In a Dell RecoverPoint system with XtremIO arrays at both production and disaster recovery sites, setting the replication mode for a Consistency Group as “Continuous” implies that the replication occurs continuously without predefined intervals. This mode aims to minimize the Recovery Point Objective (RPO), which is the maximum targeted period in which data might be lost due to a major incident. While an RPO of 0 seconds is ideal, it is often not practical due to network latency and system processing times.Therefore, an effective RPO of less than 60 seconds is a realistic target for a “Continuous” replication mode, ensuring that data loss is minimized to the lowest possible timeframe in the event of a disaster1.

In a Dell RecoverPoint system, there is a limit to the number of volumes that can be managed within a cluster.If an administrator attempts to add local copies to existing Consistency Groups and the system already contains a significant number of Consistency Groups and replication sets, it is possible that adding more local volumes would exceed the system’s volume limit, which is 16,000 volumes per cluster1.

Here’s how the volume count could exceed the limit:

Each of the 100 Consistency Groups has 80 replication sets.

Assuming each replication set consists of at least one volume, this would already account for 8,000 volumes (100 CGs x 80 volumes each).

Adding a local copy for each Consistency Group would double the number of volumes, potentially exceeding the 16K volume limit per cluster.

This limitation is in place to ensure system stability and performance.If the limit is exceeded, the administrator will not be able to add additional local copies until the volume count is reduced or the system is reconfigured to stay within the limit1.

In Dell RecoverPoint, a Bookmark is a user-created point-in-time image that can be tied to specific application events. This feature allows users to mark a particular point in time within the continuous data protection timeline of RecoverPoint, which can be used for recovery purposes. Here’s how it works:

User Command: A user issues a command to create a Bookmark, typically through the RecoverPoint management interface or via scripting.

Tied to Application Events: The Bookmark can be associated with specific application events, such as before and after a significant update or batch process.

Point-in-Time Image: The Bookmark represents a point-in-time image of the data at the moment the Bookmark was created.

Recovery: In the event of data corruption or loss, the Bookmark can be used to recover data to the exact state it was in at the time of the Bookmark.

Bookmarks are an integral part of RecoverPoint’s data protection capabilities, providing flexibility and precision for data recovery operations1.

When using the MetroPoint feature of RecoverPoint to protect distributed VPLEX volumes, it is essential that both VPLEX clusters have a connected RecoverPoint cluster.This is necessary to create a MetroPoint Consistency Group, which is a configuration that allows for continuous data protection and availability across multiple sites1.

The MetroPoint solution provides a three-site configuration that combines VPLEX Metro (which operates within distances of 5-10ms round-trip time, application dependent) with a third site provided by a RecoverPoint appliance.This setup ensures that data is continuously available and protected, and it allows for failover between two Metro sites without impacting protection1.

It’s important to note that while MetroPoint enables protection for VPLEX devices at both sites, the requirement for both VPLEX clusters to be connected to a RecoverPoint cluster is crucial for the creation and proper functioning of a MetroPoint Consistency Group1.

For the most accurate and up-to-date information, it is always best to consult the latest official Dell RecoverPoint documentation or contact Dell EMC support directly2.

In Dell EMC RecoverPoint, virtual RPAs (vRPAs) use iSCSI protocol for connections. This is because vRPAs are designed to operate in virtual environments where iSCSI is commonly used for storage networking due to its ability to work over standard IP networks.Physical RPAs, such as Gen-5 and Gen-6, typically use Fibre Channel (FC) for direct storage connectivity1.

Here’s a breakdown of the connectivity:

vRPA: Utilizes iSCSI for connections to protected storage. This is suitable for virtualized environments where the RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines (RP4VMs) operates.

Gen-5 and Gen-6 RPAs: These are physical appliances that generally use Fibre Channel for connectivity, which is more common in physical data center environments where dedicated storage networks are present1.

It’s important to choose the correct RPA type based on the storage infrastructure and connectivity requirements of the environment1.

In Dell RecoverPoint, a Consistency Group is built from one or more replication sets.Each replication set consists of a production volume plus any local or remote copy volumes to which it is replicating1. Since the mission-critical application is stored on three volumes, and each volume will be part of a replication set, the Consistency Group for the application will contain three replication sets.This ensures that all three volumes are protected and replicated as part of the RecoverPoint protection strategy1.

It’s important to note that the number of replication sets in a Consistency Group is equal to the number of production volumes being replicated.Therefore, if an application spans multiple volumes, each volume will be part of its own replication set within the Consistency Group1.