Re: Thoughts on VTL solutions

OK I think we have a solution which I have proposed to the vendor based on
some of their suggestions.

1. Site A has ProtecTier
2, Site B has ProtecTier replicated (DR site)

We install a VTL (maybe DSI) at site B and connect over FC to the FC fabric
at site B. It could either be connected to the second Power server or has
been suggested, to the PTL VTL.

Then if it's to the Power server we run DUPMEDBRM on the Power box to copy
over all the backups (22TB). But while they will come out of the PTL in
full size, they should be de-duped going back into the DSI VTL. Once done
we ship the VTL to the other site (some 2500km away)

Alternatively it's been suggested we connect the new VTL to the PTL one and
run a vendor tool to copy across the backups. The vendor says they have a
tool that can do that.

So the Power box is not involved. Since the Power server and the PTL are I
think connected to the same FC switch, I am not sure if it makes much
difference except the second option does not rely on any CPU cycles on the
Power server.

Across the WAN it was going to be FC over IP and while the equipment for
that might be in place already (not sure) it would take time as noted. We
are considering physical shipping since the second VTL can encrypt the data
and by the time we do this, there might be more flights available with the
ease of lockdown from Covid19. Plus the VTL is only 2U I think.

On Sat, May 23, 2020 at 1:52 AM DrFranken <midrange@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> But we are also thinking of doing
> this over a WAN at 200Mbs since the new Power infrastructure is in a
> different geo so this would save shipping the VTL. So time is now
> going to be relevant.

Well for 22TB My math says 305.6 hours at 200 Mbps if you can actually
use all 200Mb for the entire time perfectly. Yep that's 12 1/2 days.
And this is unlikely to be the case, expect 1/3 more at least.

But that may be irrelevant because how would you connect the FC across
the WAN? You can do this yes but it requires quite specialized (read:
"Expensive") equipment to do that and likely you wouldn't need it once
the transfer was complete.

To get the data to move over IP you'd have to get the data into IBM i,
then copy it to the remote IBM i and then resave it to the new VTL. It's
just not likely the two VTLs will communicate directly with IP as they
are different vendors. But we've already kicked that dead horse!!

- Larry "DrFranken" Bolhuis