Changing Source Buffer Settings

CAUTION: The source buffer is created on the C: during installation, but must be changed from the boot drive to another local drive before using AIM. Refer to AIM Buffers for the correct specifications and create a new source buffer, then use the instructions below to change the location in AIM.

The size of the buffer is dictated by the amount of free space on the disk partition where the buffer resides. The AIM file size is the size of the data transfer file sent from the source buffer. The file size and location is a global setting and cannot be configured to use a different file size or location for each AIM set.

Refer to Enabling/Disabling Passthrough, which allows I/O to be written directly to source virtual volumes and logged in memory in the event that the source buffer becomes unavailable.

It is possible to change the source buffer location during AIM data transfer. Any files that were pending in the original source buffer will continue to transfer to the destination.  When the original buffer empties, the transfer will start from the new buffer.

To change the source buffer location:

  1. Using the Windows operating system, create the new source buffer.  (Refer to AIM Buffers, if necessary.)

  2. In the AIM Source Manager GUI, right-click the AIM Source Manager node in the left pane,  and select Settings.

  3. In the Settings dialog box:

    • Select the AIM File Size (KB) from the pull-down list (512KB – 4096 KB). The default size is 4 MB.

    • Enter the location for the AIM Source Buffer or click Browse to search for the location.

  1. Click OK.

If you are changing the buffer location while generating I/O on the application server, follow the steps below:

  1. Ensure the correct buffer location change has been made.  Right-click the AIM Source Manager node in the left pane and select select View Source Logfile. There should be an entry that the source buffer directory has been changed.

  2. Use Windows Explorer to watch how AIM changes the location of the original buffer to the new buffer.
    In the screen shot below, notice the original buffer (AIM Buffer Volume) and the new buffer (New AIM Buffer), both with sub-directories based on the same Volume ID of the AIM source volume. This indicates that AIM is now starting to use this new location for all new AIM files generated after the AIM buffer setting was changed.
    SANsymphony aimsrclocation Changing Source Buffer Settings

  3. If you are generating I/O on the application server, you can select the new buffer sub-directory and see the new AIM files being generated.

  4. You can also browse the original AIM buffer directory as the AIM files remaining in it are sent to the AIM destination server.  AIM will continue to transfer any files residing in the original AIM source buffer at the time of the buffer location change.

  5. When the original buffer is completely empty, it can be safely removed.

WARNING:  If you change the buffer settings again for any reason, you must wait until all data has been transferred out of the original buffer and into the destination buffer, otherwise the data in the original buffer will be lost and you will have to re-initialize the AIM sets.

Changing Source Buffer Settings