For Infoscale 8.0.2 and 9.0 for Windows, when using Volume Replicator (VVR) the heartbeat is failing to switch from hostname or admin IP to virtual IP causing replication to be stuck in Activating state

Problem

For Infoscale 8.0.2 and 9.0 for Windows, when using Volume Replicator (VVR) the heartbeat fails to switch from hostname or admin IP to virtual IP causing replication to be stuck in Activating state. 

Error Message

There are no errors seen in the GUI or logs to account for this issue. Only the replication state does not transition from Activating to Active state.

Cause

When configuring VVR secondary in an Infoscale Cluster using a virtual IP address for local and remote Rlinks, if the connection is made using the secondary's hostname, VVR has problems converting the heartbeat for replication from this hostname to the virtual IP address selected.  This is seen more often when replication is not started right away during the Add Secondary wizard.

Solution

Ensure that VVR requirements are met and that all required ports are open prior to attempting the workaround below.  If assistance is needed to validate the VVR requirements and ports, please open a case with Arctera Support.

Below is a workaround for this issue:

1. Ensure that the 8.0.2 patch Patch_8_0_200008_0_4189061 (available via the Download Center) is installed on both Primary and Secondary servers (all cluster nodes at both sites.) 

           Note: The above patch is applicable for Infoscale 8.0.2 only. A similar patch for Infoscale 9.0 is currently not available.

2. Recreate the Replicated Data Set (RDS) at both sites while the clusters are not running.

           Note: When adding the Secondary Replicated Volume Group (RVG), ensure the following are done:

1. 1. 1. Use the Virtual IP address for the Add Secondary wizard's initial connection to the remote site.  Do not use hostname for this connection.

      2. Ensure that replication is started at the end of the wizard.  Do not uncheck the box for Start Replication

The Product Engineering team currently plans to address this issue through a future patch or hotfix in the 8.0.2 and 9.0 versions of the software instead of using the workaround. Please note that our company reserves the right to withdraw any fix from the targeted release if it fails quality assurance tests. Development plans are subject to change, and any actions you take based on this information, or your reliance on it, are at your own risk.