About peer RiOS data store synchronization
For deployments requiring the highest levels of redundancy and performance, RiOS supports warm standby between designated master and backup devices. RiOS data store synchronization enables pairs of local appliances to synchronize their data stores with each other, even while they are optimizing connections. RiOS data store synchronization is typically used to ensure that if an appliance fails, no loss of potential bandwidth savings occurs, because the data segments and references are on the other appliances.
You can use RiOS data store synchronization for physical in-path, virtual in-path, or out-of-path deployments. You enable synchronization on two appliances, one as the synchronization master, and the other as the synchronization backup.
The traffic for RiOS data store synchronization is transferred through either the appliance primary or auxiliary network interfaces, not the in-path interfaces.
RiOS data store synchronization is a bidirectional operation between two appliances, regardless of which deployment model you use. The Edge master and backup designation is only relevant in the initial configuration, when the master appliance RiOS data store essentially overwrites the backup appliance RiOS data store.
The synchronization master and its backup:
• must have the same appliance model.
• must be running the same version of RiOS.
• do not have to be in the same physical location. If they are in different physical locations, they must be connected via a fast, reliable LAN connection with minimal latency.
When you have configured the master and backup appliances, you must restart the optimization service on the backup appliance. The master restarts automatically.
After you have enabled and configured synchronization, the RiOS data stores are actively kept synchronized. For details about how synchronized appliances replicate data and how RiOS data store synchronization is commonly used in high-availability designs, see the SteelHead Deployment Guide.
If one of the synchronized appliances is under high load, some data might not be copied. For details, see the SteelHead Deployment Guide.
If RiOS data store synchronization is interrupted for any reason (such as a network interruption or if one of the appliances is taken out of service), the appliances continue other operations without disruption. When the interruption is resolved, RiOS data store synchronization resumes without risk of data corruption.