Business resiliency

Disaster recovery tests are usually successful. People know well ahead of time when the test is, so they can make sure all procedures are updated and current. At the time of the test, all key personnel are at the recovery site, ready to go. But a real disaster is not a test. Procedures may not be current. Key people may have other priorities such as the welfare of their family, they can’t be reached or may not be able to get to the D/R site, or they may not have survived the disaster. GDPS is designed to remove people as a single point of failure in a real disaster by automating all the actions needed to recovery the business within your recovery time objectives.

GDPS automation includes not just managing the remote copy environment, but automation to manage the System z servers including invoking CBU, OOCUOD, and activation profiles, IPLing LPARs and responding to IPL messages, manage Sysplex couple data sets, and provide data consistency between System z data, distributed data, tape, and Coupling Facility structures.

The GDPS suite of products includes the following to meet your business requirements:

• GDPS/PPRC HyperSwap Manager – Includes Metro Mirror synchronous remote copy management, freeze, and HyperSwap function
• GDPS/PPRC – End to end solution. Includes GDPS/PPRC HyperSwap Manager function, as well as automation to bring up production workload at the recovery site.
• GDPS/XRC – Based on z/OS Metro Mirror (previously called Extended Remote Copy, or XRC), GDPS/XRC includes automation to manage remote copy pairs, manage System Data Movers, and automate the recovery of the production environment with limited manual intervention, including management of the servers including shutting down discretionary work, invoking CBU, and IPLing LPARs at the recovery site.
• GDPS/Global Mirror - Based on Global Mirror, GDPS/Global Mirror includes automation to manage remote copy pairs, manage System Data Movers, and automate the recovery of the production environment with limited manual intervention, including management of the servers including shutting down discretionary work, invoking CBU, and IPLing LPARs at the recovery site.
• GDPS/MGM – Combining the advantages of GDPS/PPRC using Metro Mirror and GDPS/Global Mirror in a cascading configuration, GDPS/MGM provides HyperSwap capability for near-continuous data availability, can be configured for zero data loss, protection from regional events, and little to no impact on end user response time.
• GDPS/MzGM – Combining the advantages of GDPS/PPRC using Metro Mirror and GDPS/XRC using z/OS Global Mirror in a multi-target configuration, GDPS/MGM provides HyperSwap capability for near-continuous data availability, can be configured for zero data loss, protection from regional events, and little to no impact on end user response time.
  

GDPS can be used to manage and provide data consistency not only for System z data, but also for any data on any platform. It is not only important that the System z data is consistent, it must be consistent with data across the heterogeneous environment. GDPS has several functions that allow this, including:

• Open LUN Management – Provides a single point of control for System z and non-z data. Includes “Freeze” capability for consistency. Can be used with GDPS/PPRC and GDPS/Global Mirror
• Multiplatform Resiliency – As well as single point of control and data consistency, provides HyperSwap capability for Linux on System z data and automates IPL and startup of z/VM with Linux guests, and native Linux LPARs. Can be used with GDPS/PPRC
• Distributed Cluster Manager – Coordinates actions for planned and unplanned takeovers between GDPS on System z and Veritas Cluster Server or Tivoli System Automation Application Manager on distributed servers. Options are available for any GDPS offering.

GDPS services include installation, customization, skill transfer, and configuration verification. They can also include project management to help keep the project on schedule, using the skills and knowledge developed with over 450 implementations.

More information on GDPS can be found in the GDPS web site at:
www.ibm.com/systems/z/gdps