Unisphere for PowerMax: SRDF establish action for SRDF Metro devices defaulting to use device bias when vWitness is available
Summary: With Unisphere for PowerMax, trying to run an establish on an SRDF/Metro protected Storage Group with the Array > Storage > Storage Groups view, the checkbox for use witness is grayed out even if the witness is in alive state. See screenshot. ...
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Symptoms
With Unisphere for PowerMax 9.x, trying to run an establish of an SRDF/Metro protected Storage Group with the Array > Storage > Storage Groups view, the checkbox for Protected By witness is grayed out, even if there is a witness available for selection.
In the above screenshot, only Protected By Bias is available and no Protected By Witness option is available.
Proceeding to run the establish task results in the SRDF/Metro session going to the ActiveBias pairstate.
If the intention was to get to the active/active state, then that is not possible with the Array > Storage > Storage Groups view as Witness option is grayed out.
Proceeding to run the establish task results in the SRDF/Metro session going to the ActiveBias pairstate.
If the intention was to get to the active/active state, then that is not possible with the Array > Storage > Storage Groups view as Witness option is grayed out.
Cause
Unisphere for PowerMax with the Array > Storage > Storage Groups view is not making the Witness option available.
Resolution
With Unisphere for PowerMax 9.x, use the Array > Dashboard > Data Protection view, then select SRDF in Protected Storage Groups, then select the relevant Storage group and the action Establish has the Witness option available.
Alternatively, use SYMCLI symrdf establish command to establish the SRDF metro Session, for example:
The default for SYMCLI symrdf establish of a SRDF/Metro session is to use an available vWitness.
The issue with the Array > Storage > Storage Groups view having Protected By Witness option grayed out is resolved with Unisphere for PowerMax version 10.0.x and above.
Alternatively, use SYMCLI symrdf establish command to establish the SRDF metro Session, for example:
symrdf -sid <sid> -sg <SG> establish
The default for SYMCLI symrdf establish of a SRDF/Metro session is to use an available vWitness.
NOTE: A command option -use_bias must be specified to use Bias resiliency.
Article Properties
Article Number: 000181602
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 30 Jan 2024
Version: 5
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