Source volumes or qtrees: In a SnapMirror configuration, source volumes and qtrees are the data objects that need to be replicated. Normally, users of storage can access and write to source volumes and qtrees.

Destination volumes or qtrees: In a SnapMirror configuration, destination volumes and qtrees are data objects to which the source volumes and qtrees are replicated. The destination volumes and qtrees are read-only, and usually placed on a separate system than the source. The destination volumes and qtrees can be accessed by users in case the source becomes unavailable. The administrator can use SnapMirror commands to make the replicated data at the destination accessible and writable.