As it takes only a few seconds to establish the FlashCopy relationships for tens to hundreds or more volume pairs. The copy is then immediately available for both read and write access. In a 24×7 environment, the quickness of the FlashCopy operation allows us to use FlashCopy in very large environments and to take multiple FlashCopies of the same volume for use with different applications. Some of the different uses of FlashCopy are shown in Figure 1-2.

FlashCopy is suitable for the following:

_ Production backup system:

A FlashCopy of the production data allows data recovery from an older level of data. This might be necessary due to a user error or a logical application error. Let us assume that a user deleted accidentally a customer record.…

The Point-in-Time Copy feature, which includes FlashCopy, enables you to create full volume copies of data in a storage unit. When you set up a FlashCopy operation, a relationship is established between the source and target volumes, and a bitmap of the source volume is created. Once this relationship and bitmap are created, the target volume can be accessed as though all the data had been physically copied. While a relationship between the source and target volume exists, optionally, a background process copies the tracks from the source to the target volume.

When a FlashCopy operation is invoked, it takes only a few seconds to complete the process of establishing the FlashCopy pair and creating the necessary control bitmaps. Thereafter, you have access to a point-in-time copy of the source volume.…

Copy Services are a collection of functions that provide for disaster recovery, data migration, and data duplication functions. There are two primary types of Copy Services functions: Point-in-Time Copy and Remote Mirror and Copy.

Generally, the Point-in-Time Copy functions are used for data duplication, and the Remote Mirror and Copy functions are used for data migration and disaster recovery.

With the Copy Services functions, for example, you can create backup data with little or no disruption to your application, and you can back up your application data to the remote site for disaster recovery.

Copy Services run on the DS8000 Storage Unit and support open systems and System z environments. A subset of these functions is supported also on the previous generation of disk storage systems, the IBM TotalStorage Enterprise Storage Server (ESS).…

In Netapp & IBM Nseries filers  and gateways (Or any storage running the Data ONTAP and using the WAFL File system) you might face a volume or aggregate inconsistency.  Its sad to say if you had this you will need to plan a downtime on the filer or the gateway to fix this. This seems to be more popular on large volumes & aggregate. I had usually seen this mostly on Volumes or Aggregates larges than 1TB.  Further more its wide spread on filers and gateways running earlier version of Data ONTAP prior to 7.2.4. If you are still running a Data ONTAP prior to 7.2.4 I highly recommend you update to 7.2.6.1.

Ah all that have been said let’s see what do u do if you already have a volume or an aggregates going in restricted mode and showing inconsistent.…

Ok this might sound to be a silly task, but when you need to perform it, you might get frustrated. Actually several times we had to move or reassign disks to a different node/filer in our IBM Nseries Cluster. If you are not aware of the IBM Nseries then all I need to tell you its a Netapp box oemed as IBM. So again this post apply to N-Series as well Netapp clustered filers.

You might want to reassign a disk to a different N-Series Controller or Netapp filler what ever your vendor want to call it as long its running a data Ontap then the procedure is the same. When I first thought of this, I thought it will be something like disk unassign on the filler to remove the disk from.…