Data Domain - Replication Acceleration vs Application Acceleration?

[Ryan Posey]

http://www.datadomain.com/pdf/DataDomain-Cisco-SolutionBrief.pdf

I recently read an article by Cisco detailing the WAAS appliances capability to add addional deduplicaion to Data Domain replication traffic being forwarded across the WAN.  After reading the aricle and speaking with my SE.  He recommended a 674 in Application Acceleration mode vs the WAE 7341 in Replication Acceleration mode.  The article also states Application Acceleration mode was used.

Why is Application Acceleration mode recommended over Replication Acceleration mode for this traffic?

I have a project requiring 15 - 20 GB / day of incremental backups to be replicated between 3 sites.  The sites are 90 ~ 110ms apart and the links are around 20mbps at each site.  Would a 674 in Application Acceleration mode really make a difference for the Data Domain replications?

[Zach Seils]

I'm trying to find who did the testing, but I suspect the decision to use AA mode was because of the WAN characteristics.  The same would likely apply in your environment, especially given the RTT latency you have.

Regards,

Zach

[Ryan Posey]

Data Domain is providing an enhancement to their current Deduplication capabilities, called "Boost".  I am curious if this will negate much of the additional deduplication that WAN accelerators such as WAAS and Riverbed advertise they can provide.  At this point I would be fearful of spending money on a deduplication solution for Data Doamin traffic with Boost being released.

http://www.datadomain.com/products/boost.html

May 11, 2010

Data Domain Boost Software
Increase Deduplication Storage Performance with Advanced Levels of Backup Application Integration
EMC Data Domain Boost extends the backup optimization benefits of Data Domain deduplication storage solutions by distributing parts of the deduplication process to the backup server. DD Boost dramatically increases throughput speeds, minimizes backup LAN load, and improves backup server utilization

[Ryan Posey]

Is their any possibility you could dig up the configuration that was used on the WAAS Application Accelerator during the Data Domain testing.  I see Data Domain replication service runs over port TCP 4126.  My SE recommends disabling the WAE 674s DRE functions for the Data Domain traffic and simply reply on LZ & TFO.  How do you simply disable DRE, but still use LZ and TFO?

I see 3 common settings;

action optimize full                                                       LZ+TFO+DRE
action optimize DRE no compression none          TFO only
action pass-through                                                    bypass

Can you do LZ+TFO only?  None of the applications in the link below show this type of action setting.  This leads me to believe my SE was really suggesting turn off DRE completely for the WAAS.

This WAAS needs to optimize traffic for;

Lotus-Notes, HTTP, CIFS, Directory Services, RDP, and Data Domain

Can all applications above + Data Domain be optimized from a pair of WAE 674s in AA mode?

http://cisco.biz/en/US/docs/app_ntwk_services/waas/waas/v407/configuration/guide/apx_apps.html

policy-engine application
   name Data-Domain
   classifier Data-Domain
      match dst port eq 4126
exit
   map basic
      name Data-Domain classifier Data-Domain action optimize DRE no compression LZ

exit

[Zach Seils · Accepted solution]

Ryan,

You can configure TFO+LZ as the action.  In the CM GUI it's called "TFO with LZ Compression".  In the CLI, the command argument is optimize dre no compression lz.

Regards,

Zach