Replicated snapshot LUN not visible to EXSi

[danishalke]

I am using Napp-it zfs appliance for creating LUNs and replicating Snapshots.
I have replicated snapshot of LUN from local sevrer to remote server . Now i want to use that snapshot from remote server. i created lun from that snapshot on the remote server, but its not visible to VMware ESxi. When i scan all HBA on ESxi , it does not show anything. Esxi and remote nappit appliance are directly connected.

 

[gea]

I am using Napp-it zfs appliance for creating LUNs and replicating Snapshots.
I have replicated snapshot of LUN from local sevrer to remote server . Now i want to use that snapshot from remote server. i created lun from that snapshot on the remote server, but its not visible to VMware ESxi. When i scan all HBA on ESxi , it does not show anything. Esxi and remote nappit appliance are directly connected.

Beside the fact that I would prefer NFS datastores for ESXi due to its easyness at similar performance, you cannot replicate a LUN but a ZFS filesystem or a ZFS volume (Zvol) only.

If you replicate a Zvol it should be visible under iSCSI in menu ZFS filesystems as off(vol).
This means, there is a volume that is not shared via iSCSI.

You should then be able to share it then when you click on it. (readonly should be set to disabled automatically and the Zvol imported). This is on a current napp-it release 0.9e1+ where iSCSI sharing is a property of a ZFS filesystem. On older versions you need to import the LU in menu Comstar.

see

 

[danishalke]

Hi Gea

Just make it very simple... i create one volume vol1 on server1 under pool1. create LUN using comstar and create virtual machines on that using ESXi.

Now i take a snapshot of that Vol1 and replicate it to server3 (remote server) using ZFS send pool1/vol1@now | server3 zfs recv pool3/vol1.

its works fine. i recieved a snapshot on remote server. if i create a job to get incremental backup.. it also works really fine. server3 recieved all incremental snapshots.

In case if site1 with server1 goes down. I want to use remote server with all the snapshots. As you said that its not possibel to create LUN from snapshote then wat to do with those snapshots.

2nd thing is As i see that, i have recieved all those snapshots from server1 and i can create LUN using those snapshots under comstar. Because that snapshot also create volume on remote storage as pool3/vol1. But the problem is ...when i scan LUN on esxi attched to server3.. it does not detect that LUN.

I have all the snapshots... can i have your email address. ? i will send you by mail.

 

[wildchild]

You can and should map the lun with the same guid.. Else vmware thinks it needs to reformat.
A lun also have a view, dont forget to create that too

 

[gea]

Hi Gea

Just make it very simple... i create one volume vol1 on server1 under pool1. create LUN using comstar and create virtual machines on that using ESXi.

Now i take a snapshot of that Vol1 and replicate it to server3 (remote server) using ZFS send pool1/vol1@now | server3 zfs recv pool3/vol1.

its works fine. i recieved a snapshot on remote server. if i create a job to get incremental backup.. it also works really fine. server3 recieved all incremental snapshots.

In case if site1 with server1 goes down. I want to use remote server with all the snapshots. As you said that its not possibel to create LUN from snapshote then wat to do with those snapshots.

2nd thing is As i see that, i have recieved all those snapshots from server1 and i can create LUN using those snapshots under comstar. Because that snapshot also create volume on remote storage as pool3/vol1. But the problem is ...when i scan LUN on esxi attched to server3.. it does not detect that LUN.

I have all the snapshots... can i have your email address. ? i will send you by mail.

If you zfs send a filesystem or zvol you create a new filesystem or zvol on your target server. In case of a zvol you can create a new LU from this zvol (not from a snap of the zvol). During creation you can use a new GUID or you can use the same GUID that you have used on your source filesystem. This will NOT destroy existing data.

The target snaps are only needed as base for the next incremental replications. Do not forget to disable read only on the target zvol and to disable the replication job. Next you need a view from this LU to a target group (or any) and a target.