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White Paper
Abstract
This white paper describes EMC VNX Snapshots.
The paper reviews and explains operations and
best practices for the feature, as well as limits and
functions.
December 2013
EMC VNX SNAPSHOTS
2 EMC VNX Snapshots White Paper
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accurate as of its publication date. The information
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described in this publication requires an
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names, see EMC Corporation Trademarks on
EMC.com.
Part Number H10858.1
3 EMC VNX Snapshots White Paper
Table of Contents
Executive summary .................................................................................................. 5
Audience ................................................................................................................. 5
Terminology ............................................................................................................ 6
VNX Snapshots Technical Overview .......................................................................... 7
How Snapshots work .......................................................................................................... 7
Snapshot granularity ...................................................................................................... 9
Snapshot Mount Point ...................................................................................................... 10
VNX operations ...................................................................................................... 11
Create a Snap ................................................................................................................... 11
Create a Snap with AppSync ............................................................................................. 13
Create a Snapshot Mount Point ........................................................................................ 13
Attach a Snapshot ............................................................................................................ 15
Branching (snap of a snap) ............................................................................................... 15
Copy a Snapshot .......................................................................................................... 16
Snap of a Snapshot Mount Point .................................................................................. 17
Detach a Snapshot Mount Point ................................................................................... 19
Detach a Snapshot Mount Point with Snapshots .......................................................... 20
Destroy a Snapshot .......................................................................................................... 22
Consistency Groups.......................................................................................................... 23
Attach a Consistent Snapshot ...................................................................................... 25
Branch a Consistent Snapshot ..................................................................................... 28
Rules for Consistency Groups ....................................................................................... 29
Restore ............................................................................................................................. 29
Restore with SnapView Snapshots and VNX Snapshots ................................................ 30
Restore a LUN ............................................................................................................... 31
Restore CGs .................................................................................................................. 33
Repurpose Snapshots ...................................................................................................... 33
Migrations ........................................................................................................................ 33
Migration considerations ............................................................................................. 37
Limits ............................................................................................................................... 37
Interoperability with other VNX features ........................................................................... 37
VNX Snapshot Auto-Delete ..................................................................................... 38
Auto-Delete Thresholds .................................................................................................... 40
Pool Space Used Threshold .............................................................................................. 40
Snapshot Space Used Threshold .................................................................................. 41
Delete Eligibility ............................................................................................................... 41
Auto-Delete paused .......................................................................................................... 42
Snapshot Expiration ......................................................................................................... 42
4 EMC VNX Snapshots White Paper
CLI ........................................................................................................................ 43
Create a Snapshot ............................................................................................................ 44
Copy a Snapshot .............................................................................................................. 44
Create a Snapshot Mount Point ........................................................................................ 45
Attach a Snapshot ............................................................................................................ 46
Create a Cascading Snapshot ........................................................................................... 46
Detach a Snapshot ........................................................................................................... 47
Destroy a Snapshot .......................................................................................................... 47
List all VNX Snapshots for a LUN ....................................................................................... 47
Create a Consistency Group .............................................................................................. 48
List Consistency Groups ................................................................................................... 48
Create a Consistent Snapshot .......................................................................................... 49
Attach a Consistent Snapshot .......................................................................................... 49
SnapCLI................................................................................................................. 49
Flush buffers .................................................................................................................... 50
Create a Snapshot ............................................................................................................ 50
Attach a Snapshot ............................................................................................................ 50
Copy a Snap ..................................................................................................................... 50
Consistency Groups.......................................................................................................... 50
Sample SnapCLI batch script ............................................................................................ 51
VNX Snapshots vs. SnapView terms ....................................................................... 52
Properties Detailed ................................................................................................ 53
Snapshot properties ......................................................................................................... 53
Snapshot Mount Point properties ..................................................................................... 54
Additional pool properties ................................................................................................ 55
5 EMC VNX Snapshots White Paper
Executive summary
VNX Snapshots is a VNX software feature that creates point-in-time
data copies. VNX Snapshots is used for data backups, software
development and testing, repurposing, data validation, and local rapid
restores. Unlike SnapView snapshots and clones, VNX Snapshots do
not consume large amounts of pool capacity. As a result, this feature is
preferred for modern data management.
This white paper describes all VNX Snapshots operations in detail.
Wherever possible, all aspects of the feature sets are presented visually.
The paper provides straightforward instructions for common functional
tasks. Most tasks are shown from the point of view of Unisphere
graphical user interface (GUI) and naviseccli command line interface
(CLI). You can also manage your VNX snapshots using EMC AppSync,
software that provides application consistent snapshots for Microsoft
Exchange and SQL Server, and provides crash-consistency for VMware
VMFS datastores. The AppSync GUI allows you to manage, configure,
catalogue, and schedule your VNX snapshots.
VNX Snapshots and SnapView will coexist on the same LUN.
Furthermore, SnapView clones, which use a different technology from
SnapView snapshots, will work with VNX Snapshots.
Audience
This paper is intended for EMC customers and EMC field personnel who
are familiar with VNX technology. The paper is intended to be used as a
main reference for VNX Snapshots technology.
6 EMC VNX Snapshots White Paper
Terminology
Consistency Groupan object that contains a list of primary
LUNs or Snapshot Mount Points (but not both) that are treated as
a single entity for taking snapshots.
Consistent Snapshota point-in-time copy of a Consistency
Group.
Copy on First Write (COFW)the technology behind SnapView
Snapshots. After a snapshot is taken, new writes to the primary
LUNs are delayed to enable copying old blocks to the special
reserve LUN within the Reserve LUN Pool.
Logical Unit Number (LUN)is the identifying number of a SCSI or
an iSCSI object that processes SCSI commands. The LUN is the
last part of the SCSI address for a SCSI object. The LUN is an ID
for the logical unit, but the term is often used to refer to the
logical unit itself.
Mount Point, Snapshot Mount Point (SMP)a virtual LUN-like
container. It is used to "emulate" a typical LUN, but provide the
ability for hosts to write to snapshots and to change snapshots
without changing LUN properties such as WWN, and often
without the need to rescan SCSI bus on the client.
Redirect on Write (ROW)the technology behind VNX Snapshots.
After a snapshot is taken, new writes to the primary LUN are
redirected (written) to a new location within a storage pool.
Storage processor (SP)a hardware component that provides the
processing resources to perform storage operations such as
creating, managing, and monitoring storage resources.
Unispherea web-based management environment to create
storage resources, configure and schedule protection for stored
data, and manage and monitor other storage operations on VNX
and VNXe systems.
7 EMC VNX Snapshots White Paper
VNX Snapshots Technical Overview
VNX Snapshots is a feature introduced in VNX