HyperSwap system configuration details

Edit online

When used with HyperSwap® (copytype activeactive) relationships to create HyperSwap volumes, these configurations can be used to maintain access to data on the system when power failures or site-wide outages occur.

In a HyperSwap configuration, each site is defined as an independent failure domain. If one site experiences a failure, then the other site can continue to operate without disruption. You must also configure another site to host a quorum device or IP quorum application that provides an automatic tie-break in a link failure between the two main sites. The main site can be in the same room or adjacent rooms in the data center, buildings on the same campus, or buildings in different cities. Different kinds of sites protect against different types of failures.

Two sites within a single location: If two sites have a different power phase within a single location or data center, the system can survive the failure of any single power domain. For example, one node can be placed in one rack installation and the other node can be in another rack. Each rack is considered a separate site with its own power phase. In this case, if power was lost to one of the racks, the partner node in the other rack might be configured to process requests. The partner node can effectively provide availability to data even when the other node is offline due to a power disruption.
Two sites at separate locations: If each site is in a different physical location, the system can survive the failure of any single location. These sites can span shorter distances, for example two sites in the same city, or they can be spread farther geographically, such as two sites in separate cities. If one site experiences a site-wide disaster, the remaining site can remain available to process requests.
Two sites with a third site for disaster recovery: In this configuration, the two sites can be either within a same data center or at separate, physical locations, but a third site is configured to provide disaster recovery. This configuration requires IBM Spectrum Virtualize 3-Site Orchestrator, a separate Linux® application that runs on a separate host or virtual server within the network.

If configured properly, the system continues to operate after the loss of one site. The key prerequisite is that each site contains one of the control enclosures that are used to access copies of the HyperSwap volume. In the management GUI, the Modify System Topology wizard simplifies setting up HyperSwap system topology. After you complete the wizard, you have a HyperSwap system that spans the two configured sites with I/O groups, hosts, and external storage assigned to each site. In addition, the HyperSwap volume wizard automatically creates HyperSwap (copy_type activeactive) relationships and change volumes to manage replication between sites.

If you are using IBM Spectrum Virtualize 3-Site Orchestrator to include a third site for disaster recovery more configuration steps are required before you create HyperSwap volumes. If you are using IBM Spectrum Virtualize 3-Site Orchestrator to include a third site for disaster recovery more configuration steps are required before you configure HyperSwap volumes.

The system supports both Fibre Channel and Ethernet connections between nodes with a HyperSwap system. Ethernet connections are only supported through RDMA-capable adapters that must be installed and configured on each node within the HyperSwap system. If you are planning on extending your HyperSwap configuration with IBM Spectrum Virtualize 3-Site Orchestrator to a third site for disaster recovery, only Fibre Channel connections are supported between nodes in a HyperSwap system.

HyperSwap system configurations support Fibre Channel, Ethernet (iSCSI or iSER), NVM Express® (NVMe) over Fibre Channel, NVMe over RDMA host attachments.