Virtual Disk Details and List

Info tab

Displays applicable information about the storage sources (logical disks) used to create the virtual disk. Information is provided for each storage source on a DataCore Server. This information is also available in the Virtual Disk Summary when a virtual disk is selected in the Virtual Disks list.

Information includes:

• Data status, see Virtual Disk Status.
• Host access
• Mirror link - Mirror path status and number of mirror paths available.
• Hosts and connection status - If served, the hosts are listed along with the front-end connection status: Connected, Path down (one or more front-end paths are down), or No connection (all front-end paths are down). (Available in Advanced View.)
• Storage source - Information for the storage sources comprising the virtual disk. Pool information includes pool name, amount allocated, and pool status. Pass-through information includes disk number and disk status as reported by Windows operating system.
  • Links are provided to replace or move a storage source, if applicable. See Replacing or Moving a Storage Source in a Virtual Disk for more information.
• Tier affinity, see Automated Storage Tiering.
• CDP (Continuous Data Protection) setting is displayed as enabled if applicable. History log retention period and history log allocation are displayed. See Continuous Data Protection (CDP).
  • CDP only runs on one side of the virtual disk. Once CDP is enabled, any data updates are saved to the history log on the server running CDP; therefore, from that point, allocations are reflected in the history log instead of the storage source. Other storage sources in the virtual disk have data written directly to the storage and allocations are reflected for those storage sources.

  Since the history log retention period will fluctuate based on the amount of I/Os written to the virtual disk, the retention period should only be used as a guideline.

  • A progress bar will appear when the Revert from Rollback command is being performed on the virtual disk or when CDPis disabled.
• Sequential storage setting is displayed as enabled if applicable. A progress bar will appear when sequential storage is disabled in order to monitor progress. (Also referred to as Random Write Accelerator.) See Sequential Storage.

Settings tab

The following settings can be changed:

• Enable or disable write-through. Write-through is disabled by default.
• Automatic mirror recovery can be disabled or enabled for a mirrored or dual virtual disk. Auto recovery is enabled by default.
• Encryption can be enabled or disabled here.
• Capacity Optimization can be enabled or disabled here.
• Advanced Options:
  • Assign or change the preferred snapshot pool, the storage source for snapshots of this virtual disk. See Snapshot Operations.
  • Enable or disable the Sequential Storage feature.
  • Continuous Data protection (CDP):
    • Enable or disable the feature for the virtual disk.

      Disabling CDP will remove all rollbacks created from the virtual disk.

    • Change the server or disk pool where the history log resides.
    • Change the history log size.
    • Set retention period and history log size warning thresholds for data protected virtual disks, see System Health Thresholds.
    • For important information about settings, see Continuous Data Protection (CDP) and Continuous Data Protection Operations.
  • System Health Thresholds
    • Allocated space - the amount of SAUs in use by the virtual disk
    • I/O latency - maximum latency of all front-end paths used by the virtual disk
    • Storage latency - maximum latency time per operation of all the back-end paths used by the virtual disk

      See System Health Thresholds for more information.

  • SCSI Information:
    • Change the SCSI information (vendor, product, revision, SCSI device ID) used in SCSI operations. This information is returned to the host when discovering devices through SCSI inquiries.

      SCSI Information values should only be changed if necessary and with extreme caution. Providing incorrect values will result in functional problems. See SCSI Standard Inquiry Data for more information.

Paths tab

The following path attributes can be viewed or changed:

Mirror paths are not displayed and cannot be modified when system managed mirroring is enabled.

• Initiator and target ports used in front-end paths (between hosts and DataCore Servers) and mirror paths (between DataCore Servers).
• Path connection state and whether the path is enabled or disabled (see Enabled column) is displayed. (Virtual disks in replication with a Standby status will have disabled paths to hosts.)
• LUN and access mode (Read/Write or Read Only) can be changed.
• Paths can be manually added (if sufficient ports exist) or removed, and designated as preferred.

Refer to Port Connections and Paths and Modifying Paths for more information and instructions.

Snapshots tab

Provides snapshot information for the virtual disk: snapshot point (a timestamp referring to the date and time when the snapshot was created or updated), name, operation, status, delta map.

Right-click on a snapshot in the list to perform snapshot operations on it. See Snapshot Operations.

Provides a link to create a snapshot.

Rollbacks tab

Provides existing rollback information for the virtual disk: restore point (the time selected when the rollback was created), name, DataCore Server, operation, status. (CDP must be enabled.)

Right-click on a rollback in the list to perform operations on it. See Continuous Data Protection Operations.

Provides a link to create a rollback.

Before creating a rollback, see Continuous Data Protection (CDP).

Replication tab

Provides replication information for the virtual disk:

Local Information:

• Replication type:
  • Unidirectional (License restricted) - Replication type is imposed by the license.
  • Unidirectional (Mismatched virtual disk sizes) - The replication is unidirectional because the partner virtual disk is larger than the local virtual disk and therefore the direction cannot be reversed.
  • Bidirectional - The replication is capable of bidirectional data transfers.
  • Unknown (Partner not present) - The replication server is not present and type is currently unknown.
• Initialization type - Online or Offline.
• Replication status - Status of the replication operation. A link is provided to reverse the replication direction if valid.
• Transfer status - Status of the data transfer.
• Checkpoint snapshot - When selected, the snapshot will be updated when checkpoint markers are received at the destination. See Sending Checkpoint Markers in Replication Operations.

Remote Information

• Replication virtual disk - The remote DataCore Server and virtual disk involved in the replication.
• If duplicate disk ID is being used, it will be indicated.

Performance:

• Remaining data - Amount of data left in the buffer and not transferred.
• Time lag - An estimation of the amount of time required (latency) for the destination to receive the current buffered data transmissions.
• Transfer rate - Speed of the data transfer.

Some applicable replication operations can be performed in this tab, such as creating a replication, sending checkpoint markers, pausing/resuming data transfers, reversing replication direction, and splitting the replication. See Replication Operations.

Owned By

Lists the owners of the virtual disk. Ownership determines which users have rights to perform operations on the virtual disk. See Access Control.

Performance tab

Displays real-time performance measurements for the virtual disk. See Live Performance.

Events tab

Lists events for the selected virtual disk. Click an event in the list to view details in the Message Text area at the bottom of the tab. See Event Log and Alerts.

Name

Snapshots and rollbacks are indented under the source virtual disk. Virtual disk groups are displayed; expand the group for a list of members.

Size

The virtual disk size is displayed in two ways: rounded size and exact size (in parenthesis).

Total Allocated Space

In the default view, the Total Allocated Space column reflects the amount of space allocated to virtual disk writes including any reserved space in parenthesis, plus any additional allocations used for the Sequential log (Random Write Accelerator) and CDP history log allocations are broken out. "Replication" is noted if the virtual disk is active and therefore using varying amounts of replication log space.

When initially displayed, the allocated space may be displayed as "--" until the actual amount is calculated.

In Advanced View, the Allocated Space column reflects the total amount of space that has been allocated to virtual disk writes and any additional allocations used for the Sequential log (Random Write Accelerator), including any reserved space in parenthesis, History log allocations are displayed in a separate column. (The Total Allocated Space column displayed in the default view can be selected from the Column Chooser.)

History Log Allocations

Space allocated for the history log of the virtual disk. A value is only displayed if Continuous Data Protection is enabled for the virtual disk.

Displayed in Advanced View.

Sector Size

The virtual disk sector size (512 B or 4 KB) selected when the virtual disk was created. See 4 KB Sector Support.

Displayed in Advanced View.

DataCore Servers

The DataCore Servers used as storage sources for the virtual disk.

Displayed in Advanced View.

Type

The type of virtual disk.

This column also displays features that are enabled for the virtual disk (Accelerated-enabled for Sequential Storage, Data Protected-enabled for Continuous Data Protection, and Replicated- a replication has been created using this virtual disk.).

Displayed in Advanced View.

Data Copies

The number of data copies (storage sources) that comprise the virtual disk.

Not displayed in Advanced View by default, but can be added via Column Chooser.

Storage Profile

The storage profile setting of a virtual disk specifies the importance of the data and determines the tier affinity, sets the replication transfer priority and the mirror recovery priority. Storage profiles ranging from top priority to lowest priority are Critical, High, Normal (default setting), Low, and Archive. See Storage Profiles.

Replication Status

The status of the replication. (Status is also included in the Status column when the replication is unhealthy or to indicate ongoing replication operations.) See Replication Status.

Displayed in Advanced View.

Status

Virtual disk data status (including snapshots and rollbacks). See Virtual Disk Status, Snapshot Status, orCDP and Rollback Status.

When the virtual disk is in recovery or being moved, a progress bar is displayed in the Status column.

When a virtual disk is being replicated, this column also displays replication status and any applicable transfer time lag amounts. (Not applicable when in Advanced View in which complete replication status is displayed in the Replication Status column.)

In case of Replication Failure, see the Virtual Disk Details page>Replication tab and Replication Status for more information.

Virtual Disk Summary

Click on a virtual disk in the list to see the Virtual Disk Summary at the bottom of the page.

The summary provides information pertaining to the storage sources used to create the virtual disk.

Summary information matches the information in the Virtual Disk Details page>Info tab described above.