Creating Thin Image pairs using Device Manager - Storage Navigator

You can create a Thin Image pair and define the pair in a consistency group. You can create 1,024 Thin Image pairs at the same time for , and 32,768 for VSP G200, G400, G600, G800. To create more than 1,024 (or 32,768) pairs, repeat this task.

When you create a pair, you specify the pool to be used. A Thin Image pair consists of a P-VOL and up to 1,024 S-VOLs. The MU numbers are assigned in the order of 3 to 1,023, followed by 0 to 2.

NoteAfter creating a Thin Image pair, the number of pairs shown in the summary section in the Local Replication window and the number of pairs shown in the list in the TI Pairs tab can be different. Wait until the configuration information has completed processing. If the numbers of pairs do not match, reload the configuration information (see Reloading Thin Image configuration information).
CautionTo prevent the Thin Image pair from being suspended ("PSUE" status), do not create Thin Image pairs while you are shutting down the storage system.

Requirements:

  • The P-VOL and S-VOLs you select must be the same size in blocks, if you create a Thin Image pair with an S-VOL specified. If the capacity is displayed in GB or TB, a small difference between P-VOL and S-VOL capacity might not be displayed.

    To view the capacity in blocks, click Options Capacity Unit block in the Logical Devices window.

  • If you select a P-VOL that you are already using as the P-VOL for another Thin Image pair, you must specify the same pool for both pairs. For example, if you specify three S-VOLs for one P-VOL, specify the same pool for the three Thin Image pairs.
  • The value of the T10 PI attribute must be the same for the P-VOL and S-VOL.
  • A Thin Image pair cannot be created when the used pool capacity exceeds the warning threshold. In this case, increase the pool capacity first, and then create the pair.

Before you begin

  • You must have the Storage Administrator (Local Copy) role.
  • If you are sharing ShadowImage volumes with Thin Image volumes, the SI pair must exist.
  • If you want to use a ShadowImage volume as a Thin Image P-VOL when an available MU number does not exist, you must have completed the following:
    1. Deleted the Thin Image pairs of MU numbers 0 to 2.
    2. Created the ShadowImage pair.
    3. Re-created the Thin Image pair with an MU number of 3 or greater assigned.

Procedure

  1. In the Explorer pane, click Storage Systems.

  2. Expand the storage system tree, expand Replication, and then click Local Replication.

  3. In the Local Replication window, select a P-VOL on the TI Root Volumes tab or a snapshot group in the Snapshot Groups tab, and then click Create TI Pairs.

  4. In Create Pairs using Volumes as Root Volumes or Use Primary Volumes of Thin Image Pairs, select Yes or No.

  5. In Select By, select LUN to create a pair by specifying LUN. Select LDEV to create a pair without specifying LUN.

  6. From the Available Primary Volumes table, select the LDEV you want to assign as the P-VOL.

    Note The nondisruptive migration volumes do not appear in the Available Primary Volumes table.

  7. In Cascade, select Enable to create a cascaded pair.

  8. In Pair Type, select Snapshot to create a pair with the snapshot attribute. Select Clone to create cloned pairs. Skip to step 11 if you selected No for Create Pairs using Volumes as Root Volumes.

  9. Click Select Pool.

  10. In the Select Pool window, select a pool from the Available Pools table.

  11. Click OK.

  12. For Snapshot Group, select either Create New to assign the pair to a new snapshot group, or Use Existing to assign the pair to an existing snapshot group. When you create a Thin Image pair, you must assign it to a snapshot group.

    Complete one of the following:
    • For Create New, enter values for Number of Snapshot Data per Primary Volume, Prefix, and Initial Number, and then select Snapshot Group Configuration.
    • For Use Existing, select Snapshot Group Configuration, and then select the snapshot group to which you want to assign the pair from the Available Snapshot Groups table. If you select All, enter a value in Number of Snapshot Data per Primary Volume.
    NoteTo create pairs and assign the pairs to a snapshot group by using CCI, see Creating Thin Image pairs and defining them in snapshot or consistency groups using CCI.

  13. Click Add.

    The selected LDEV is moved to the Selected Primary Volumes table.

  14. Click Next.

  15. From the Available LDEVs table, select the LDEV you want to assign as the S-VOL, and then click Set.

    The selected LDEV is displayed in the Secondary Volumes column of the Selected Pairs table.
    Note
    • The nondisruptive migration volumes do not appear in the Available Primary Volumes table.
    • If you select a capacity in Capacity, the Available LDEVs and Selected Pairs tables display the LDEVs that match the selected capacity.
    • If you select a row in the Available LDEVs table and a row in the Selected Pairs table, and then click Set, you can configure a pair.
    • If you select LDEVs which were assigned to an S-VOL with the Exclude Assigned Volumes check box unchecked, you can change the S-VOL to which snapshot data is assigned.

  16. Click Finish, and then confirm the settings.

  17. Accept the default task name or enter a unique name.

    You can enter up to 32 letters, numbers, and symbols, except the following:

    \ / : , ; * ? " < > |

  18. If you want to monitor the task after submitting it, select Go to tasks window for status.

  19. Click Apply to submit the task.

Related Concepts
Related Tasks
Related References
Parent Topic
Child Topics
  • Selecting a pool as your primary volume

    You select a pool when you are creating a Thin Image pair if you are not using the P-VOL of a Thin Image pair (that is, you have selected No for Use Primary Volumes of Thin Image Pairs in the Create TI Pairs window of the Create TI Pairs wizard).