High Availability & DR
NetApp MetroCluster.
Synchronous mirroring for NetApp systems across two data center sites — providing continuous availability and zero-data-loss protection for mission-critical workloads with automatic failover.
Overview
NetApp MetroCluster provides synchronous mirroring of ONTAP data between two data center sites, with automatic failover in the event of a site failure. Unlike SnapMirror which requires manual intervention, MetroCluster provides continuous availability — the surviving site takes over automatically within seconds, with RPO=0.
STME deploys MetroCluster for tier-one banking applications, stock exchanges, and payment processing environments where the regulatory or commercial cost of downtime is unacceptable. MetroCluster is validated for SAMA business continuity requirements and CBUAE operational resilience frameworks.
Key features
- Synchronous mirroring — RPO=0 at both sites simultaneously
- Stretch and fabric-attached MetroCluster configurations
- Mediator-based quorum for split-brain prevention
- Automatic failover without manual intervention
- Support for all ONTAP-based workloads (NAS, SAN, object)
- Integration with ONTAP native data management features
Specifications
Mirroring type
Synchronous — RPO=0
Failover time
Seconds (automatic)
Max distance
~300km (latency dependent)
Quorum
ONTAP Mediator
Supported platforms
AFF, FAS, ONTAP Select
Use cases
Banking core system HA
Payment processing continuity
Zero-data-loss regulatory compliance
Related products
Veritas Storage Foundation HA/DR
High availability and disaster recovery management for heterogeneous environments — with Cluster Server (VCS) providing application-aware failover and Storage Foundation providing volume and file system management.
NetApp MetroCluster
Synchronous mirroring for NetApp systems across two data center sites — providing continuous availability and zero-data-loss protection for mission-critical workloads with automatic failover.