Use the Create Snapshot Virtual Disk Wizard to create a logical point-in-time image of another .
A snapshot virtual disk is the logical equivalent of a complete physical copy, but you create it much more quickly than a physical copy, and it requires less disk space. In this release of the storage management software, the virtual disk from which you are basing the snapshot, called the , must be a in your .
Valid Base Virtual Disks
The Create Snapshot Virtual Disk option is not available from the pull-down menu or right-mouse pop-up menu if an invalid source virtual disk is selected before starting the wizard.
Important: The following virtual disks are not valid base virtual disks:
participating in a
Caution: Risk of application errors -- You cannot create a snapshot for a virtual disk containing unreadable sectors.
Important:
Refer to the Create Snapshot Virtual Disk Wizard: Additional Instructions for operating system-specific instructions. Failure to complete the additional steps required for your operating system might result in an inaccurate point-in-time image of the source virtual disk or virtual disk in a .
Unmounting the source virtual disk does not apply when the source virtual disk is the root disk of the host operating system.
Use the following procedure to use the Create Snapshot Virtual Disk Wizard.
1
Stop the host application accessing the source virtual disk, and unmount the source virtual disk.
2
Select a valid source virtual disk from the Logical View, and select Virtual Disk >> Snapshot >> Create. Use the Create Snapshot Virtual Disk Wizard to create snapshot virtual disks.
Caution:Potential loss of data redundancy -- If the snapshot virtual disk is to be based on the root disk of the host operating system, the final point-in-time image might not be completely consistent with the source virtual disk.
3
After you have created one or more snapshot virtual disks, mount the source virtual disk, and restart the host application using that source virtual disk.
4
Assign between the snapshot virtual disk and the host that will access the snapshot virtual disk using the of the .
In some cases, depending on the host operating system and any virtual disk manager software in use, mapping the same host to both a source virtual disk and its associated snapshot virtual disk might result in conflicts. For operating-system specific instructions, see Create Snapshot Virtual Disk Wizard: Additional Instructions.
5
Run the host-based utility to register the snapshot virtual disk with the host operating system. Finally, run the host-based utility to associate the mapping between the physical storage array name and the virtual disk name.
Important: If you will use this snapshot on a regular basis (for example, for backup purposes), use the Disable Snapshot and Re-create Snapshot options to reuse the snapshot. This alleviates the need to stop the host application and unmount the source virtual disk while the snapshot is being created again. Using the Disable Snapshot and Re-create Snapshot options also preserves the existing mappings to the snapshot virtual disk. For more information, see Disabling a Snapshot Virtual Disk and Re-creating a Snapshot Virtual Disk.
Preview of the Create Snapshot Virtual Disk Wizard
The following list describes some of the dialogs you encounter when using the Create Snapshot Virtual Disk wizard:
The Introduction dialog defines what a snapshot virtual disk is and the physical components associated with a snapshot virtual disk. The dialog enables you to select either the Simple or Advanced path through the Create Snapshot Virtual Disk Wizard. If no free capacity exists or the available free capacity is unusable, a warning message is displayed.
The Specify Names dialog enables you to define the snapshot virtual disks name, and the name of its associated snapshot repository virtual disk.
The Specify Snapshot Repository Capacity dialog specifies the snapshot repository virtual disk's capacity as a percentage of the source virtual disk's capacity
Simple Path
The Preview dialog provides a preview of the snapshot and repository parameters and enables you to return to previous dialogs to change the parameters.
Advanced Path
The Allocate Capacity dialog enables you to select the Free Capacity or Unconfigured Capacity node on which to place the snapshot repository virtual disk.
Using Free Capacity:
The Advanced Parameter Settings dialog enables you to define the snapshot virtual disk-to-LUN mapping parameter, and the snapshot repository virtual disk full conditions.
The Preview dialog provides a preview of the snapshot and repository parameters, and enables you to return to previous dialogs to edit the parameters.
Using Unconfigured Capacity:
The Specify Disk Group Parameters dialog enables you to specify a new where the repository will reside and to specify the level of the disk group that will meet snapshot repository virtual disk data storage and protection requirements.
The Advanced Parameter Settings dialog enables you to define the snapshot virtual disk-to-LUN mapping parameter, the threshold percentage full parameter, and the snapshot repository virtual disk full conditions.
The Preview dialog provides a preview of the snapshot and repository parameters and enables you to return to previous dialogs to edit the parameters.
Caution: Risk of application errors -- You cannot create a snapshot for a virtual disk containing unreadable sectors.