HP VSA Snapshot Questions

[apsomas]

Hello , 

We have 3 VSA working with HP DL110 G7 for taking remote snapshots for our main Hp Lefthand 4500 Storage

In one of these 3 VSA in these last days i take some error like "  The snapshot schedule 'EF-1-07-HVI1-CSV4_Sch_RS_2_Rmt' pause status in cluster 'VSACluster02' is 'Backlog Warning'.  The schedule backlog may cause the schedule to be paused. " 

After a while the snapshot shedule go to pause mode and after some time again it unpauses . 

Is there an explanation why this happens ? 

The other 2 VSA is identicaly and they dont have this problem when taking remote snapshots . 

Another question 

If i paused a schedule , how can i forced it again to start when i unpaused it ? 

Thanks

[oikjn]

right clicking on the schedule gives you the option to pause and resume a schedule.

sounds like you might not have enough bandwidth to complete the schedule at the frequency you are looking for.  Do you see any progress on the snapshots?

You can always try leaving that schedule alone and creating a 2nd schedule to snapshot to the same location and see if that one works.

I can't say I totally understand why you have three VSAs at the remote location that are independent of eachother.  What was the point of that?  Why aren't they in the same management group and in the same cluster? 

[apsomas]

Hello and thanks for your answer, 

So, 

right clicking on the schedule gives you the option to pause and resume a schedule

If i pause the schedule and then resume it it will not start immediately but it will start when the shedule is set up. I want to force a schedule to start immediately if i can. 

sounds like you might not have enough bandwidth to complete the schedule at the frequency you are looking for.  Do you see any progress on the snapshots?

Can you explain this to me a little more ? If i understand right you mean that because of bandwidth limitation the remote snapshot takes to long to complete so the next one from the schedule starts? I take my snapshots every 24 hours . As i see the snapshots finishes in time . But some of them get paused with backlog error and starts again after some time . 

Is there a way to force start again the snapshot when it gets paused ? 

I can't say I totally understand why you have three VSAs at the remote location that are independent of eachother.  What was the point of that?  Why aren't they in the same management group and in the same cluster? 

For start i must say that i used the 3 vsa for backup data of my main lefthand . Each machine is 8Tb usable storage so thats why i have 3 of them . I have 30 TB of Storage in my main LeftHand 4500 . 

Thanks again 

[oikjn]

I don't think there is a way to force the schedule to start other than modify the schedule start time to be much sooner and then after it starts, modify it again to go back to the correct time.  In the alternative, you can just make a normal remote snapshot at that time and it would mesh with the schedule so the size isn't significantly more, but you will have to remember to manually delete that snapshot.

if you have 100GB you want to transfer ever 24 hours, but it takes you 36 hours to make the transfer, then your 2nd snapshot will fail (or get paused) because the systems can't accept a 2nd snapshot before the first is completed.  This is generally called a backlog.  Are you 100% sure all three snapshots are actually getting to 100% before the 24 hour mark?  when you are connected to both management groups, it should tell you exactly how long each snapshot took when you look at the remote snapshot tab for each volume.  Verify they are all finishing in time.  The only reason a snapshot typically pauses is either a backlog w/ a previous snap or the two management groups lost communication between them which typically means you have a VPN/internet problem.

Are the three VSAs in one cluster or three seporate ones?  Normally they would be in one cluster to create a large storage pool, but the way your first post is written it sounds like each VSA is independent which is a very strange configuration unless each VSA is at a different site.

A typical setup woudl be:

Primary Site -> x# VSA's in a management group -> same # VSA's in a cluster (unless you have many VSAs and are doing tiering) -> y# of LUNS.

Backup Site -> z# VSA's in a management group -> same # VSA's in a cluster (unless you have many VSAs and are doing tiering) -> linked remote snapshot LUNs.