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Configuration: Premium Feature—Snapshot Virtual Disks
repository uses less disk space than a full physical copy, because the only data
blocks that are stored in the snapshot repository virtual disk are those that
have changed since the time of the snapshot.
When you create a snapshot virtual disk, specify its location, capacity,
schedule, and other parameters. You can disable or delete the snapshot virtual
disk when it is not required. If you disable a snapshot virtual disk, you can re-
create and reuse it the next time you perform a backup. For more
information, see "Disabling a Snapshot Virtual Disk" on page 165. If you
delete a snapshot virtual disk, you also delete the associated snapshot
repository virtual disk.
NOTE:
Deleting a snapshot does not affect data on the source virtual disk.
NOTE:
The following host preparation sections also apply when using the snapshot
feature through the CLI interface.
Scheduling a Snapshot Virtual Disk
When you create a snapshot virtual disk, you can choose whether the
snapshot is created immediately or is created according to a schedule that you
determine. This schedule can be a one-time snapshot creation or an ongoing
snapshot creation that occurs at regularly occurring intervals. If a schedule is
not specified, the snapshot virtual disk creation happens immediately upon
execution of the command.
A schedule can be specified when a snapshot virtual disk is first created, or it
can be added to an existing snapshot virtual disk at any time. One schedule
per snapshot virtual disk is supported.
Common Reasons for Scheduling a Snapshot Virtual Disk
Scheduling a snapshot virtual disk can serve multiple purposes across a data
storage environment. Most common uses of a snapshot scheduler are:
• Data backups
• Rapid recovery from a data loss event
A scheduled data backup can protect against data loss on a regular,
unmonitored basis. For example, if an application stores business-critical data
on two virtual disks in the storage array, you may choose to perform an
automatic backup every day.
book.book Page 150 Saturday, September 24, 2011 9:06 AM
Summary of Contents for PowerVault MD3200i Series
Page 18: ...18 Contents ...
Page 22: ...22 Introduction ...
Page 60: ...60 Planning MD3200i Series Storage Array Terms and Concepts ...
Page 148: ...148 Configuration Disk Groups and Virtual Disks ...
Page 172: ...172 Configuration Premium Feature Snapshot Virtual Disks ...
Page 188: ...188 Configuration Premium Feature Upgrading to High Performance Tier ...
Page 200: ...200 Configuration Device Mapper Multipath for Linux ...
Page 236: ...236 Management Firmware Inventory ...
Page 262: ...262 Troubleshooting Your Storage Array Software ...
Page 274: ...274 Getting Help ...
Page 282: ...282 Index ...