Seed the DR Repository

The replication process between the HA Appliance (HA) and DR Appliance (DR) ensures that the DR repository is current with that of the HA. The repository synchronization process (aka “seeding”) can take place in different forms depending on different factors:

• Deploying onQ Appliances as part of an initial deployment.

• Re-synchronizing onQ Appliances due to other factors such as replacement/repair of onQ Appliances in the field.

• Enrolling new nodes on an HA that is currently in production. This process requires sending a full PN payload to the DR.

• Deploying a DR after an HA is up and running in production and, consequently, has a populated repository.

• HA and DR are on a local network.

• HA is local but DR is at a remote customer datacenter.

• Customer subscribes to the Quorum Hybrid Cloud service (aka DRaaS).

• Using a transportable, large capacity USB‑attached disk

• Using a transportable, large capacity, encryption‑capable NAS device (ReadyNAS)

The HA Appliance (HA) is designed to automatically seed the DR Appliance (DR) as part of its normal operation. When first deployed, the HA captures new, full snapshots of all the PNs and sends the snapshots to the DR. If both onQ Appliances are on the same LAN, the initial seeding process is no different than any follow-on, incremental snapshot, except in size. This automated process can also work when the HA is separated from the DR over a WAN but the link is fast enough to make the full synchronization practical. The data stream is de-duplicated against the repository on the DR, encrypted, and compressed to secure and optimize the transfer.

During the initial deployment it is best to co-locate the HA and DR so that the initial seeding can occur as soon as possible after the initial capture of the backup sets. After you enroll all the servers that need to be protected and their backups transfer to the DR, the DR can be disconnected and shipped to the desired, remote location. After the onQ Appliances are reconnected over the WAN, they begin synchronization of the newly captured snapshots.

If the co-location of the HA and DR is not possible during initial deployment and the bandwidth between the respective sites is not adequate to send the large, initial backup snapshots, other procedures can be used to facilitate the seeding of the DR. Quorum Support will work with you to determine and implement the best procedure for your environment.

• Using externally‑attached disk: A large USB disk can be attached to the onQ Appliance that is large enough to accommodate the repository. This process involves copying the entire repository to the disk and transporting it to the remote site for seeding the DR. A large NAS storage device can be used instead of the USB disk to perform the same function. Quorum Support assists in attaching the NAS device to the onQ Appliances.

• Using a NAS Storage device (Hybrid Cloud/DRaaS): To facilitate the seeding of your DR in the Quorum cloud (aka DRaaS), Quorum loans you an encryption‑capable NAS device (ReadyNAS). Upon initial deployment of your HA, the NAS is attached and configured to receive all initial snapshots intended for the DR. After you enroll all PNs and onQ captures all the initial snapshots, the NAS device is detached and shipped to Quorum for seeding your DR in the Quorum cloud. Quorum transfers the data from the seed unit to the storage repository and wipes the NAS device. After the seeding completes, the HA begins to transfer new snapshots over the WAN to the Quorum cloud as they are captured.

To help discern whether or not WAN seeding/synchronization to the DR is practical, the estimates below are provided as a reference point. Seeding estimates are a function of your internet connection speed.

WAN Speed (mbps)	Estimated DRaaS Seeding Time (hrs)/TB¹
50	117
100	58