D.0 Configuring Host-Based File System Mirroring for NSS Pools

Several methods and scenarios exist for mirroring data between geographically separate sites. Each method has its own strengths and weaknesses. For a Novell® Business Continuity Clustering system, you need to choose either host-based mirroring or SAN-based mirroring (also called array-based mirroring) and whether you want the mirroring to be synchronous or asynchronous.

Figure D-1 Synchronous Mirroring

Storage-based synchronous mirroring is preferred and is provided by storage hardware manufacturers. For information about storage-based mirroring, consult your storage system vendor or see the storage system vendor documentation.

Host-based synchronous mirroring functionality is included with the Novell Storage Services™ (NSS) file system (NSS mirroring) that is part of NetWare 6.5. NSS mirroring is a checkpoint-based synchronous mirroring solution. Data blocks are written synchronously to multiple storage devices. It is an alternative to SAN-based synchronous replication options.