topic Re: Creating LUNs in SnapCenter vs. SnapDrive in Data Protection

Creating LUNs in SnapCenter vs. SnapDrive

TMADOCTHOMAS — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 12:24:06 GMT

Hello,

I am just creating my first LUN via SnapCenter and am documenting the procedure. I noticed two differences with the LUN creation process in SnapDrive:

If you create an iGroup automatically during the LUN creation wizard, it assigns a type of mixed even if you are creating an iSCSI connected LUN (SnapDrive automatically assigns the iSCSI type). The iGroup naming convention is also totally different. Strangely, it starts with SDW which I assume stands for SnapDrive for Windows.
If you don't check the Use thin provisioning check box for a LUN in a thin provisioned volume, the LUN isn't thin provisioned (SnapDrive automatically thin provisioned the LUN if the volume was thin provisioned, regardless of the check box being set or not; see article: https://library.netapp.com/ecmdocs/ECMP1636035/html/GUID-39CF43F3-D888-446A-9DA7-7559F542822D.html).

Especially regarding #1, I prefer to have igroups created automatically like I did when using SnapDrive, but I want it to create an iGroup of iSCSI type and use a more reasonable naming convention. Can anyone from NetApp comment and let me know if this is possible? Thank you in advance.

Re: Creating LUNs in SnapCenter vs. SnapDrive

mrahul — Wed, 31 Jul 2019 06:15:57 GMT

Hi TMADOCTHOMAS,

If you wish to use Igroup with the custom naming convention, you can create it on storage (via Cluster shell or System Manager). In SnapCenter, you can select the already existing igroups by selecting the second bullet option. Just type in the first few letters of the igroup name and it will auto list the igroups from which you can select the required one. By the way, mixed type igroups doesn't cause any issues as such.

Re: Creating LUNs in SnapCenter vs. SnapDrive

TMADOCTHOMAS — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 18:43:59 GMT

Thanks @mrahul ... yeah I found the options you're referring to but it's significantly less convenient than before. Previously I could go through one wizard easily, now I have additional steps to take. Just a point of feedback that it would be great if the SnapCenter wizard could work just like the SnapDrive one did previously.