Administrator Guide

Creating snapshots
You can create snapshots of selected virtual volumes or of virtual snapshots. You can create snapshots immediately or schedule snapshot
creation.
If the large pools feature is enabled, through use of the large-pools parameter of the set advanced-settings CLI command, the
maximum number of volumes in a snapshot tree is limited to 9, base volume plus 8 snapshots. The maximum number of volumes per
snapshot will decrease to fewer than 9 if more than 3 replication sets are defined for volumes in the snapshot tree. If creating a snapshot
will exceed the limit, you will be unable to create the snapshot unless you delete a snapshot first.
To see more information about a volume, snap pool linear storage only, or snapshot, hover the cursor over the item in the volumes table.
You can view additional snapshot information by hovering the cursor over the snapshot in the Snapshots table. Viewing volumes contains
more details about the Volume Information and Snapshot Information panels that appear.
Create virtual snapshots
1. In the Volumes topic, select from 1 to 16 virtual volumes or snapshots.
NOTE: You can also select a combination of virtual volumes and snapshots.
2. Select Action > Create Snapshot.
The Create Snapshots panel opens.
3. Optional: In the Snapshot Name field, change the name for the snapshot. The default is volume-name_sn, where n starts at 0001.
A snapshot name is case sensitive and can have a maximum of 32 bytes. It cannot already exist in the system or include the following:
" , < \
If the name is used by another snapshot, you are prompted to enter a different name.
4. Optional: If you want to schedule a create-snapshot task, perform the following:
• Select the Scheduled check box.
• Optional: Change the default prefix to identify snapshots created by this task. The default is volumesn, where n starts at 01. The
prefix is case sensitive and can have a maximum of 26 bytes. It cannot already exist in the system or include the following: " , < \
Scheduled snapshots are named prefix_Sn, where n starts at 0001.
• Optional: Select the number of snapshots to retain from either 1 through 8 if the large pools feature is enabled, or 1 through 32 if
the large pools feature is disabled. The default is 1. When the task runs, the retention count is compared with the number of
existing snapshots:
○ If the retention count has not been reached, the snapshot is created.
○ If the retention count has been reached, the oldest snapshot for the volume is unmapped, reset, and renamed to the next
name in the sequence.
• Specify a date and a time at least five minutes in the future to run the task. The date must use the format yyyy-mm-dd. The time
must use the format hh:mm followed by either AM, PM, or 24H (24-hour clock). For example, 13:00 24H is the same as 1:00 PM.
• Optional: If you want the task to run more than once, perform the following:
○ Select the Repeat check box and specify how often the task should run.
○ Optional: Select the End check box to specify when the task should stop running.
○ Optional: Select the Time Constraint check box to specify a time range within which the task should run.
○ Optional: Select the Date Constraint check box to specify days when the task should run. Ensure that this constraint includes
the start date.
5. Click OK.
• If Scheduled is not selected, the snapshot is created.
• If Scheduled is selected, the schedule is created and can be viewed in the Manage Schedules panel. For information on modifying
or deleting schedules through this panel, see Managing scheduled tasks.
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Working in the Volumes topic