topic Re: SnapDrive and VSS / Previous Versions in ONTAP Discussions

SnapDrive and VSS / Previous Versions

DANT98_JHUAPL — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 06:25:40 GMT

We just recently setup a Netapp dual controller and configured a Windows Cluster. For security complaince reasons, we are hosting LUNs on the windows cluster as CIFS shares to our clients (Netapp is not on the user network).

We've installed SnapDrive for Windows on my Windows 2008R2 cluster servers, but I can't figure out how to configure Shadowcopy service to create snapshots using the VSS hardware provider and make the snapshots available via the Previous Versions client.

I was hoping I could schedule snapshots on the windows systems just like I use to schedule VSS snapshots using the software provider so users could handle their own file recovery.

Am I missing something here, or am I just trying to do something the the filer can't do?

PS, I'm also planning to setup another filer in another building a couple blocks away and SnapMirror my LUNs between the two. As I understand it, I can do this with SnapDrive as well.

-Dan

Re: SnapDrive and VSS / Previous Versions

stephan_troxler — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 07:26:55 GMT

They way you are using the filers as CIFS providers is like using a screwdriver as a hammer - it works somehow but not the way it was designed for. 🙂

What is the reason for not accessing the filer directly through CIFS? You could create a separate VLAN on the filers (or even better a vfiler) for that reason and would have the same security as on a separate Windows server but you would benefit of all the Netapp advantages.

Re: SnapDrive and VSS / Previous Versions

DANT98_JHUAPL — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 13:10:30 GMT

Can I log access failures on CIFS shares and collect them centrally for review?

Also, I currently replicate my data via DFS. I don't think I could use the NetApp as a DFS replication target natively. I'd have to get both my 2040's online and start SnapMirroring on both of them in order to migrate from my current Windows hosts.

Re: SnapDrive and VSS / Previous Versions

stephan_troxler — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 14:04:42 GMT

For the access controlling you can enable CIFS auditing like in Windows Server. Have a look at this KB: https://kb.netapp.com/support/index?page=content&id=1011243

Have a look at the CIFS configuration in System Manager for an easy configuration. On the command line the options are found under cifs.audit.xx

For information on DFS have a look at TR-3782: http://media.netapp.com/documents/tr-3782.pdf

Snapmirror is for replication (backup,high availability,etc) between Filers, not between Servers and Filers. There are many options for the migration of data from a Windows file server. Probably the easiest way is through robocopy with the /COPYALL option which will keep all permissions.

Re: SnapDrive and VSS / Previous Versions

radek_kubka — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 22:32:24 GMT

NetApp filer can participate in DFS replication as a leaf node.

Regards,

Radek