We are thinking the below option:
1. configure air from current setup to new one (prod only since the 2 master is different domain)
Is It possible to to do AIR on different msdp appliance type?
2.Upgrade the master server version of current setup in production to 8.1.2.
Add the new appliance as new media of the current master server, then do SLP and AIR to DR?
About existing environment - do you have a BYO master and separate BYO media server with DD and tape library?
Or one master/media that writes to the DD and tape?
It is impossible to AIR between different types of dedupe appliances.
Data Domain can only be replicated to another DD.
NBU Appliances can only replicate between other Appliance or BYO NBU MSDP.
A new master will add a lot of complications that will probably require consulting services to transfer existing catalogs or else spend weeks/months to import tapes in new environment.
It seems that your best solution will be to keep existing master server, upgrade it to 8.1.2 (or 8.2) and add the new Appliance as media server.
Keep the DD until all images have expired.
Eject all tapes from existing library, and then add to new library (hopefully you have same/compatible drives).
Check media ID generation rules before you perform Inventory.
Delete existing/old tape library.
Move image ownership of all media containing unexpired backups to the new Appliance (bpimage).
Configure SLP for backup to Appliance, duplicate to new tape library STU and replication to DR.
Change all backup policies to new SLP.
Remove DD from environment.
Decommission existing BYO media server (ignore if you do not have a separate media server).
