Snaplock question: Extending file retention (CIFS)

evertonn — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 06:04:12 GMT

Hi All – I have a customer who asked me the following question:

Q. If a file has its retention expired on a SnapLock volume, can its retention be extended ? I am trying to add another +1month on a file that is expired but I get access denied when trying to do so. At the same time I can delete the file if I wanted to and I can reset its read-only attribute. I cannot seem to extend the accessed time which is the expiration time on that file using windows utilities. (I’m using AttributeMajic Pro)

I then sent him this procedure:

Extending the retention date of a WORM file

A WORM file can remain in WORM state longer than the current retention date if you extend the

retention date of the WORM file beyond that of the current retention date.

About this task

For extending the retention date, you can use the command or program available to the file access

protocol (CIFS, NFS, and so on) and client operating system you are using. You can extend the

retention date interactively or programmatically.

Note: The SnapLock volume maximum or minimum retention period restrictions are not applied

when the retention date of a WORM file is being extended.

Steps

1. To extend the retention date, use the command or program available to you.

22 | Data ONTAP 8.1 Archive and Compliance Management Guide for 7-Mode

Example

In a UNIX shell, you can use the following command to extend the document.txt file to a

WORM state with a retention date of 15 December 2020:

touch -a -t 202012150600 document.txt

Note: The retention date of a WORM file can never be changed to earlier than its current

setting.

2. To check the retention date on a file, enter the following command and note the value of the

access time:

stat document.txt

He came back with this:

Thanks, I saw this on now site. I don’t have this tree open for UNIX. It is only CIFS. What would be a windows equivalent command to do so? I’d like to stay native and avoid 3^rd party tools if I can.

Does anyone know how he can get this done?

Re: Snaplock question: Extending file retention (CIFS)

ANIMESH1978 — Tue, 02 Jul 2013 17:21:19 GMT

there is a free tool called "finders keepers" which lets you update the access time of files ( or files within folders and subfolders) and then set the "read only" bit too.

I think these are the 2 things requried to extend the retention of snaplock files.I have tested it on my desktop files and do not know it it would work for mapped drives or \\share path.

The url to get the tool is:

http://www.techrepublic.com/article/build-your-skills-learn-to-manipulate-file-time-stamps-in-windows/5034280

Thanks

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Snaplock question: Extending file retention (CIFS)

Re: Snaplock question: Extending file retention (CIFS)