This section provides a high-level overview of the steps required to set up cross-replication between two systems. In cross-replication, each system acts as both a backup source and a replication target. As part of the setup process, you will create a secure tunnel for optimized, secure communication between the two systems. When creating this secure tunnel, you will designate one system as the secure tunnel source (ST source) and the other as the secure tunnel target (ST target). The larger of the two systems is the better choice for a secure tunnel target, but if they are the same model, either will work fine. Before beginning the setup process, decide which system you will designate as the ST source and which you will designate as the ST target.
The procedure described here is performed using the Replication Wizard. Replication setup requires you to access the wizard from both the ST source and ST target systems. This procedure divides cross-replication setup into several parts that minimize the need for switching between the two systems.
Before beginning the setup process, perform the following:
| 1 | See Replication requirements to verify that all requirements have been met for the source and target systems. |
| 2 | Make sure you know the hostname and IP address for both the source and target systems. To view a system’s hostname in the Administrator Interface, select Settings > Clients, Networking, and Notifications < Networks > Hostname. |
| 3 | Make sure the IP addresses and ports in use on your network will not conflict with the default settings for the secure tunnel that you will create for optimized, secure communication between the source and target systems. The secure tunnel uses the following settings: |
| • | Secure Tunnel IP: 172.17.3.0 |
| • | Netmask: 255.255.255.0 |
| • | Port: 1194 |
If the network settings conflict with your environment, you can change them when creating the secure tunnel as part of the setup process.
Important! Do not use this procedure for systems running version 7.0.0 or 7.1.x. Upgrade to the latest release or, if this is not possible, configure replication as described in KB 3174. Do not use this procedure for source systems that are configured for legacy vaulting. If your system is vaulting data, see Upgrading from legacy vaulting to replication.
To set up cross-replication between two systems
A high-level overview of the standard replication setup process is given here. Proceed to the sections that follow for detailed procedures associated with each high-level step.
Note: Use the Replication Wizard for easy setup. If you are familiar with setting up replication from the WAN Settings or Secure Tunnel Settings page, this is still supported. For details on using these pages, see KB 3174.
| Step 1: | Configure encryption on the replication target |
Configure encryption on the replication target
| Step 2: | (Optional) Add a logical device to associate with a source system |
(Optional) Add a logical device to associate with a source system
When setting up replication, adding a logical device is optional. If you do not add a logical device, replicated backups are stored on the default backup device. This works just fine, especially for targets with one replicating source system.
For targets with multiple replicating sources, you can opt to associate sources with specific logical devices. You can associate each source with its own device, or associate multiple sources to a given device, grouping them as desired. If you do not define associations, replicated backups for all sources are stored together on the default device.
Before adding a logical device that will be associated to a source system, note the following requirements and considerations:
| • | The device must support deduplication. Unitrends’ devices support deduplication by default. Note that if you have disabled deduplication, logical device association to a source is not supported. |
| • | The device must be at least 128 GB in size to be used for replicated backup storage. When associating a device to the source system, only devices that meet this size requirement display in the list. |
| • | Once a device is associated to a source, you can remove or modify the association at any time. |
| • | Upon removing the association, subsequent jobs are written to the default backup device. Jobs in progress are not impacted, they are written to the original device. |
| • | Upon modifying the association, subsequent jobs are written to the newly specified device. Jobs in progress are not impacted, they are written to the original device. |
| • | Upon changing the default device (designating another device as the new default), the new default is used for all sources for which an association is NOT defined. No change is made to sources that have been explicitly associated with a device. |
| • | Replicated backups remain on the device to which they were originally written. Modifying or removing an association does not migrate existing replicated backups. |
To create a logical device for a replication source
Add a logical device to the replication target as described in To add a device. You will associate the source to this device later in the replication setup procedure.
| Step 3: | Configure the ST source system for cross-replication and grant management privilege to the ST target |
Configure the ST source system for cross-replication and grant management privilege to the ST target
In cross-replication, each system acts as both a source and a target. Each system must grant management permission to the other to allow various replication operations. Begin cross-replication setup by configuring the ST source system and granting remote management privilege to the ST target system.
To configure the ST source system for cross-replication
| 1 | Verify that all requirements have been met. See Replication requirements. |
| 2 | Open a browser and connect to the ST source system. |
| 3 | Select Replication > Replication Wizard. On the welcome page, click Next to begin cross-replication setup. |
| 4 | The wizard asks how you would like to configure the system. Click Cross-Replication so it is highlighted. Click Next. |
| 5 | If you have not configured the system for cross-replication, the wizard prompts you to change the installation type. Select Install as a local backup system and a vault (Cross-Replication). (If you have already configured the system for cross-replication, the wizard skips to the next step.) ClickNext. |
| 6 | The wizard asks you to select a source to replicate to the ST source. Perform one of the following: |
| • | If the ST target system has not been added to the ST source system’s hosts file, select Add a new Source in the drop-down menu. Enter the hostname and IP address of the ST target in the specified fields. Be sure to enter the hostname exactly as it displays in the hosts file on the ST target. Click Next. |
| • | If the ST target system has already been added to the ST source system’s hosts file, select it in the drop-down menu. Click Next. |
To grant management privilege
| 7 | Check the box that reads I agree that ST target can manage my system. This allows the ST target system to manage the ST source. Click Next to begin creating a secure tunnel. |
| 8 | The wizard asks if you would like the ST source to be the secure tunnel target. Select No, I would prefer ST target to be the Secure Tunnel Target and ST source to be the Secure Tunnel Source. Click Next. |
| 9 | The wizard prompts you to generate a secure tunnel certificate request. Click Generate Request. This generates a signing request file. Click Okay, and save the file, <STsource>.csr in a convenient location. |
The wizard proceeds to the Configure the Secure Tunnel on the Source System step. To continue with cross-replication setup, proceed to Configure the ST target system and create a secure tunnel.
| Step 4: | Configure the ST target system and create a secure tunnel |
Configure the ST target system and create a secure tunnel
After configuring the system role for the ST source and granting management privilege to the ST target, you must configure the ST target and create the secure tunnel. For more information about secure tunnels, see About replication.
To configure the ST target system
| 1 | Verify that all requirements have been met. See Replication requirements. |
| 2 | Open a new tab in your browser, and connect to the ST target system. |
| 3 | Select Replication > Replication Wizard. On the welcome page, click Next to begin cross-replication setup. |
| 4 | The wizard asks how you would like to configure the system. Click Cross-Replication so it is highlighted. Click Next. |
| 5 | If you have not configured the system for cross-replication, the wizard prompts you to change the installation type. Select Install as a local backup system and a vault (Cross-Replication). (If you have already configured the system for cross-replication, the wizard skips to the next step.) Click Next. |
| 6 | The wizard asks you to select a source to replicate to the ST source. Perform one of the following: |
| • | If the ST target system has not been added to the ST source system’s hosts file, select Add a new Source in the drop-down menu. Enter the hostname and IP address of the ST source system in the specified fields. Be sure to enter the hostname exactly as it displays in the hosts file on the ST source. Click Next. |
| • | If the ST target system has already been added to the ST source system’s hosts file, select it in the drop-down menu. Click Next. |
To create a secure tunnel
| 7 | Check the box that reads I agree that STsource can manage my system. This allows the ST source system to manage the ST target. ClickNext to begin creating a secure tunnel. |
| 8 | The wizard asks if you would like the ST target system to be the secure tunnel target. Select Yes, I would like STtargetto be the Secure Tunnel Target and STsource to be the Secure Tunnel Source. Click Next. |
| 9 | At the top of the Create Secure Tunnel Target page, the network settings for the connection display. These settings are used to create the secure tunnel interface. Use the default IP, subnet, and port unless these settings cause a conflict in your environment. If necessary, enter your own values. Click Create a Secure Tunnel Target. |
Note: If the cross-replication setup process is interrupted after step 10, the wizard will automatically skip this step when you start over with the setup process. This is not an error, as a secure tunnel can only be created once. When the wizard skips this step, proceed to step .
| 12 | You are prompted to save the Certificate Authority file. Click Okay and save the file called <STtarget>-ca.crt in a convenient location. |
| 13 | You are prompted to send the certificate files and other information to the secure tunnel source system for final configuration. Click Okay. |
To continue replication setup, you must return to the ST source system and configure the secure tunnel. Proceed to Configure the secure tunnel for cross-replication.
| Step 5: | Configure the secure tunnel for cross-replication |
Configure the secure tunnel for cross-replication
Perform these steps to configure the secure tunnel.
To configure the secure tunnel
| 1 | Switch to the ST source system in your browser to view the Configure the Secure Tunnel on the Source System step. Click Complete Configuration. |
| 2 | You see a message asking you to complete the Secure Tunnel configuration and sign the Source System Certificate. Click Okay. |
| 3 | You are prompted to browse and open the <STtarget>.ca.crt file. When you open the file, a message displays stating that you have successfully loaded the CA certificate. |
| 4 | Click Okay to load the signed Secure Tunnel certificate file. You are prompted to browse and open the <STsource>.<STtarget>.crt file. Open this file to complete Secure Tunnel configuration on the ST source system. |
| 5 | Click Okay to acknowledge that the configuration is complete. |
| 6 | Click Next to continue. Cross-replication setup is almost complete. You are now ready to add the two systems to each other’s grids. Start by switching back to the ST Target in your browser and adding the ST Source to its grid, as explained in Add each system to the other system grid. |
| Step 6: | Add each system to the other system grid |
Add each system to the other system grid
Once the secure tunnel has been created and configured, you can add the two systems to each other’s grids. This procedure requires you to switch between the ST source and ST target systems.
To add each system to the other system grid
| 1 | Switch to the ST target in your browser to view the Configuring a Secure Tunnel step. Click Next. |
| 2 | Using the drop-down menus in the Add Source to Target step, select a customer and location for the ST source or use the default values provided. If you have multiple backup devices on the ST target system, select the device where you would like backups to replicate. Click Next. |
| 3 | Return to the ST source and view the Add Source to Target step. In the drop-down menus, select a customer and location for the ST target or use the default values provided. If you have multiple backup devices on the ST source system, select the device where you would like backups to replicate. Click Next. |
| 4 | The wizard displays the Select a System to configure step. You are now ready to tune attributes and configure clients for each system. To continue, choose one of the following options: |
| • | If you would like to define replication attributes, such as reporting and bandwidth throttling, proceed to Tune cross-replication attributes. |
| • | If replication attributes are already configured for both systems, select Neither, I’m done with configuring replication. The wizard informs you that replication setup is complete for the ST source. Click Finish to exit the wizard. Return to the ST target to complete the replication setup. You see the step asking which system you would like to configure attributes on. Select Neither, I’m done with configuring replication. Then click Finish to exit the Replication Wizard. |
| Step 7: | Tune cross-replication attributes |
Tune cross-replication attributes
Once the systems are added to each other’s grids, replication configuration is almost complete. You can now tune each system to perform optimally given the bandwidth available for replication.
The Replication Wizard allows you to perform these configurations from either system, but to simplify the setup process, these instructions ask you to configure attributes for the ST source from the ST source system and for the ST target from the ST target system.
To set cross-replication attributes
| 1 | Stay in the browser on the ST source system and view the Select a System to configure step. Select the ST source system, and click Next. |
| 2 | In the Replication Report Options section, enter the following to receive email reports: |
| • | The time to receive the report in the Time to Send Report field. |
| • | The email address in the Report Email Address field. |
Note: If you want to receive an email Replication report, you must enter values in each of these fields.
| 3 | In the Bandwidth and Throttling Options section, configure the following: |
| • | Connection Type – The connection’s theoretical physical bandwidth. If your specific connection is not in the list, pick the closest upstream bandwidth match. |
| • | Connection Effective Bandwidth – What you expect the actual bandwidth of the physical connection to be. |
| • | Throttling Settings – Use the grid to configure settings. |
Throttling is simply the act of responsibly sharing the bandwidth of the WAN by which the Unitrends’ target provides replication and disaster recovery services. Set the weekly replication schedule using the graphical tool consisting of 7x24 small boxes that represent each hour of the week.
Multiple throttling scenarios can be configured. Select the throttle percentage, then click and drag the mouse pointer to highlight the days and times to use the selected percentage. Perform this step as many times as needed to fully configure throttling scenarios. The percentage you select uses X percent of the Connection Effective Bandwidth you set above for replication.
Note: Throttling is enforced in one-second intervals. There could be spikes in bandwidth consumed within a fraction of a second causing utilization to exceed the level you set here.
| 4 | Click Next to accept the settings. The Configure Replication of the Source’s Clients step displays. Proceed to Configure clients and applications for cross-replication. |
| Step 8: | Configure clients and applications for cross-replication |
Configure clients and applications for cross-replication
A backup for a client is replicated if the following conditions are satisfied:
| • | Replication is enabled for the client or its application backups. See To configure clients and applications for cross-replication for instructions. |
| • | The client backups are located on a disk device. |
| • | The client backups are successful. |
To configure clients and applications for cross-replication
| 1 | Use the check boxes to select all clients whose backups are to be replicated to the other system. Once you select a client, any subsequent file-level and bare metal backups will replicate. Click Next. |
After clicking Next, the system makes changes to all clients whose replication setting you checked or unchecked. This process can take a few seconds to several minutes depending on the number of clients.
Note: Clients hosting NDMP volumes, virtual machines, or application such as Exchange, Oracle, or SQL must be configured for replication in the next step. Backups of NDMP volumes, virtual machines, and application databases will not replicate if you configure only the client and not the application.
| 2 | Select applications whose backups are to be replicated to the other system. Use the Navigation pane on the left to select an application, then use the check boxes to select which databases and virtual machines to replicate. After making all desired selections, click Next. |
Note: If you add databases, virtual machines, or NDMP volumes to your backup system after setting up replication, their backups will not automatically replicate. You must configure them for replication using the procedure described in To replicate application backups.
| 3 | The replication wizard asks if you would like to configure attributes on another system. Select Neither, I’m done with configuring replication. Click Next. The wizard informs you that replication setup is complete. Click Finish to exit the wizard and complete replication setup for the ST source system. |
| 4 | Switch the ST Target system in your browser. Continue from step 2 of To set cross-replication attributes . |
| 5 | When replication attributes have been configured for both systems, select Neither, I’m done with configuring replication and click Next. Click Finish to complete the Replication Wizard setup. |
You are finished with replication setup. For clients and applications that you have selected for replication, all successful backups completed after replication setup will be replicated to the target system. The replication queue scheme is set to Recency, so the most recent backups are replicated first. This is the recommended approach, but you can change the setting to Maximum Retention, where backups are added to the end of the replication queue as they complete, or Manual, which enables you to add backups to the replication queue manually. For details, see Configuring connection options and process control.
It is also recommended that for large data sets you seed the initial data set to the target using removable media. This greatly reduces the time required to replicate the first backups. For details, see Seeding the initial data set.