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# Create a file protection replication session

Network-attached storage is a file-level storage architecture that makes stored data more accessible to networked devices.

## About this task

See Understanding PowerMax File for storage systems for an overview of PowerMax File.

The replication create operation sets up replication of all the user file systems of a NAS server in one cluster (the "source") to a NAS server and corresponding file systems in another cluster (the "destination"). File replication uses SRDF to enable both synchronous and asynchronous type of replication. Since the replication is at the NAS server level, you have to provide a name of the NAS server to be created on the destination side and the replication creation will take care of creating all of the user file system with the same properties as the source side. You have to provide the remote storage resource pool and the local and remote RDF Dir:Port details as an input to create the replication session.

## Steps

1. Select a storage system that supports PowerMax File.
2. Select Data Protection > File Protection.
3. Select the REPLICATION tab.
4. Select the REPLICATION SESSIONS tab.
5. Click Create.
6. Optional: Click Scan to update the list of remote storage systems that are visible to the local storage system.
7. Enter or select values for Name, Source System, Destination System, Source NAS Server, Create Destination NAS Server, Destination Primary Node, Destination Backup Node, Remote Connection, Destination Storage Resource Pool, and Mode.
8. Click Test. This operation tests the connection between the local nodes of the selected NAS server and the selected destination nodes
9. Click NEXT.
10. Select Communication Protocol (FC/GigE). Select values for Primary Director port and Backup Director Port for both Local Configuration and Remote Configuration.
11. Click NEXT.
12. Review summary.
13. Do one of the following:
    - Expand Run In The Background, and click Run In The Background to perform the operation in the background.
    - Expand Run In The Background, and click Add to Job List to add this task to the job list, from which you can schedule or run the task at your convenience. For more information, see Schedule jobs and Preview jobs

## Next steps

1. Go to the job list and click view all jobs.
2. Click on the hyperlink beside the create replication job to track the status.
3. On the destination side, only the IP address of the nas server will be replicated, but the corresponding network device needs to be attached. Once the replication session is created, login to the UI of the destination site and wait for the IP address to appear on the destination NAS server (go to all details page of the NAS server by clicking the hyperlink). It may take about 15minutes for the IP address to appear on the destination NAS server.
4. Go to the NETWORK tab
5. Select the FILE INTERFACE tab
6. Select the interface and click Modify.
7. Select the device and click OK.

| NOTE: If the network device is not attached on the destination side, the Replication session will be in OK_BUT state. An alert, PEER_VDM_INTFDEVICE_NOT_MATCH, indicating a mismatch in the network configuration, is generated.