WAN Accelerators

[rogerdu]

On this project, we have the following jobs defined (so far):
Site 1
- Local Windows - Main Repository
- Local Copy - SOBR
- Remote Copy - Remote SOBR

Site 2
- Local Windows - Main Repository
- Local Copy - SOBR
- Remote Copy - Remote SOBR

Both cases using NetApp storage in the back end

The backup window starts at Midnight and must be finished by 08:00. What I'm running into is that the Offsite backups are configured to use the same pair of WAN accelerators. However, I am unable to get more than one VM to process at a time, and only one offsite job will start as the other waits until the WAN accelerators are idle before it will start the second job... Is this normal behaviour?

I'm worried as I've not even started to define the Replication targets...

Roger

[Shestakov]

Hello Roger,
Have you checked "Streams" number the WAN Accelerator settings? What`s the number you have?
Thanks!

[alanbolte]

Just to be clear: more streams may sometimes increase throughput, especially over high-latency links, but you're correct that a WAN accelerator pair will only process one VM disk at a time.

If the WAN accelerators are not fully utilizing your bandwidth, there may be a bottleneck that could be investigated in a support case.

[rogerdu]

Each WAN accelerator has 5 streams defined

If I have two jobs that I want to run (potentially) concurrently, would I need 2 pairs of WAN accelerators?

Also, would this then mean that if I throw Replication into the mix, they will wait as well?

Roger

[Shestakov]

Alan is correct, source WAN accelerator can only process one task at a time (one VM disk in a backup copy job or replication job).
However as the target WAN accelerator can handle multiple incoming streams, it is recommended to maintain a 4:1 ratio between the number of source WAN accelerators per target WAN accelerator.
Thanks

[rogerdu]

as I have two sites though, if one WAN Accelerator is acting as the target, can it also be the source of a second job at the same time?

Is there a mechanism that if one WAN accelerator is busy (as a source) that the other one can take over a job?

Roger

[foggy]

as I have two sites though, if one WAN Accelerator is acting as the target, can it also be the source of a second job at the same time?

Yes, a single WAN accelerator can be both source and target for any amount of jobs. However, it can accept multiple jobs as a target and only process one task at a time as a source, other tasks will queue.

Is there a mechanism that if one WAN accelerator is busy (as a source) that the other one can take over a job?

No, a pair of accelerators is specified explicitly in the job.

[rogerdu]

Thanks Foggy... I was pretty sure that might be the case... Feature request??

[foggy]

If you wish.

[rogerdu]

Scale Out WAN Accelerators: The group of systems would act as a logical whole, if the best fit WA is busy, the next best takes over unless there is no other in the group that would satisfy the requirements, they the job is Queued. Can be a Source or Target of Backup Copy or Replication jobs.

[rogerdu]

Just to make sure... I can have 2 WAN accelerators at each site and have both act as a source for that site and target one of the accelerators at the target site? (so 2 sources at site A and one target at Site B, then the same for B to A). This would allow me to have 2 concurrent Backup Copies or Replications happening at the same time per site? (assuming I have one configured per source side accelerator).

If I start a 3rd one at a site it will queue.

I guess I'm looking for confirmation that if I start 4 backup copies/replications and they are configured to use 2 different source accelerators (2 at each site) but target the same target at the opposite site that all 4 jobs will go concurrently?

[foggy]

Yes, they should, if I understood your proposed setup correctly. Actually, you can assign two jobs running in different directions to a single pair of WANs and another couple of jobs to the second pair, thus each WAN will be assigned two tasks (one being a source and another being a target WAN), while in your setup two of them will be assigned 3 tasks and another two just a single one.