Scenario: Converting to node replication from import and export operations

You are exporting client node data from one or more servers and importing the data to another server for disaster recovery. You want to achieve the same results by replicating data. In this scenario, the server that was exporting data is to be the source replication server. The server where the data was imported is to be the target replication server.

Before you begin

Client node data that was exported and imported must be synchronized between the source and target replication servers. You set up client nodes to synchronize their data as part of the process of configuring nodes for replication. Data is synchronized the first time that replication occurs. To synchronize data, the data must be imported to the disaster recovery server by using ABSOLUTE as the value for the DATES parameter on the IMPORT NODE command.

Procedure

To convert from import and export operations to replication operations, complete the following steps:

Set up server definitions for the source and target replication servers: Step 1: Setting up server-to-server communications
Specify the server to which you are importing data as the target replication server: Step 2: Specifying a target replication server
On the source replication server, issue the UPDATE NODE command:
1. Specify REPLSTATE=ENABLED or REPLSTATE=DISABLED. Disabling replication means that replication does not occur until you enable it.
2. Specify REPLMODE=SYNCSEND.
To update the definitions for all the nodes that are defined to the source replication server, issue the following command.
```
update node * replstate=enabled replmode=syncsend
```
On the target replication server, issue the UPDATE NODE command and specify REPLMODE=SYNCRECEIVE and REPLSTATE=ENABLED:
```
update node * replmode=syncreceive replstate=enabled
```
If necessary, modify the file-space, client-node, and server replication rules: Changing replication rules.
Replicate the data that belongs to your nodes: Replicating data by command
After all data is synchronized, the REPLMODE parameter in the client node definition on the source replication server is set to SEND. The REPLMODE parameter in the client node definition on the target replication server is set to RECEIVE.

What to do next

Important: You cannot display information about running replication processes for client nodes that are being converted from import and export operations to replication operations. The conversion process might run for a long time, but it occurs only once for a client node that is being converted.

After you set up a basic replication configuration, you can change file space, client-node, and server replication rules. To replicate data, issue the REPLICATE NODE command in an administrative schedule or on a command line.