App Sync EMC

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Welcome to AppSync Fundamentals

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Revision Date: November 2015

Revision Number: MR-1WN-APPSYNCFUN.2.2.2

AppSync Fundamentals



This course provides an introduction to EMC AppSync. It includes an overview of theAppSync solution, its architecture, key features, and management functions.




This module focuses on the position of AppSync in EMC replication portfolio and theapplications it supports.




EMC AppSync offers a simple, SLA-driven, and self-service approach for protecting,restoring, and cloning critical Microsoft and Oracle applications and VMware environments.

Protecting data with EMC AppSync is made easy by a customizable service catalog with pre-built service plans and a workflow-like editing tool to callout actions that should be takenbefore and after the replication. After defining service plans (such as Gold, Silver, andBronze), application owners can protect, restore, and clone production data quickly with

item-level granularity by using the underlying EMC replication technologies. AppSyncprovides an application protection monitoring service that generates alerts when the SLAsare not met.

EMC AppSync is fully aware of VMware virtual environments. This allows it to dynamicallyrespond to changes by following the application as it moves within the infrastructure,assuring SLAs are maintained. AppSync also supports VM-level, Windows folder and file-level granular restores, and supported Windows, Linux, and Unix file systems. TheProtected VM Restore Wizard allows users to restore individual virtual machines or mountvirtual disks and choose individual files/directories within the VM data store or associateddata store that is to be restored.




AppSync provides customized control of application consistent replicas with minimal effort.Control of the application comes from the ability to create application aware replicas usingsoftware automation based on policies determined by the end user.

This single solution for different underlying replication technologies allows for lower trainingcosts and results in less complexity in the environment.

As a result, AppSync does not require EMC professional services for installation as it iscustomer installable. There are also custom TS kits available for those that desire EMCguidance.

AppSync monitoring provides quick notification of any issues and verification compliancewith Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

AppSync’s REST API allows integration with web portals, management systems, and customapplications.




EMC AppSync supports the following applications and storage arrays in mid-sized enterpriseenvironments:

Applications — Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Exchange, and VMware VMFS andNFS data stores and File systems.

Storage — VMAX, VMAX3, VNX (Block and File), VNXe, XtremIO, and ViPR Controller.

EMC AppSync now has the ability to provide comprehensive application, OS, andvirtualization support across the breadth and depth of enterprise operating system,application, and storage environments.




AppSync creates and manages copies of application data using supported replication for fileand block technologies on VMAX and VNX arrays and RecoverPoint. AppSync provides threedefault application-specific tiered plans that can be used to create customized plans.

Gold service plans allow you to create both local and remote copies (RecoverPointbookmarks and XtremeIO snapshots for v4.0) on the target.

Silver service plans are used to create a remote copy (RecoverPoint bookmark, VMAX copyof the SRDF target (R2), XtremIO v4.0 snapshot or VNX Snap) on the target.

Bronze service plans create a local copy (VMAX TimeFinder Clone, VMAX VP Snap, CDP orXtremIO, and ViPR Snapshot) for RecoverPoint on your server.




AppSync supports the ad-hoc creation of Oracle and SQL server database copies, as well asRecoverPoint bookmark copies, followed by the creation of copies of those copies. Thispractice is referred to as repurposing. Repurposing serves many useful functions includingtest-dev, break-fix, data mining, and reporting.

Repurposing on Oracle and SQL Server database creates a multi-level tree of copies of thedatabase. Repurposing copies are identified by a generation removed from the production

source data, i.e., Gen1, Gen2, and so forth. There is no limit to the number of generations,but support is limited to two generations removed from the production data. The firstgeneration copy creates a copy that can be used as source for other copies. This actioncreates a copy-of-copy. Repurpose copies are meant to be mounted for extended periods oftime for various purposes which are discarded or refreshed once used.

AppSync simplifies the process of repurposing by using a wizard. The wizard helps toschedule or immediately create 1st Gen or 2nd Gen copies as needed. It is mandatory tohave administrative privileges to repurpose the database instance.

AppSync provides a real-time monitoring of all the activities through a Repurpose

Monitor, found under Monitoring toolbar (discussed later in the course). The RepurposeMonitor allows you to view and monitor all the currently running repurpose activities. It alsoshows the items being repurposed (source) and the label of the items being created orrefreshed along with the application type.




This module covered an overview of the EMC AppSync solution, including its core benefitsand breadth of supported array and replication technologies.




This module focuses on the components of AppSync and the way it interacts with supportedstorage arrays, replication topologies, and applications.




EMC AppSync consists of several components that work together to create replicas andmount and schedule replication via service plans. Shown here is a sample AppSyncdeployment, depicting not only each of the AppSync components, but also supportedenterprise applications that can be protected by AppSync. Since AppSync supports bothphysical and virtualized environments, there are a wide variety of supported deploymentscenarios, as shown here.

The AppSync server software resides on a supported Windows system. It controls theservice plans and stores data about each copy it creates. The server component consists ofthe core software binaries, log files, and an embedded data repository containingconfiguration data that describes the defined service levels and resultant replicas. Theserver component may reside on either a physical or virtual host.

The AppSync client component acts as an interface to the protected applications installedon each production host containing data that you want to replicate.

The AppSync web-based GUI is the user interface that controls the AppSync systemrunning from within a supported browser. Although shown here running on the AppSync

server, it can be run on any host or VM that meets the browser, Flash, and Javarequirements.




Logically, the web console speaks to the AppSync server, and in turn the AppSync servercommunicates with the clients. The AppSync client is the component responsible fordiscovering how the application is laid out on the array. When replicating VMware datastores, instead of a direct communication with the ESXi hosts, AppSync communicates via avCenter server that is configured on the AppSync server.

All the components require some form of LAN, WAN, or SAN connectivity. For example,

WAN connectivity is required between the RPAs for a remote replication via RecoverPoint.Similarly, protected applications and the hosts for mount/surface production replicas requireSAN connectivity. The protocols required depend on the requirement of the connectedobjects.




A pre-generated support matrix for AppSync is no longer available. As of version 2.1 ofAppSync, you must run an advanced query to generate an AppSync support matrix fromEMC eLab navigator. You can then convert and download the query results to a PDF file.

The process for creating a support matrix document for AppSync from eLab Navigator is asfollows:

1. To launch the Advanced Query page, select Advanced Query>Custom Query from thenavigator home page.

2. In "1. Add Components to filter " section of the Advanced Query page, underComponent Type list, expand the More Types menu. Then scroll and selectReplication Management Software, and click Add. Replication Management Softwarepopulates the Component Type list.

3. Click the Replication Management>Show Component Tree icon on right side of thislist. Clicking the icon populates the Query box, ELN tree on the right of the page with aReplication management folder.

4. To Expand the folder: select EMC> AppSync Family > AppSync , then double-clickAppSync 2.2. This actions loads AppSync 2.2 as a Replication Management Softwarecomponent in the Advanced Query box.

5. Expand the folder and select EMC> AppSync Server Family > AppSync Server, thendouble-click AppSync Server 2.2. This actions loads AppSync Server 2.2 as aReplication Management Software component in the Advanced Query box.

6. Scroll down to the “2. Select Applicable configuration types” section of Advanced Query.Checkboxes appear next to AppSync Configuration Name.

7. Check all boxes, and click Get Results for Selected Configurations to generatesupport information.




AppSync Server requirements are shown here. AppSync Server can now co-exist on thesame server with any EMC product that uses the RSA Common Security Toolkit. Forexample, Networker server, Unisphere CLI, and Navisphere CLI.

For the latest information on support requirements and limitations, be sure to generate thelatest support matrix from http://elabnavigator.emc.com.


http://elabnavigator.emc.com/http://elabnavigator.emc.com/



The system requirements for deploying an AppSync agent to a supported application hostare noted here.

Though not shown here, be aware that in addition to the “EMC AppSync Host Plug-in”service, you will also find an “EMC AppSync Exchange Interface” service on any MicrosoftExchange Server where the AppSync client has been deployed.

For the latest information on support requirements and limitations, be sure to generate thelatest support matrix from http://elabnavigator.emc.com.


http://elabnavigator.emc.com/http://elabnavigator.emc.com/



You can back up the local AppSync database using an automated hot backup tool. This toolis installed with the AppSync server called the Backup Assistant. This backup can then beused to perform a local restore if necessary.

Backup and restore operations are specific to the AppSync Postgres database itself. Runningthe AppSync Backup Assistant is performed via CLI using the appsync-backup.bat batch file,located in the \AppSync \backup-assistant directory.

Note: Always make sure you have a valid backup before attempting a database restore.

You must run appsync-backup.bat from the administrator command prompt using thefollowing syntax: appsync-backup.bat[-o, -out ""] [-d, -debug] [-h, -help].

The backup that is created from appsync-backup.bat is a compressed zip file that includesthe PostgreSQL data directory. The AppSync CST sub-directory is present within the basedirectory and it contains the lockbox XML directory.




This module covered the components of AppSync and its interaction with supported storagearrays, replication topologies, and applications.




This module focuses on the key features and benefits of using EMC AppSync in enterprise ITenvironments with varied application infrastructure and protection requirements.




To create and manage copies of your applications, AppSync supports TimeFinder Clone andTimeFinder VP Snap replication technology. AppSync also supports remote copymanagement of an R2 in a SRDF/S or SRDF/A configuration.

An AppSync Administrator should work closely with their Storage Administrator (if they aredifferent individuals) to first ensure that copy target storage has been configured on theVMAX array. AppSync can make use of either a storage pool, or a storage group on the

VMAX.

If AppSync is provisioning targets from a pool, once a source is associated with a targetwithin a specific pool, all subsequent copy target devices for that source must be allocatedin the same pool as the first provisioned target.

Alternatively, you can specify specific targets in a storage group to be used by AppSync ascopy targets.

Gold, Silver, and Bronze plans are supported in VMAX arrays. TimeFinder VP is the defaultreplication technology used for service plans. The Gold service plan is used to create both

local and remote copies. The copy type includes Bookmark-RecoverPoint CLR. Silver serviceplans are used for copies across SRDF/S or SRDF/A. Bronze service plan is used to createand manage local copies for operation recovery, backup acceleration, or repurposing (createcopies for test/dev).




AppSync supports the creation and management of application copies using VNX FileSnapSure copy technology. AppSync-managed copies can be local, remote, or identicalpoint-in-time local and remote copies.

Block based VNX uses VNX Advanced Snapshots. It supports creation and management ofapplication copies using VNX Snap copy technology.

VNX SnapSure creates a point-in-time copy of all the data on the network file system(NFS). For the initial snapshot, this method creates a full copy of the original file system,therefore, requiring the same amount of space on the file system. The usage of space bysubsequent snapshots depends on the amount of data that has changed since the lastsnapshot.

VNX Replicator creates a point-in-time copy of all the data on the network file system(NFS). VNX Replicator maintains consistency between the source and target file systemsthat are based on the Time Out of Sync policy settings.

VNX Remote protection occurs between a local Data Mover and a Data Mover on a remote

VNX system.

In the case of service plans that leverage block-based protection, AppSync requires thatpool LUNs be used for the location of both the production and replica LUNs. This is arequirement based on the use of VNX snapshots, which are core to how AppSync protectsusing bronze-based service plans.

Gold, Silver, and Bronze plans are the various service plans that are supported for copies ofapplications (NFS Datastore, Oracle NFS) residing on VNX file. The limits of VNX SnapSuretechnology determine the maximum number of copies that AppSync can create and managefor VNX file. For RecoverPoint CRR and CLR, Silver and Gold service plans can be used

respectively. It is possible to change the Snap to Bookmark for RecoverPoint copies.




AppSync supports a full range of RecoverPoint replication options, including ContinuousData Protection (CDP), Continuous Remote Replication (CRR), and Concurrent Local andRemote Replication (CLR).

In Continuous Data Protection (CDP), RecoverPoint replicates to a storage array at thesame site. In a RecoverPoint installation that is used exclusively for CDP, you install RPAs atonly one site and do not specify a WAN interface. The Bronze service plan protects

application replication.

In Continuous Remote Replication (CRR), RecoverPoint replicates over a WAN to a remotesite. There is no limit to the replication distance. The Silver service plan protects applicationreplication. In Concurrent Local and Remote Replication (CLR), RecoverPoint protectsproduction LUNs locally using CDP and remote protection is done using CRR. Both copieshave different protection windows and RPO policies. The Gold service plan protectsapplication replication. RecoverPoint multi-site (multiple remote sites) is not supported atthis time.

Copies created using RecoverPoint can be mounted either statically or dynamically

(Previous versions of AppSync required all RecoverPoint target volumes to be pre-exposedto their associated mount hosts).

Given proper zoning, AppSync presents storage to the host automatically when a copy ismounted. AppSync dynamically assigns a snapshot to the host when the copy is mounted.The physical host must be zoned to the VNX array of the RecoverPoint target LUNs (CDP orCRR).

The RecoverPoint target LUNs are mapped at mount time to identify the LUNs, and theLUNs are masked (moved to the mount host storage group) and surfaced prior to mounting.

The VNX must be registered with AppSync when the target LUNs for dynamic mount are onVNX storage. When target LUNs reside on VMAX storage, VMAX auto-provisioningrequirements must be met, which requires the mount host to be zoned to the VMAX array.A masking view with the appropriate initiator group, port group, and storage group mustalready exist.




AppSync supports copy management on EMC XtremIO flash storage array. AppSync createswrite-consistent snapshots on the XtremIO array for each application that you add to theservice plan. XtremIO supports some of the applications like Oracle database, SQL serverdatabase, Exchange databases and DAG, File systems, and VMWare data stores.

To create application consistent copies of data, service plans are enabled for XtremIO.AppSync uses Bronze based service plans to copy XtremIO application data. If RecoverPoint

is the technology, then Gold and Silver service plans are used. AppSync selects XtremIOSnapshot as the default replication technology for storage ordered copies when a serviceplan runs. XtremIO service plans allow you to place application items from multiple XtremIOstorage systems in the same service plan.




EMC AppSync offers a better way to manage the protection, replication, and cloning ofcritical applications and databases with tiered protection options and proven recoverability.

AppSync leverages Microsoft’s VSS framework to create application-consistent snapshots ofExchange mailbox server databases. These databases contain all the necessary database,log, and system files needed to recover an active or passive database copy. When you addan Exchange mailbox server as a host, AppSync identifies whether it is an Exchange

standalone or an Exchange DAG member server. You can mount the copies on a Windowsserver 2008 or Windows 2012 host that has the Exchange management tools installed torun a consistency check or to back up the copies to long-term storage. AppSync can restoreindividual Exchange 2010 and Exchange 2013 mailboxes and mailbox items when EMCItemPoint™ for Microsoft® Exchange™ Server is installed.

As with Exchange, AppSync can create and manage application-consistent copies ofMicrosoft SQL server databases. This includes support for advanced SQL features, such asAlways on Availability Groups, protection for standalone and clustered production SQLServer instances, and support for databases on physical hosts, RDMs, and virtual disks onvirtual hosts.

AppSync can also be used to create and manage application-consistent (using hot backupmode) and crash consistent (without hot backup mode) copies of Oracle® databases. Thecopies can be used for mount (with/without recovery) and restore.

For AppSync to create application-consistent copies of Oracle databases, the data files andarchive logs must not share the file-system, volume group, ASM disk group, RP consistencygroup, or data store. If the Oracle configuration is such that the data files and archive logsshare any of these groupings, then AppSync can create crash-consistent copies for suchdatabases. When using VNX, make sure all consistency groups are VNX consistency groups.Additionally, the archive log files must be on a different CG from the rest of the database

files.




AppSync can create, mount, and restore copies in VMware vStorage VMFS data storeconfigurations. When you mount a VMFS copy to an alternate ESX server, AppSyncperforms all tasks necessary to make the VMFS visible to the ESX server. Someconsiderations apply when AppSync is introduced into a VMware environment for thepurpose of protecting VMware data stores.

All VMware specific operations occur through the VMware vCenter server. AppSync can be

configured to require vCenter server login credentials to allow protection of a certain VMFSfor security purposes. The protection mechanism for AppSync is through service plans. Youcan subscribe a datastore to a service plan and run the service plan immediately, orschedule the service plan to run at a later time.

Unless you instruct AppSync to omit this feature, AppSync takes a VMware snapshot foreach virtual machine that is online and residing on the VMFS just prior to protection inorder to ensure operating system consistency of the resulting replica.

AppSync supports VMware’s use of VSS with VM snapshots when a supported version ofvSphere is installed and VMware tools are present on the virtual machine on the VMFS you

are protecting.

If the virtual machines in the datastore have RDMs or iSCSI LUNs visible to them, theresulting copy does not contain those LUNs. If the virtual machine has virtual disks otherthan the boot drive in other data stores, it is possible to capture those as well byconfiguring the service plan to include virtual machine disks.

If VMFS volumes are to be protected, the standard AppSync management console must beused. Otherwise, the latest version of the “EMC VSI for VMware vSphere AppSyncManagement” plugin may be used.




AppSync now supports the creation and management of application-consistent copies of filesystems. File system features include the ability to dynamically discover installed filesystems during the run of a service plan.

You can select one or more file systems to protect at a time or click Select All to protect allthe file systems on the list on the Filesystems page.

Copies of protected file systems can be filtered by time of creation, copy status, and serviceplan.




This module covered AppSync key features and capabilities and their use in mid-sized andenterprise IT environments.




This module focuses on the mechanisms used to manage EMC AppSync, including theprocess of adding resources to AppSync and user management.




A supported browser, along with the required versions of Flash and Java, must be installedin order to login to the AppSync console. You can run the AppSync console from asupported web browser and from any system that has TCP/IP connectivity to the AppSyncserver. Flash version 10.2 or newer and Java version 1.6u31 or newer are requiredregardless of the browser type.

To login remotely, use http://:8085/AppSync to start

the console. If you are running the console on the AppSync server, click the AppSyncshortcut on the desktop to start the console. All communications between the AppSync UIand the AppSync server are encrypted using the Secured Socket Layer (SSL).

The AppSync console is arranged in sections for management, reporting, andadministration. The Dashboard is a customizable view of reports and alerts.

The default dashboard shows recovery point objective (RPO) status of protectedapplications, service plan completion status, most recent alerts, and activity in progress.

Copy Management lists discovered applications such as Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft

SQL server, and provides the application-oriented entry point for protection, mount,restore, service plan subscription, and other operations.

The Service Plans tab lets you view and modify service plan settings, view lists of objectsthat are subscribed to a service plan, the created copies of those objects, and the eventsthat were generated when the service plan was run.

Monitoring displays alerts, recovery point compliance reports, and service plan completionreports.

Settings is for adding servers, VMware vCenter servers, and storage resources to AppSync.

License management, user administration, and server settings are also found undersettings.

Support provides access to how-to videos and the AppSync support page atsupport.EMC.com.




Immediately after logging into the AppSync console, AppSync automatically prompts you tobegin adding resources for discovery and protection. Specifically, you will first be promptedto add any relevant storage to AppSync before it can protect any of your applications.

To accomplish this for VMAX, arrays will require appropriate login credentials for an alreadydeployed SMI-S provider. The SMI-S provider must run on a Windows or Linux VM or aphysical machine that has connectivity to the VMAX(s) being managed. For VNX arrays, you

need only provide appropriate Service Processor and Control Station credentials. Likewise,administrator credentials are required to access RecoverPoint resources in AppSync.

Once storage resources have been added you can deploy the AppSync client binaries, asrequired, to physical hosts or VMware virtual machines. In the case of VMware VMs, youshould first discover the VMware datacenter where they have been deployed by discoveringan existing vCenter server.

After these resources have been discovered and are accessible to AppSync, you can startdiscovering any of the supported applications or file systems you need to protect withAppSync and then either immediately subscribe them to a service plan and run it, or create

a customized service plan that will execute based on parameters you define.

The procedure for adding and registering ViPR Controller storage to AppSync is:

• Select Settings from the AppSync console

• Select ViPR Controller from Add (drop-down list)

• Enter ViPR virtual name or IP address to register ViPR

• Enter the Global user name. This is the user name for the ViPR Controller

• Enter the ViPR Controller password

• Protocol and Port are pre-configured. They are set by default

• Click OK




AppSync creates and manages copies of application data. A service plan defines theattributes of these copies. You can subscribe application data objects to a service plan, thenAppSync runs the service plan and creates the copies of the data. Copies that are generatedin the service plan are listed in service plan Copies tab.

AppSync provides the following application-specific tiered plans:

Bronze plan (local copy): For Bronze plan, AppSync creates a local copy on the server withVNX Advanced Snapshot, VMAX Timefinder Clone, VMAX VP Snap, VMAX3 SnapVX,Bookmark for RecoverPoint , XtremIO Snapshot, VNX2e Unified Snapshot, VNX FileSnapshots, and ViPR Snapshot.

Silver plan (remote copy): For Silver plan, AppSync creates a remote copy withRecoverPoint Bookmark, VMAX2 copy off the SRDF target (R2), VMAX V3 SnapVX, or VNXFile Snap off a remote ReplicatorV2 clone on the target.

Gold plan (local and remote copy): For Gold service plan, AppSync creates both local andremote copies with RecoverPoint Bookmark on the target.

Bronze, Silver, and Gold service plans are provided by default, however you can customizeand create your own plans. Service plans also set the preferred order of storage technologyto use while creating copies. When you subscribe an object to a service plan, it joins theother objects which are already part of the plan. All the objects in the service plans aresubject to the workflow and settings that are defined in the service plan. Service plans set astorage ordered preference which is the preferred order of storage technology the serviceplan uses when creating copies. If AppSync cannot satisfy a preference, it tries to use thenext preference in the storage ordered preference list. You can adjust the preferences tocreate service plans that use the replication technology you want.




Every service plan is composed of phases. The phases in bold are required for all serviceplans; phases that are not in bold are optional. Phases that are grayed out do not becomeavailable until a prerequisite phase has been enabled.

For example, the “Post-mount script” and “Unmount copy” phases cannot be selectedunless the copy has already been mounted. This is because each of these operations isdependent on the file system or application to be mounted. This copy has to be presented

to the Operating System before AppSync can take further actions.

In addition, not all phases have user configurable options, for example, the “Applicationdiscovery” and “Application mapping” phases. These are particular to how AppSyncinteracts with application specific features, such as discovering SQL instances, or verifying ifthe Exchange database is an active or passive copy, or if sufficient array resources exist tocreate a copy of a given database/file system.




When you install AppSync, a 60-day trial license begins. It is recommended that you obtainand configure the AppSync license as soon as possible.

Licensing can be provided using a Per-seat Licensing method or an Array-based licensingmethod.

AppSync licensing is array-based. A license is required for each array where target LUNs

reside.

To obtain a license online from within the AppSync console, select “Settings,” then “Licenses.” Click “Obtain License File Online.” This brings you to the license managementpage on the AppSync support site. Enter the required information to acquire and save thelicense file.

On the EMC License Management web page, you will be prompted to enter a machine nameas part of the process. EMC recommends that you enter the serial number of your array for

“arrayserialnumber.” Once you have obtained the license file, you need to upload and installit to the AppSync server. Ensure that the license file has a filename extension of .lic and

resides in a browsable location. From back in the AppSync GUI, select “Settings”, then “Licenses”. Select “Upload “, and then “Install License File”. Then browse to and select thelicense file.




AppSync is designed to have multiple users, each with different levels of privilege forexecuting a variety of tasks. Each user can be assigned one or more roles that correspondto their responsibilities and requirements.

When creating user accounts that will be assigned roles in AppSync, you can choose tocreate local accounts that are stored with the AppSync database, or link directly to anavailable LDAP server (such as Active Directory in Microsoft environments) which handles

the authentication and authorization.




Configuring AppSync to connect to an LDAP directory for authentication (such as MicrosoftWindows Active Directory) requires very specific X.509 formatting. This includes the fully-qualified domain name that represents the root of the LDAP directory tree, the IP address,hostname or FQDN of the primary directory server to use for authentication, and theDistinguished Name of the administrator user who has privileges to connect to LDAP forauthentication.

For more detailed information on the configuration of LDAP server and user settings usedby AppSync, see the “EMC AppSync 2.2 Installation and Configuration Guide.”




A high-level view of the capabilities of each user role in AppSync is presented here. Theuser roles control the sections of the console that are displayed and the operations listed inthe menu. For example, the console does not display the “Copy Management” and “ServicePlans” tabs for a user with only the Security Administrator role.

The permissions available via assigned user roles are accumulative in nature. In general,most users created in AppSync are likely to have multiple roles assigned to them. For

example, a typical scenario involving an Exchange or SQL implementation may have a useraccount created and assigned the Data Administrator and Service Plan Administrator roles.This would allow the application owners not only to create a service plan that meets theirprecise RPO requirements, but also allows them to backup and restore on an ad-hoc basisas needed.

The Security administrator role has the ability to configure LDAP servers for authentication,add, delete, and modify users, including changing the passwords of other users, and add orremove roles to users.

The Resource administrator has the ability to add, modify, or remove arrays, RecoverPoint

sites, hosts, and vCenter servers. Additionally, the resource administrator may obtain andupload licenses, as well as modify server settings. Note that to add a resource, the resourceadministrator needs the proper credentials of the resource.

The Service Plan administrator has the ability to add, modify, delete, and run service plans.

The Data administrator has the ability to configure an Exchange host, which includesdiscovering its databases, and to select a DAG member server to copy for protection. It canalso subscribe data to a service plan, remove some or all data from a subscription, andspecify override settings for subscribed data. In addition, the Data Administrator cancreate, mount, and restore a copy (on demand or otherwise), run service plans, and

manage LDAP certificates.




When you create an ACL for an application, and then assign users to the access list, yougrant those users access to the application in AppSync. A user can then subscribe theapplication to a service plan and perform various operations, such as view, generate,mount, un-mount, and restore copies.

Except for Service Plan Administrators and Data Administrators who have an ACL managerRole, only users listed on the ACL can access or view the application on the AppSync

console. Users with ACL access do not receive references to the application such as eventsand alerts.

The following list describes the roles and permissions for ACLs in AppSync:

A Security Administrator enables the ACL manager role to a Data Administrator.

Data Administrators that are designated as ACL managers can grant and revoke users froman ACL. Data Administrators without ACL manager privilege can only view a service plan toapplications that they can access.

Resource Administrators and Security Administrators cannot access applications under ACLcontrol. They can, however, view report data generated from applications that they canaccess.

Service plan Administrators are not affected by ACLs. They perform all operations allowedby this role.

Child application objects inherit any ACL applied to the parent. Review the followingbehavior of the parent/child ACL model:

• When children are discovered they inherit the parent ACL.

•

Users can be added to the ACL of a specific child.• A child user can see the parent even if the user is not on the parent ACL.

• The child user cannot perform any operations on the parent other than navigate(read-only access).

Roles are cumulative. You gain all entitlements for each role to which you belong.




AppSync provides the ability to monitor all phases of Service Plan execution with:

• Alerts

• Service Plan Reports

• Recovery Point Reports

• Repurpose Monitoring dashboard

A summary view of the percentage of service plans that completed successfully andwhether or not all application RPOs have been met is presented to you in these reports.AppSync provides the ability to monitor all phases of Service Plan execution, including asummary view of the percentage of service Plans that completed successfully and whetheror not application RPOs have been met as a result. In addition, AppSync allows you tomonitor ongoing Oracle and SQL server repurposing operations as they occur in real-time.




AppSync generates an alert when a service plan phase fails, when a Recovery PointObjective (RPO) is not met, or when a mount or restore fails.

If any phase of a service plan fails during execution, AppSync will generate an appropriateset of alerts that you can expand for more information. These alerts provide a summary oflogged operations and provide valuable insight into the root cause of an error. This can bevery useful during troubleshooting, such as determining if the error was a transient

application failure, or one requiring more serious investigation.

Following is a detailed description of the alerts column:

• Alert (!): Level of alert

• Time: Date and time of the alert

• Server: Application server, such as a Microsoft Exchange server

• Application: Replicated object, such as a Microsoft Exchange database

• Category: Phase failure, RPO

• Service Plan: Service plan that was running when the alert was generated, or the serviceplan that created the copy that failed a mount or restore

• Message: Describes the cause of the alert

You can view the associated events that led up to the alert by clicking on specific alert.Expand the top-level events to see additional details.

The alerts page display shows a column for Alert Acknowledged. The value NO is thedefault. When you acknowledge an alert, the value of the alert changes to YES from thedefault value NO.




The Recovery Point Compliance Report and the Service Plan Completion Report are tools fordetermining if data is being protected according to plan and that all SLAs are being met.

The Recovery Point Compliance Report indicates the recovery point objective, the time sincethe last recovery point, and the service plan used. This is done for each application on eachserver.

The Service Plan Completion Report indicates how many cycles completed successfully, howmany completed with errors, and how many failed for every service plan.




Representational State Transfer (REST) API is a client-server software architectural style fordistributed hypermedia systems like audio, video, image etc. REST is used for developingweb services.

AppSync has a REST interface that allows the application programmers to access theinformation controlled by AppSync.

The various features for administering the AppSync console includes:

Setup an AppSync: Setting up REST API helps in registering a host, deploying a host plug-in, adding storage systems, adding RecoverPoint site etc.

Authentication of requests in the AppSync API: The AppSync server web interfaceauthenticates users through the industry standard CAS (Central Authentication Service)protocol over SSL.

Service action plans: Service plans are made up of phases for application discovery,mapping, user-supplied scripts, create copy, mount, validate, and unmount.

Adding data to a service plan for protection: To protect any application data, you need tosubscribe the data to a service plan. With the help of REST interface you subscribe theservice plan by putting a dataset to the service plan.

Subscribing data store to a service plan: This whole process of subscribing data store helpsin storing huge amount of data in terms of objects.

Actions on copies: There are various actions that can be performed like create copies, view,mount, restore, and view events associated with a copy.

Viewing alerts and reports: REST API helps in collecting all the alerts in the system, gettingall alerts that were generated for a specific service plan, to collect all events related to analert, and also to get a report of activity in progress.




This module discussed EMC AppSync management options including the basic procedure oflogging into the console and initiating protection for a given application or file system usinga service plan.



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This course covered the EMC AppSync solution and its benefits in enterprise applicationprotection schemes.

This concludes the training.

App Sync EMC

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