Data Replication

Data replication between the primary volume and the secondary volume is managed by the controllers and is transparent to host machines and applications. When the controller owner of the primary volume receives a write request from a host, the controller first logs information about the write to a mirror repository volume, then writes the data to the primary volume. The controller then initiates a remote write operation to copy the affected data blocks to the secondary volume at the secondary storage array.

After the host write request has been written to the primary volume and the data has been successfully copied to the secondary volume, the controller removes the log record on the mirror repository volume and sends an I/O completion indication back to the host system.

Volume Copy

This is a premium feature of the storage management software and must be enabled either by you or your storage vendor. The Volume Copy premium feature is used to copy data from one volume (the source) to another volume (the target) in a single storage array.

This feature can be used to back up data, to copy data from volume groups that use smaller capacity drives to volume groups that use larger capacity drives, or to restore snapshot volume data to the base volume. For detailed information on this premium feature, refer to the Array Management Window online help or to the SANtricity Storage Manager Volume Copy Feature Guide.

Source Volume

When you create a volume copy, a copy pair is created and consists of a source volume and a target volume located on the same storage array. The source volume is the volume that accepts host I/O and stores application data, and can be a standard volume, snapshot volume, base volume of a snapshot volume, or a Remote Volume Mirror primary volume.

Note – IMPORTANT If a primary volume is selected as the source volume for a volume copy, you must ensure that the capacity of the target volume is equal to, or greater than the usable capacity of the primary volume. The usable capacity for the primary volume is the minimum of the primary and secondary volume's actual capacities.

When a volume copy is started, data from the source volume is copied in its entirety to the target volume. While the volume copy has a status of In Progress, Pending, or Failed, the source volume is available for read I/O activity. After the volume copy is completed, write requests are allowed to the source volume.

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Sun Microsystems 5310 NAS manual Data Replication, Volume Copy
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5310 NAS specifications

Sun Microsystems, known for its innovative computing solutions, launched the Sun 5310 Network Attached Storage (NAS) system, which marked a significant advancement in the realm of storage solutions in the early 2000s. The 5310 NAS was designed to provide high-performance, reliable, and scalable storage tailored for enterprise environments.

One of the standout features of the Sun 5310 NAS is its file-serving capabilities, which support multiple protocols, notably NFS (Network File System) and CIFS (Common Internet File System). This dual-protocol support allowed organizations to seamlessly integrate the NAS into diverse IT ecosystems, facilitating interoperability between UNIX, Linux, and Windows systems. The enhanced file-sharing capabilities made it an ideal solution for businesses with mixed operating environments.

The Sun 5310 NAS incorporates cutting-edge technologies to ensure high availability and data integrity. The system utilized a RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) technology, providing various RAID levels to protect against data loss while optimizing performance. Additionally, the device featured hot-swappable drives, enabling maintenance and upgrades with minimal downtime, a crucial factor for business continuity.

Equipped with advanced management software, the Sun 5310 NAS offered users an intuitive interface for monitoring storage health and performance. This software included comprehensive reporting functionalities that allowed IT administrators to oversee usage patterns and capacity planning efficiently.

Scalability was another defining characteristic of the Sun 5310 NAS. The system could easily expand with additional storage modules, accommodating the growing needs of an organization without the necessity for complete system overhauls. This flexibility ensured that businesses could adapt their storage solutions to meet evolving data storage needs without incurring significant costs or disruptions.

In terms of performance, the Sun 5310 NAS featured high I/O throughput achieved through its robust hardware architecture and optimized file serving capabilities. This performance baseline was crucial for organizations that relied on heavy data workloads and required rapid access to information.

In summary, the Sun 5310 NAS from Sun Microsystems embodied a forward-thinking approach to network storage, blending reliability, scalability, and multi-protocol support. Its user-friendly management software, combined with the robustness of RAID technology and hot-swappable drives, made it a preferred choice for enterprises looking to streamline their storage infrastructure while safeguarding critical data.
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