XtremIO Snapshots SQL Server and PowerShell Part IV

I have continued to work on the MTSXtremIO module and adding functionality for XtremIO 4.0. One interesting feature in 4.0 that provides even more benefit with snapshots is the ability to refresh a snapshot. With SQL server this saves some steps with LUN mapping and mounting volumes. I have done some testing using two methods to control the snapshot. I will talk about both methods and show a scripting example using each method.

The first method uses a PowerShell Cmdlet included in the PowerShell Toolkit in EMC Storage Integrator for Windows. The XtremIO 4.0 features are found in the latest version on the software, version 3.8. To use this method the EMC Storage Integrator for Windows must be installed on the machine to be used for scripting. This could potentially be each of the participating SQL Servers.

Here is an example script refreshing a database using the PowerShell Toolkit included with version 3.8 of EMC Storage Integrator for Windows.

Import-Module ESIPSToolkit
Import-Module MTSMSSQL

# Initial Snapshot Setup and LUN Mapping
$XtremIOCluster = 'XtremIO01'
$SourceVolume = 'DMSQLVol01'
$SourceDatabase = 'SnapTest01'
$TargetDatabaseName = 'SnapTest01_QA'
$TargetDeviceName = 'DMSQLVol01.Snap_20150923-102044'
$TargetSnapDeviceID = '514f0c53d2600159'
$VMName = 'DAMAnalysis'
$DriveLetter = 'K:'
$AccessPath = 'K:\'
$datapath = 'K:\SnapTest01.mdf'
$logpath = 'K:\SnapTest01_log.ldf'


# Detach Database
Set-DBDetach -SQLServer $VMName -dbname $SourceDatabase

# Get Disk Number
$OldDisk = Get-Disk | Where UniqueId -eq $TargetSnapDeviceID

# Offline Disk
Set-Disk -Number ($OldDisk.Number) -IsOffline $true

# Connect to XtremIO
$XioSystem = Get-EmcStorageSystem -ID $XtremIOCluster

# Refresh SnapShot
Restore-EmcXtremIOSnapshots -XioStorageSystem $XIOSystem -FromVolumeName $SourceVolume -ToVolumeName $TargetDeviceName

# Rescan Windows Disks
Update-HostStorageCache

# Get Disk Number
$NewDisk = Get-DIsk | Where UniqueId -eq $TargetSnapDeviceID

# Set mount and drive path 
Set-Disk -Number ($NewDisk.Number) -IsReadOnly $false
Set-Disk -Number ($NewDisk.Number) -IsOffline $false

Start-Sleep -Seconds 1
if(( -not (get-partition -DiskNumber ($NewDisk.Number)).DriveLetter -eq $DriveLetter)){
    Add-PartitionAccessPath -DiskNumber ($NewDisk.Number) -PartitionNumber 1 -AccessPath $AccessPath
}

# Verify Files and attach database
if ((Test-Path -Path $datapath) -and (Test-path -Path $logpath)){
 
	# Attach Database
	$DBAttachResult = Set-DBAttach -dbname $TargetDatabaseName -datapath $datapath -logpath $logpath
 
}

Import-Module ESIPSToolkit

Import-Module MTSMSSQL

# Initial Snapshot Setup and LUN Mapping

$XtremIOCluster = 'XtremIO01'

$SourceVolume = 'DMSQLVol01'

$SourceDatabase = 'SnapTest01'

$TargetDatabaseName = 'SnapTest01_QA'

$TargetDeviceName = 'DMSQLVol01.Snap_20150923-102044'

$TargetSnapDeviceID = '514f0c53d2600159'

$VMName = 'DAMAnalysis'

$DriveLetter = 'K:'

$AccessPath = 'K:\'

$datapath = 'K:\SnapTest01.mdf'

$logpath = 'K:\SnapTest01_log.ldf'

# Detach Database

Set-DBDetach -SQLServer $VMName -dbname $SourceDatabase

# Get Disk Number

$OldDisk = Get-Disk | Where UniqueId -eq $TargetSnapDeviceID

# Offline Disk

Set-Disk -Number ($OldDisk.Number) -IsOffline $true

# Connect to XtremIO

$XioSystem = Get-EmcStorageSystem -ID $XtremIOCluster

# Refresh SnapShot

Restore-EmcXtremIOSnapshots -XioStorageSystem $XIOSystem -FromVolumeName $SourceVolume -ToVolumeName $TargetDeviceName

# Rescan Windows Disks

Update-HostStorageCache

# Get Disk Number

$NewDisk = Get-DIsk | Where UniqueId -eq $TargetSnapDeviceID

# Set mount and drive path

Set-Disk -Number ($NewDisk.Number) -IsReadOnly $false

Set-Disk -Number ($NewDisk.Number) -IsOffline $false

Start-Sleep -Seconds 1

if(( -not (get-partition -DiskNumber ($NewDisk.Number)).DriveLetter -eq $DriveLetter)){

Add-PartitionAccessPath -DiskNumber ($NewDisk.Number) -PartitionNumber 1 -AccessPath $AccessPath

}

# Verify Files and attach database

if ((Test-Path -Path $datapath) -and (Test-path -Path $logpath)){

# Attach Database

$DBAttachResult = Set-DBAttach -dbname $TargetDatabaseName -datapath $datapath -logpath $logpath

}

The Second method is using an open source PowerShell Module I developed to manage XtremIO. It is a PowerShell interface to the XtremIO REST API. It provides a comprehensive PowerShell management interface including the snapshot refresh functionality in 4.0.

Here is an example refreshing a database using the Update-XIOSnapshot Cmdlet found in MTSXtremIO module.

Import-Module MTSXtremIO -Force
Import-Module MTSMSSQL

Disable-CertificateValidation
Set-XIOAPIConnectionInfo -username "admin" -passwordfile "C:\Users\dmuegge\pwd\XtremIO.txt" -hostname "XtremIO01"

# Initial Snapshot Setup and LUN Mapping 
$SourceVolume = 'DMSQLVol01'
$SourceDatabase = 'SnapTest01'
$TargetDatabaseName = 'SnapTest01_QA'
$TargetDeviceName = 'DMSQLVol01.Snap_QA'
$TargetSnapDeviceID = '514f0c53d2600159'
$VMName = 'DAMAnalysis'
$DriveLetter = 'K:'
$AccessPath = 'K:\'
$datapath = 'K:\SnapTest01.mdf'
$logpath = 'K:\SnapTest01_log.ldf'


# Detach Database
Set-DBDetach -SQLServer $VMName -dbname $SourceDatabase

# Get Disk Number
$OldDisk = Get-Disk | Where UniqueId -eq $TargetSnapDeviceID

# Offline Disk
Set-Disk -Number ($OldDisk.Number) -IsOffline $true

# Refresh SnapShot
Update-XIOSnapshot -SourceVol $SourceVolume -DestVol $TargetDeviceName

# Rescan Windows Disks
Update-HostStorageCache

# Get Disk Number
$NewDisk = Get-Disk | Where UniqueId -eq $TargetSnapDeviceID

# Set mount and drive path 
Set-Disk -Number ($NewDisk.Number) -IsReadOnly $false
Set-Disk -Number ($NewDisk.Number) -IsOffline $false

Start-Sleep -Seconds 1
if(( -not (get-partition -DiskNumber ($NewDisk.Number)).DriveLetter -eq $DriveLetter)){
    Add-PartitionAccessPath -DiskNumber ($NewDisk.Number) -PartitionNumber 1 -AccessPath $AccessPath
}

# Verify Files and attach database
if ((Test-Path -Path $datapath) -and (Test-path -Path $logpath)){
 
	# Attach Database
	$DBAttachResult = Set-DBAttach -dbname $TargetDatabaseName -datapath $datapath -logpath $logpath
 
}

Import-Module MTSXtremIO -Force

Import-Module MTSMSSQL

Disable-CertificateValidation

Set-XIOAPIConnectionInfo -username "admin" -passwordfile "C:\Users\dmuegge\pwd\XtremIO.txt" -hostname "XtremIO01"

# Initial Snapshot Setup and LUN Mapping

$SourceVolume = 'DMSQLVol01'

$SourceDatabase = 'SnapTest01'

$TargetDatabaseName = 'SnapTest01_QA'

$TargetDeviceName = 'DMSQLVol01.Snap_QA'

$TargetSnapDeviceID = '514f0c53d2600159'

$VMName = 'DAMAnalysis'

$DriveLetter = 'K:'

$AccessPath = 'K:\'

$datapath = 'K:\SnapTest01.mdf'

$logpath = 'K:\SnapTest01_log.ldf'

# Detach Database

Set-DBDetach -SQLServer $VMName -dbname $SourceDatabase

# Get Disk Number

$OldDisk = Get-Disk | Where UniqueId -eq $TargetSnapDeviceID

# Offline Disk

Set-Disk -Number ($OldDisk.Number) -IsOffline $true

# Refresh SnapShot

Update-XIOSnapshot -SourceVol $SourceVolume -DestVol $TargetDeviceName

# Rescan Windows Disks

Update-HostStorageCache

# Get Disk Number

$NewDisk = Get-Disk | Where UniqueId -eq $TargetSnapDeviceID

# Set mount and drive path

Set-Disk -Number ($NewDisk.Number) -IsReadOnly $false

Set-Disk -Number ($NewDisk.Number) -IsOffline $false

Start-Sleep -Seconds 1

if(( -not (get-partition -DiskNumber ($NewDisk.Number)).DriveLetter -eq $DriveLetter)){

Add-PartitionAccessPath -DiskNumber ($NewDisk.Number) -PartitionNumber 1 -AccessPath $AccessPath

}

# Verify Files and attach database

if ((Test-Path -Path $datapath) -and (Test-path -Path $logpath)){

# Attach Database

$DBAttachResult = Set-DBAttach -dbname $TargetDatabaseName -datapath $datapath -logpath $logpath

}

The way both of these scripts work relies on some initial setup of a snapshot copy mounted to a server. This could be the same or different servers. The diagram below shows the test scenario used in the example scripts above.

In either scenario above the copy process happens very quickly. In my tests it only took a few seconds. The only difference in the scripts above is the command to connect to the resources and the command to refresh the snapshot. Either method is simple and really makes database snapshots easy. The scripting is very straightforward and easy to understand.

The main benefit of the ESI Toolkit is it is officially supported by EMC. It does require an install an just provides some core provisioning functionality. The MTSXtremIO PowerShell Module does not require installation and can be used for many other XtremIO management and reporting tasks. It is an open source project located here.

Regards,

Dave

2 comments

Karl says:

February 24, 2016 at 2:01 pm

This is very helpful but is there a way just to set the destination servers disk offline after the detach of the db, then do just a refresh of the snapshot from its parent snapshot and then set the disk online and attach the DB.

dmuegge says:

February 24, 2016 at 2:41 pm

Karl,

Yes, that is what the examples above are doing. You will notice there is not any code to related to LUN mapping or attaching disks.

The following line offline’s the disk

# Offline Disk
Set-Disk -Number ($OldDisk.Number) -IsOffline $true

1 2	# Offline Disk Set-Disk -Number ($OldDisk.Number) -IsOffline $true

The following lines bring it back online and sets to writable as well as making sure the mount point is correct.

# Set mount and drive path 
Set-Disk -Number ($NewDisk.Number) -IsReadOnly $false
Set-Disk -Number ($NewDisk.Number) -IsOffline $false
 
Start-Sleep -Seconds 1
if(( -not (get-partition -DiskNumber ($NewDisk.Number)).DriveLetter -eq $DriveLetter)){
    Add-PartitionAccessPath -DiskNumber ($NewDisk.Number) -PartitionNumber 1 -AccessPath $AccessPath
}

Is there a piece that is not clear to you?

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