sun HP IBM Microsoft Windows SAN IBM Mainframe Hitach TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform Hitachi Lightning 9900 V Series Hitachi Thunder 9500 V Series SATA Intermix Option for Hitachi Thunder 9500 V Series Other The TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform provides a consistent data management and storage services platform for heterogeneous servers and storage. The TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform enables customers to meet their service-level and businesscontinuity objectives reducing cost, complexity, and risk while protecting and leveraging existing technology investments. Universal Storage Platform is the newest enterprise storage offering from Hitachi Data Systems even bigger, faster, and more powerful than the successful Hitachi Lightning 9900 V Series enterprise storage systems. It uses third-generation Hitachi Universal Star Network crossbar switched architecture to support up to 2 million IOPS. Its larger cache up to 256GB combines with as much as 81GB/sec of internal bandwidth and improved algorithms to deliver industry-leading scalability and performance. 2 For a discussion of basic disaster recovery issues, along with alternative data replication and recovery management solutions, see Disaster Recovery Issues and Solutions by Roselinda R. Schulman, a Hitachi Data Systems white paper. 3

7 Heterogeneous Storage Pooling Universal Storage Platform supports up to 330TB of internal storage. It also provides heterogeneous multiprotocol connectivity up to 192 physical ports that can handle Fibre Channel, network attached storage (NAS), ESCON, FICON, or iscsi each of which can be presented in as many as 1024 virtual connections. Up to 32PB of externally attached storage can include Lightning 9900 V Series systems, Hitachi Thunder 9500 V Series modular storage systems (including SATA Intermix Option), and supported disk storage systems from other vendors. With its multiplatform connectivity and its virtualized, heterogeneous storage pooling, Universal Storage Platform is the first intelligent storage platform to deliver industrial-strength virtualization, replication, migration, and management capabilities. It provides a consistent management platform for simplified configuration, multiprotocol connectivity, common path management, and enhanced security. It supports software that maps application requirements to storage attributes to deliver required quality of service from multiple tiers of storage, in part by leveraging a universal replication and data movement engine. The TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform thus provides the foundation for a consistent, universal approach to data lifecycle management, business continuance, and Application Optimized Storage solutions. Data Movement and Data Protection Capabilities Data movement is the key to business continuity and to cost-effective tiered storage management. Enterprises must have common means of moving data up and down tiers of storage to enable Application Optimized Storage solutions for production, test, and archiving environments. And for disaster recovery, organizations must have consistent tools and capabilities for replicating and recovering corporate data. The Hitachi Data Systems data movement software modules offer a number of important capabilities: : : Full volume copy using Hitachi ShadowImage In-System Replication : : Snapshots using Hitachi Copy-on-Write Snapshot (formerly Hitachi QuickShadow) : : Synchronous and asynchronous replication with TrueCopy Remote Replication : : Data movement between storage tiers using Hitachi Cross-System Copy (formerly HiCopy) or (with Universal Storage Platform) using ShadowImage In-System Replication : : Efficient, cost-effective replication and recovery with Universal Replicator (exclusive to Universal Storage Platform) : : Common access to data movement products through HiCommand Device Manager, Hitachi Business Continuity Manager (formerly Hitachi CopyCentral), and APIs The TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform supports all these capabilities and more (see Appendix A for a more detailed list). These products and services can be combined to meet specific business continuity requirements and operational needs. 4

8 Hitachi Universal Replicator for TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform For business continuity and related business requirements, Universal Storage Platform delivers an important new capability: Universal Replicator software. Universal Replicator software will ultimately support real-time replication for all internal and externally connected disk storage volumes, making it a very powerful solution for remote-copy operations. 3 Universal Replicator software provides a consistent replication approach and enables a common set of procedures, tools, and skills to manage diverse, heterogeneous storage and application environments. Universal Replicator software complements existing data protection, data movement, and business continuity products from Hitachi Data Systems. And the Universal Storage Platform will make these capabilities available for management and protection of externally attached, heterogeneous storage resources. Thus, Universal Storage Platform with Universal Replicator software supports the data replication and movement requirements of disparate applications and business processes. Universal Replicator software differs from other solutions in that it pulls the data to the remote site, instead of pushing it from the primary site. The primary storage system writes data to its own journal volumes, but the replication engine that controls asynchronous replication is located on the remote system. This approach shifts most of the replication workload to the remote site, reducing resource consumption on the primary storage system and improving production application performance. In effect, Universal Replicator software restores primary site storage to its intended role as a transaction processing resource, not a replication engine. Universal Replicator software, running on the TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform, delivers a number of important benefits: Building on a proven legacy of data integrity and consistency. Universal Replicator software uses technology proven reliable in both Hitachi TrueCopy and Compatible Replication for IBM XRC software. Each transmitted record set includes time-stamp (mainframe only) and sequence-number information, enabling the replication engine to verify receipt of all records at the remote site and to arrange them in the correct write order for storage. Liberating resources and improving performance. By using local disk-based journaling and a pullbased remote replication engine, Universal Replicator software releases critical resources that are consumed by other asynchronous replication approaches at the primary site such as disk storage cache in storage-based solutions, or server memory in host-based software approaches. Universal Replicator software improves cache utilization, lowering costs and improving performance of production transaction applications. Improving resilience and data integrity. With Universal Replicator software, operations can survive temporary communication problems for longer periods without data loss. Should the replication link fail between sites, Universal Replicator software keeps logging changes in the local journal so that they can be transmitted later, without interruption to the protection process or the application. Data consistency is preserved, and the user can maintain a more current recovery point objective (RPO) during outage situations, compared with existing replication methodologies. 3 Customers should check with their Hitachi Data Systems representatives regarding the scheduled availability of Universal Replicator support for externally connected disk storage systems from other vendors. 5

9 Controlling bandwidth costs and RPO. With Universal Replicator software, the remote storage system pulls data from the primary journal volumes over the data replication network as fast as the bandwidth allows. If available bandwidth does not support optimal replication for example, during peak-load spikes in transaction volume the primary journal volumes simply buffer the data on disk until more bandwidth becomes available. Users can improve bandwidth utilization and lower their communication costs by sizing bandwidth for average bandwidth needs not for peak usage. This simplifies bandwidth planning and empowers users to better control their RPO in relation to infrastructure and communication costs. Managing storage costs. Universal Replicator software can replicate to and from externally attached, lower-cost disk storage. The journal volumes must be located within the Universal Storage Platform, but the data volumes can be located on externally attached storage. This capability enables enterprises to stretch budgets through lower acquisition costs or leverage existing storage systems to enable more complete and resilient disaster-recovery configurations. Multi-data-center operations. Universal Replicator software, in combination with synchronous TrueCopy replication, supports improved performance and cost reduction in multisite business continuity configurations. These advanced solutions can use fewer intermediate copies than alternative approaches, while placing the copies on less expensive storage and reducing resource consumption at the primary site. 4 Business Continuity Challenges Business Continuity Operations and Testing Business continuity requires effective primary-site and remote-site capabilities for normal operations, and tested procedures for recovery from planned and unplanned outages. Regular business continuity testing is critically important, but it remains a challenge for most organizations especially those that must manage a heterogeneous server and storage infrastructure. Large amounts of data may need to be copied or migrated to multiple sites, and the task of disaster response teams and IT staffs is made more difficult by the need to execute unique technical procedures for each hardware platform using different tools and management consoles. Introduce changes to the applications or infrastructure, and a task that was difficult even in a stable IT environment gains even more complexity through the introduction of new risks and unexpected outcomes. Introduce the need to support data replication to multiple data centers and the challenge is greater yet. Coordinating replication to multiple sites while guaranteeing data integrity over any distance with advanced recovery capabilities and the strenuous bandwidth considerations that come with it is the apex of difficulty. As a result of all this, most organizations fail to adequately test their disaster recovery plans on a regular basis. It just seems too complex and expensive. And it s difficult to keep everyone current on the skills and procedures needed for effective recovery operations. Yet increased regulatory pressures and heightened corporate governance in the face of new threats are escalating the need for such testing. 4 For a more detailed discussion of Universal Replicator software capabilities and configurations, see Universal Replicator Advanced Technology, a Hitachi Data Systems white paper. 6

10 Universal Storage Platform s simplification of disaster recovery via the application of a single replication technology universally across heterogeneous platforms and amelioration of the bandwidth issues associated with long-distance replication makes regular and comprehensive disaster recovery testing more feasible and affordable. Maximizing Uptime, Productivity, and ROI Business continuity needs to be more than just insurance against disaster. Ideal approaches will also eliminate downtime associated with system upgrades and scheduled maintenance by transferring primary processing to the secondary site during those periods. Similar approaches enable secondary access to current data for activities such as change control and application testing without impacting regular production workloads. Application Optimized Storage solutions thus accommodate temporary, special-purpose, and changing workloads with appropriate storage configurations, using flexible data movement and replication capabilities combined with a range of cost-effective storage choices. Backup and Recovery In many IT organizations, backup is still the number one headache. Backup windows are shrinking or have long since disappeared. Single-file restore requests take too much time and energy to fulfill. Diskto-disk backup solutions using cost-effective disk storage such as the SATA Intermix Option for Thunder 9500 V Series systems are helping meet these needs. However, tape is still needed for longterm archiving and disaster recovery vaulting. And migrating data to a remote backup site is particularly complex when each platform requires unique data movement tools and procedures. Application Examples The TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform provides effective solutions for the major business continuity challenges. The following application examples illustrate the power of this innovative technology platform to help reduce business risks, lower IT costs, and eliminate IT headaches. CASE 1. Business Continuity Operations Two Data Centers Hitachi Data Systems offers powerful solutions for business continuity as well as for disaster recovery testing while maintaining complete disaster recovery protection. Figure 3 illustrates a typical configuration that uses TrueCopy Remote Replication software to maintain an exact, I/O consistent data volume at the remote site. It also uses ShadowImage In-System Replication software to create a separate copy for disaster recovery testing. This enables the organization to test its disaster recovery plan with current data. 7

11 Figure 3. Business Continuity and Data Recovery Testing with Two Data Centers Primary Data Center Remote Copy Remote Site Primary Data Volume Point-in-time Copy Remote Data Volume Point-in-time Copy Application Testing Disaster Recovery Plan Testing with Current Data Enterprises use solutions such as TrueCopy Remote Replication or Universal Replicator software to create a remote copy for disaster recovery. ShadowImage In-System Replication software provides point-in-time copies for testing. Business Continuity Operations. Universal Storage Platform and its replication software provide several simple but effective improvements to this scenario. For business continuity operations, the primary storage volume can live on any storage system attached to Universal Storage Platform, and the secondary volume can live on any storage system attached to the remote Universal Storage Platform. Thus, a single tool can perform replication at storage system speeds among systems with different native replication tools. Also, in the case of Universal Replicator software, the benefits of pull rather than push replication along with elimination of the need to dedicate large amounts of cache radically improve transaction performance at the originating site. Business Continuity Testing. For disaster recovery testing, the remote Universal Storage Platform can create a point-in-time copy on its internal disk storage or on any externally attached storage system. Organizations can easily direct current copies of production data to inexpensive or legacy storage, enabling more complete and cost-effective disaster recovery testing. CASE 2. Business Continuity Operations Three Data Centers For business-critical applications and data, many organizations have considered or adopted a three data center (3DC) replication model. In the 3DC model, synchronous replication which can achieve a copy that is fully up-to-date at all times over limited distance is employed between the primary data center and a nearby hot site. The data is then replicated to a geographically remote site using asynchronous replication, which works over any distance. In the event of a local disaster, customers have the option of recovering to the intermediate site (if it has appropriate computing and staff resources), or to the remote site with some catch-up delay. In the event of a disaster geographically broad enough to impact the primary and intermediate sites, recovery is still possible by failing over to the remote site with some delay and some data loss. Thus, a 3DC configuration provides the best combination of protection against disaster with minimal data loss and downtime. 8

12 Figure 4. Traditional Disaster Recovery with Three Data Centers Primary Data Center TrueCopy Synchronous Remote Copy Intermediate Data Center TrueCopy Asynchronous Remote Copy Remote Data Center Primary Data Volume Remote Data Volume (synch) ShadowImage Copy Remote Data Volume (synch) ShadowImage Copy In an advanced configuration for 3DC replication Hitachi Data Systems used synchronous replication to an intermediate data center or hot site, and asynchronous replication to a remote site. Existing 3DC Solutions. Prior to the Universal Storage Platform and the Universal Replicator software, Hitachi Data Systems would implement 3DC using TrueCopy Remote Replication and ShadowImage In-System Replication software to support both synchronous and asynchronous capabilities between pairs of Lightning 9900 V Series storage systems (Figure 4). This advanced configuration required significant investment, and was most cost-effective in large enterprises where a few lost transactions could cause serious financial losses. Other enterprises decided to avoid the investment and live with the risks. However, today s increased risks and regulatory scrutiny are prompting these companies to take another look at advanced business continuity protection. And new solutions are bringing these capabilities into reach for more organizations. Improved 3DC Solution. With its introduction of the Universal Storage Platform, Hitachi Data Systems offers additional replication choices that reduce the cost of a 3DC configuration, making this approach affordable for a broader range of enterprises and applications. Universal Storage Platform actually supports the previously described configuration using TrueCopy Remote Replication and ShadowImage In-System Replication software, yet it also supports a simplified, more cost-effective solution using Universal Replicator software. With Universal Storage Platform, combinations of TrueCopy Remote Replication and Universal Replicator software enable three different 3DC configurations cascade, pass-through, and multitarget. Figure 5 illustrates these three configurations. 9

13 Figure 5. Enhanced 3DC Replication Configurations with Universal Replicator Software Primary Intermediate Remote Cascade Synch Asynchronous Passthrough Synch Asynchronous Synch Multitarget Asynchronous Enterprises can choose among different 3DC replication configurations, depending on business needs. 3DC cascade provides complete data copies at intermediate sites that support server clusters and application failover. Universal Replicator software enables pass-through configurations that only store the journal volumes at the intermediate site, reducing storage costs. Multitarget configurations offer the best protection against local and regional disasters, at higher cost. Universal Storage Platform provides a no data loss solution with less complexity, scripting, and overhead than previous solutions. For an example 3DC configuration, see the financial services case study in this white paper. For a more detailed discussion of advanced 3DC configurations enabled by Universal Replicator software, see the separate Hitachi Data Systems white paper, Universal Replicator Advanced Technology. Business Continuity Testing. For disaster recovery testing, the remote site s Universal Storage Platform can create a point-in-time copy with ShadowImage In-System Replication software on its internal disk storage or on any externally attached storage systems, such as Thunder family systems with the SATA Intermix Option or other available storage. By providing more cost-effective remote replication and enabling customers to use externally attached storage in business continuity configurations, the TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform makes 3DC configurations and full disaster recovery testing more affordable. Enterprises can conduct business continuity testing more frequently, helping to ensure that disaster recovery plans and procedures are kept current and effective. Bottom Line: By providing a consistent management interface for all the data replication functions across multiple sites and tiers of storage and replication the Universal Storage Platform reduces management costs, minimizes planned and unplanned downtime, and greatly improves ROI. 10

14 CASE 3. Change Control and Application Testing Change control and application testing are important elements of business continuity and operational resilience. Enterprises much prefer to discover software and configuration problems on a test system, not in production. For simple changes, an isolated test of a single application or system may be sufficient. However, larger and more complex systems can produce unexpected results when scaled up for production with real application data. In such a situation, the best practice is to conduct a full test at production scale, with all parts of the system processing real data. In the past, this approach to comprehensive testing might have been too complex to configure, or too expensive and disruptive to stage on the available infrastructure. Universal Storage Platform makes this kind of testing simpler to manage and more affordable to execute. An administrator can use ShadowImage In-System Replication software to create a copy of production data for testing. With the Lightning or Thunder family product lines, ShadowImage software creates the secondary copy on a volume inside the storage system. Universal Storage Platform offers even more flexibility: the target volume can be located internally, or on any externally attached storage system. For example, Universal Storage Platform can place the test data on a low-cost disk storage system, and can then present that volume to a separate test server. By running the test on a separate server, connected to separate storage volumes, the enterprise reduces the risk of corrupting production data or interfering with production server workloads. This approach to application testing leverages the easy connection capability provided by Universal Storage Platform shared access to pooled storage resources along with its ability to utilize externally attached disk storage to optimize cost and performance. CASE 4. Improving Backup and Recovery for Data Protection While many enterprises maintain disaster recovery copies of critical data on disk or tape at a remote site, they also keep local backup copies at their production data centers. These local copies are essential for quick recovery from hardware or software problems, and are typically more accessible to operations staff than the remote copies may be. Also, access to remote copies can be compromised by interruptions that impact the remote site or the communication links. As backup windows shrink to zero, and the cost of disk storage continues to fall, many organizations are adopting disk-to-disk (D2D) backup strategies. Figure 6 illustrates an approach that leverages Universal Storage Platform capabilities to provide fast, cost-effective local backup to disk and also supports tape backup and archiving at the remote site. 11

15 Figure 6. Local and Remote Backup Configurations Primary Data Center Remote Copy Remote Site Primary Data Volume Point-in-time Copy Remote Data Volume Point-in-time Copy Thunder 9500 V Series with SATA Intermix Option Local Backup Server Remote Tape Backup/VAult Remote Backup Server Universal Storage Platform provides remote replication and point-in-time copy capabilities including Universal Replicator and ShadowImage In-System Replication software that enable cost-effective backup to tape or to Thunder 9500 V Series storage with the inexpensive SATA Intermix Option, locally and/or remotely. In this example, the TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform uses ShadowImage software to create a point-in-time copy of the production volume that is scheduled for backup. Next, a backup software application reads the point-in-time copy and writes the backup files to Thunder 9500 V Series storage with the inexpensive SATA Intermix Option. At the remote disaster recovery site, a separate point-intime copy perhaps located on Thunder family storage with the SATA Intermix Option can support remote backup and archiving to disk or tape media when required. Depending on the backup software, data can be staged or moved according to different rules and with different levels of granularity. With its ability to manage low-cost disk and leverage existing resources, and its support of the full suite of replication software from Hitachi Data Systems, the Universal Storage Platform provides a common infrastructure for a wide variety of backup and recovery strategies. Hitachi Data Systems also offers professional services that help enterprises design, configure, and deploy solutions that meet their specific needs. 12

16 Case Study A Large Financial Services Firm Based on the applications environment and business continuity strategy of a large financial services firm, Figure 7 illustrates the power and flexibility of the Universal Storage Platform and its data replication capabilities. Figure 7. Universal Storage Platform with Consistency Groups Primary Data Center Intermediate Data Center Remote Data Canter Universal Storage Platform TrueCopy Sychronous Remote Copy Remote Data Volume (synch) Universal Storage Platform Universal Storage Platform Primary Data Volume JNL Universal Replicator Asychronous Remote Copy JNL Remote Data Volume (asynch) Point-in-time Copies (DSS Day 1) Point-in-time Copies (DSS Day 2) ShadowImage Copies Remote Tape Backup/Vault Backup Server Thunder 9500 V Series system with SATA Intermx Option The production database spans multiple data volumes, so this configuration uses ShadowImage In-System Replication software with Hitachi Business Continuity Manager software to split off accurate point-in-time copies of a multivolume consistency group. This approach enables the customer to create duplicate DSS copies with zero impact to production online transaction processing (OLTP) applications. Point-in-time Copies for a Large Database. This organization creates daily point-in-time copies of its production OLTP database for use in an online decision support system (DSS) that requires up-to-date customer data. Since large DSS queries can run for 36 hours or more, this company maintains multiple DSS copies making a new point-in-time copy every 24 hours, while allowing in-process jobs to complete on earlier DSS copies. The production database spans multiple data volumes, so this configuration uses ShadowImage In-System Replication software with Hitachi Business Continuity Manager software to split off accurate point-in-time copies of a multivolume consistency group. This approach enables the customer to create duplicate DSS copies with zero impact to production OLTP applications. Incidentally, this customer has determined that the financial benefits of running DSS queries on current data rather than two-day-old data more than justify the cost of maintaining two full DSS copies of the production database. 13

17 Three Data Center Replication. To support its business continuity needs including regulatory agency guidance on out-of-region disaster recovery capabilities this company has selected an advanced three data center (3DC) replication solution from Hitachi Data Systems. In this solution, TrueCopy Remote Replication software maintains an exact, synchronous copy of the production OLTP data at an in-region disaster recovery hot site 20 miles away. Universal Replicator software separately maintains an asynchronous copy at the remote disaster recovery site more than 1,000 miles away. Compared to a cascade or pass-through approach, this configuration eliminates the potential of having no disaster recovery should the intermediate site fail. These configurations are discussed in further detail in the white paper Universal Replicator Advanced Technology. Backup and Testing. This business continuity configuration also uses Universal Storage Platform capabilities to make copies of data on lower-cost, externally attached storage such as Thunder 9500 V Series storage with SATA Intermix Option. These copies can be used for disk-to-disk or disk-to-tape backup, and for additional purposes such as disaster recovery testing. The advanced 3DC configuration also supports rapid production takeover at the remote site in less than two hours when required for operational recovery, full disaster recovery testing or scheduled upgrades and configuration changes. As this case study illustrates, the advanced capabilities of the TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform provide a robust and powerful foundation for meeting the requirements of large organizations with complex needs in production, development, testing, archiving, and business continuance and for retaining and protecting information throughout its lifecycle. Conclusion: Toward Operational Resilience A strong business continuity strategy is an essential component of a broader business resilience program, which builds robust organizational capabilities to anticipate and respond effectively to changes, threats, and opportunities. By using the Universal Storage Platform and Hitachi Application Optimized Storage capabilities to manage heterogeneous disk storage resources, enterprises can apply consistent procedures, skills, and training across all their storage platforms. Rather than maintaining separate procedures and skills for data replication and recovery on each storage platform, the organization applies one powerful and consistent set of replication capabilities and storage management tools to all its disk storage resources. In a disaster recovery scenario, the risks of error are lower when the procedures are consistent across all platforms. It is also easier to ensure that the required skills are always available when needed for recovery of critical business applications and data. Universal Storage Platform supports consistent user interfaces and powerful automated storage management capabilities for managing heterogeneous storage. Combined with the broad range of Hitachi Data Systems products and professional services, it enables enterprises to build consistent, policy-based approaches to business continuity, data lifecycle management, and operational resilience. Looking ahead, operational resilience requires more than data protection and availability it must also include capabilities to leverage data and infrastructure to detect and anticipate changes, and to align service levels and costs with application requirements as they change over time. By integrating data management resources across multiple lines of business using a common set of management tools and processes, enterprises can extend the benefits of operational resilience to the full range of business functions and processes. 14

18 Appendix A: Hitachi Data Systems Software and Services This appendix provides summary descriptions of many data movement products and features supported by the TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform, as well as professional services that assist customers to meet their business objectives for business continuity and operational resilience. Customers should check with Hitachi Data Systems for the latest information on available products and services. Software Hitachi Universal Replicator for TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform Powering a business continuity framework that satisfies the most demanding business continuity and uptime requirements, Universal Replicator remote replication software intelligently duplicates data among storage environments controlled through the Hitachi TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform. Universal Replicator software is a replication engine for asynchronously replicating data hosted on the Universal Storage Platform over any distance for business continuity or improved IT operations, and without the need for redundant servers or replication appliances. Hitachi Copy-on-Write Snapshot (Formerly known as Hitachi QuickShadow) Copy-on-Write Snapshot software provides logical snapshot data replication for immediate use in decision support, software testing and development, data backup, or rapid recovery operations. The high-speed, nondisruptive Copy-on-Write Snapshot software rapidly creates up to 14 point-in-time copies of any data volume within supported Hitachi storage systems or attached to the TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform. Since the snapshots only store the changed data blocks in a separate storage pool, the volume of storage capacity required for each Copy-on-Write Snapshot copy is substantially smaller than the source volume providing significant savings when compared with full cloning methods. Copy-on-Write Snapshot copies can be used for rapid data restores, application testing and development, data mining/data warehousing, or nondisruptive backup or maintenance procedures. Hitachi ShadowImage In-System Replication The high-speed, nondisruptive local mirroring technology of ShadowImage In-System Replication software rapidly creates multiple copies of mission-critical information within all Hitachi storage systems in mainframe and open systems environments. ShadowImage software keeps data RAIDprotected and fully recoverable without affecting service or performance levels. Replicated data volumes can then be split from the host applications and used for system backups, application testing, and data mining applications while business continues to run at full capacity. Hitachi TrueCopy Remote Replication TrueCopy Remote Replication software provides a host and network independent data replication solution over any distance. It rapidly copies data between Hitachi Lightning 9900 V Series enterprise storage systems or the new TagmaStore Universal Storage Platform without affecting application performance. These copies can be used for production, rapid recovery following an outage, disaster recovery, data warehousing/data mining, or migration applications. Both synchronous and asynchronous versions of TrueCopy software are available for open systems and mainframe 15

19 environments. TrueCopy software can also be integrated with ShadowImage In-System Replication software to enable robust business continuity solutions. TrueCopy synchronous remote replication capabilities also supported on Hitachi Thunder 9500 V Series modular storage systems. Hitachi Cross-System Copy (Formerly known as HiCopy) Cross-System Copy software delivers high-speed, bi-directional data movement capabilities between Hitachi storage systems. And, since Cross-System Copy software can use ShadowImage In-System Replication software copies as the source for the data movement process, it can ensure that these tasks are performed nondisruptively. Production applications can remain online during the entire process. Cross-System Copy software quickly and easily replicates, distributes, and stores data between Hitachi Lightning or Hitachi Thunder family storage systems, wherever they reside. Customers benefit from consolidated backup capabilities and the ability to move data between storage tiers, either within a data center or across remote locations. Hitachi Business Continuity Manager (Formerly known as Hitachi CopyCentral) Business Continuity Manager software offers centralized replication management for IBM z/os mainframe environments. Through a single, consistent interface based on familiar TSO/ISPF full-screen panels, Business Continuity Manager software automates ShadowImage In-System Replication and TrueCopy Remote Replication operations, enterprise-wide. Access to critical system-performance metrics and thresholds provides proactive problem avoidance and optimum performance to ensure that service-level objectives are met or exceeded. The Business Continuity Manager auto-discovery capability eliminates hours of tedious input and costly human error when configuring and protecting complex, mission-critical applications and data. Hitachi Compatible Replication for IBM! XRC (Formerly known as Hitachi Extended Remote Copy or HXRC) This z/os XRC-compatible remote replication software, a cross-license technology between Hitachi Data Systems and IBM, lets you create and share server-based remote copies between Hitachi Lightning 9900 Series and Lightning 9900 V Series enterprise storage systems and an IBM Shark. Hitachi Data Systems is the only storage vendor capable of fully supporting IBM XRC command sets. NanoCopy Technology NanoCopy is a set of unique Hitachi software functions that enable exact coordination of point-in-time copy operations across multivolume consistency groups. Application Optimized Storage Solutions Application Optimized Storage solutions from Hitachi Data Systems combine HiCommand business and application modules with legendary high-performance/high-availability Hitachi storage systems. This combination enables you to precisely match business application requirements to Hitachi storage system attributes (performance, availability, data value, and cost), leveraging the application-centric management capabilities of the Hitachi Storage Area Management (SAM) Suite. Hitachi Data Systems is uniquely qualified to deliver Application Optimized Storage solutions through: a common set of management and software tools across its entire product line; the ability to manage business applications service levels all the way to the storage device; high-performance, high-availability, highly scalable storage systems with extensive heterogeneous and secure, multiprotocol connectivity for massive consolidation and multitiered deployment. 16

20 Professional Services Overview Hitachi Data Systems Global Solution Services (GSS) group provides professional services to help keep your data safe, preparing you to maintain business continuity during both planned and unplanned downtime. To keep your critical business operations up, running, and successful, GSS leverages unique experience acquired in implementing the most demanding data protection and disaster recovery solutions for a broad range of businesses. By applying superior data mirroring and replication capabilities, best-of-breed backup, the guaranteed resiliency of Hitachi storage hardware, and proven connectivity architectures, GSS provides the continuity services that help you minimize downtime and speed recovery in the event of disaster. Risk Analysis Workshop. How well protected are your organization s information assets? Would they survive a natural or manmade disaster? How quickly could you recover from an outage? Has your organization adequately identified and prioritized risk areas? Given budgetary constraints, what types of risk (downtime and/or data loss) is your organization willing to live with? The Risk Analysis Workshop identifies, ranks, and evaluates risks specific to your business operations to provide you with a risk mitigation road map. Hitachi SplitSecond Solutions. Dramatically diminish backup time while slashing mission-critical application or database restore time from hours to minutes with Hitachi SplitSecond rapid recovery solutions. Each SplitSecond solution is designed to address specific application needs of Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SQL Server, or Oracle with a combination of services, hardware, and software. Remote Copy Planning and Design Service. This service assists customers with bandwidth decisions and distance data-replication challenges. Using Hitachi Data Systems remote replication best practices, GSS consultants produce a detailed study of the current workload and recommend the bandwidth necessary to support the remote copy environment. This includes a high-level design for remote replication solutions, as well as a detailed analysis of workload and performance characteristics to help support cost-effective bandwidth decisions. Business Continuity Software Services. These efficient services, based on Hitachi Data Systems products, address specific technology or education needs for IT enablement, implementation and education services. Tape Backup Services. Hitachi Data Systems helps you simplify the way you manage both copy and centralized backup and recovery processes. In these services, we assist with planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of your backup software, empowering you to seamlessly and costeffectively deploy, implement, and optimize backup tasks. Replication Automation Conversion Services: EMC to Hitachi Environments or PPRC to Hitachi Business Continuity Manager (formerly CopyCentral) Environments Once you ve decided to upgrade to Hitachi storage hardware and replication software, GSS can help transition your legacy replication environment to rapidly take full advantage of your new storage investment. As new storage hardware is deployed, it is important to simultaneously migrate the advanced replication functionality that your business relies on for disaster recovery. Often, these advanced software functions can act as a leash that impedes upgrades to more capable products. Hitachi Data Systems can help ease your transition so you can enjoy the benefits of the new hardware and software more quickly and efficiently. 17

21 Appendix B: Bibliography and Resources White Papers Disaster Recovery Issues and Solutions by Roselinda R. Schulman, Hitachi Data Systems white paper. Addressing Federal Government Disaster Recovery Requirements with Hitachi Storage by Claus Mikkelsen and Tom Attanese, Hitachi Data Systems technology positioning white paper. Universal Replicator Advanced Technology, Hitachi Data Systems white paper. Books Disaster Recovery Planning (3rd Edition) by Jon William Toigo ISBN: Business Continuity: Best Practices (2nd Edition) by Andrew Hiles ISBN: Web Sites Contingency Planning and Management Continuity Central Disaster Recovery Journal DRI International (Disaster Recovery Institute) 18

22 Hitachi Data Systems Corporation Corporate Headquarters 750 Central Expressway Santa Clara, California U.S.A. Phone: info@hds.com Asia Pacific and Latin America 750 Central Expressway Santa Clara, California U.S.A. Phone: info@hds.com Europe Headquarters Sefton Park Stoke Poges Buckinghamshire SL2 4HD United Kingdom Phone: + 44 (0) info.eu@hds.com Hitachi Data Systems is registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a trademark and service mark of Hitachi, Ltd. The Hitachi Data Systems logotype is a trademark and service mark of Hitachi, Ltd. HiCommand is a registered trademark of Hitachi, Ltd. Thunder 9500, TagmaStore, Application Optimized Storage, Lightning 9900, NanoCopy, ShadowImage, Universal Star Network, and TrueCopy are trademarks of Hitachi Data Systems Corporation. All other trade names, trademarks, and service marks used herein are the rightful property of their respective owners. All other company names are, or may be, trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. Notice: This document is for informational purposes only, and does not set forth any warranty, express or implied, concerning any equipment or service offered or to be offered by Hitachi Data Systems. This document describes some capabilities that are conditioned on a maintenance contract with Hitachi Data Systems being in effect, and that may be configuration-dependent, and features that may not be currently available. Contact your local Hitachi Data Systems sales office for information on feature and product availability. Hitachi Data Systems sells and licenses its products subject to certain terms and conditions, including limited warranties. To see a copy of these terms and conditions prior to purchase or license, please go to or call your local sales representative to obtain a printed copy. If you purchase or license the product, you are deemed to have accepted these terms and conditions. 2004, Hitachi Data Systems Corporation. All Rights Reserved. WHP September