Starting a SnapVault backup relationship

Why you need to specify qtrees for filer primary storage systems

After you have enabled SnapVault on both your primary and secondary storage systems and have given primary and secondary systems access to each other, you must specify the qtrees whose data you want transferred from the primary storage system to the SnapVault secondary storage device, and you must perform a complete (baseline) transfer of data from primary storage system to secondary storage.

The snapvault start command configures the SnapVault relationship between primary qtrees and secondary qtrees by

Specifying the primary system qtrees to be backed up on the secondary system qtrees
Specifying parameters for the updates from the primary qtrees to the secondary system qtrees. The parameters include transfer speed and try count (the number of times SnapVault will attempt to start a transfer before stopping the operation).
Initiating the baseline transfer of the primary system qtree data to the secondary system qtree
Note
The descriptions and procedures in this section pertain to SnapVault backup of NetApp filers only. For descriptions and procedures pertaining to SnapVault backup of Open Systems drives and directories, see Setting up SnapVault backup on Open Systems platforms and Managing SnapVault backup of Open Systems platforms.

Initiating the first backup of data from filer primary storage systems

To specify the qtrees that you want to be backed up and to run a first-time (complete) SnapVault transfer, complete the following step.

Step	Action
1	At the filer console for the secondary storage system, enter the following command: snapvault start [-k kbs] [-t n] -S prim_filer:prim_qtree_path [sec_host:]/vol/sec_volume/sec_qtree_path `-k` kbs specifies a value for the throttle (transfer speed) in kilobytes per second for the primary storage system. A value of unlimited is the default and lets the transfer run as fast as it can. Valid values are whole positive numbers. `-t` n specifies the number of times SnapVault will attempt to start a transfer befor stopping the operation. The default is 2. Valid values are whole positive numbers. Note The `-t` parameter does not enable retries of transfers that are aborted or interrupted. `-S` [prim_filer:]prim_qtree_path specifies the qtree on the primary storage system to be backed up. This option must be set the first time the command is run for each primary storage system qtree you want to copy. sec_host is the name of the destination (secondary storage system) filer to which the data from the primary system qtree is transferred. If no secondary storage system filer is specified, the local host's name is used. sec_volume is the name of the volume on the secondary storage system to which the data from the primary storage system is transferred. sec_qtree_path is the path to and the name of the qtree on the secondary storage system. Note The qtree specified for sec_qtree_path must not exist on the secondary system before you run the `snapvault start` command.

Step

Action

At the filer console for the secondary storage system, enter the following command:

snapvault start [-k kbs] [-t n] 

-S prim_filer:prim_qtree_path 
[sec_host:]/vol/sec_volume/sec_qtree_path

-k kbs specifies a value for the throttle (transfer speed) in kilobytes per second for the primary storage system. A value of unlimited is the default and lets the transfer run as fast as it can. Valid values are whole positive numbers.

-t n specifies the number of times SnapVault will attempt to start a transfer befor stopping the operation. The default is 2. Valid values are whole positive numbers.

Note
The -t parameter does not enable retries of transfers that are aborted or interrupted.

-S [prim_filer:]prim_qtree_path specifies the qtree on the primary storage system to be backed up. This option must be set the first time the command is run for each primary storage system qtree you want to copy.

sec_host is the name of the destination (secondary storage system) filer to which the data from the primary system qtree is transferred. If no secondary storage system filer is specified, the local host's name is used.

sec_volume is the name of the volume on the secondary storage system to which the data from the primary storage system is transferred.

sec_qtree_path is the path to and the name of the qtree on the secondary storage system.

Note
The qtree specified for sec_qtree_path must not exist on the secondary system before you run the snapvault start command.

Example:

filerB> snapvault start -S filerA:/vol/vol2/qtree3 /vol/vol1/qtree3

Result:

SnapVault creates a snapshot of qtree3 in vol2 of the primary storage system (filerA), copies the data in it to the secondary storage system (filerB) at vol/vol1/qtree3, and configures the qtree for future updates.

Note
The time required for this baseline transfer depends on the inode count of the primary data to be backed up. SnapVault can carry out initial backup at an approximate rate of 7 million inodes per hour (110,000 inodes per minute). In the first phase of a large transfer, SnapVault creates inodes, and it may appear that no activity is taking place.

Initiating backup of filer primary system non-qtree data

Non-qtree data is any data on a filer that is not contained in its qtrees. Non-qtree data can include

Configuration and logging directories on the filer (for example, /etc or /logs) that are not normally visible to filer clients
Directories and files on a filer volume that has no qtree configured

If you want to use SnapVault to replicate and protect non-qtree data in a filer primary storage system, complete the following step.

Step	Action
1	From the secondary storage system, enter the following command: snapvault start -S [prim_filer:]/vol/volume_name/- /vol/volume_name/qtree_name `-S` [prim_filer:]/vol/volume_name/- specifies the volume on the primary storage system whose non-qtree data you want to backup. The dash (-) indicates all non-qtree data in the specified volume. /vol/volume_name/qtree_name specifies the qtree in the secondary storage system where you want to store this data. Note The qtree that is specified for /vol/volume_name/qtree_name must not exist on the secondary system before you run the `snapvault start` command.

Step

Action

From the secondary storage system, enter the following command:

snapvault start -S [prim_filer:]/vol/volume_name/- 
/vol/volume_name/qtree_name

-S [prim_filer:]/vol/volume_name/- specifies the volume on the primary storage system whose non-qtree data you want to backup. The dash (-) indicates all non-qtree data in the specified volume.

/vol/volume_name/qtree_name specifies the qtree in the secondary storage system where you want to store this data.

Note
The qtree that is specified for /vol/volume_name/qtree_name must not exist on the secondary system before you run the snapvault start command.

Note
The non-qtree part of the primary storage system volume can be replicated only to the SnapVault secondary storage system. The data can be restored to a qtree on the primary storage system, but cannot be restored as non-qtree data.

Example

filerB> snapvault start -S filerA:/vol/vol1/- 
/vol/vol4/non_qtree_data_in_vol7

Result

SnapVault transfers the non-qtree data on primary filerA to the qtree called non_qtree_data_in_vol7 in vol4 on filerB (the secondary storage system). It also configures the qtree for future updates.