topic How does Protection Manager handles a back-up retention period > max. (= 255) amount snapshots ? in Active IQ Unified Manager Discussions

How does Protection Manager handles a back-up retention period > max. (= 255) amount snapshots ?

dammers — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 07:30:35 GMT

How does Protection Manager handles a back-up retention period > max. (= 255) amount snapshots ?

So, how do we handle a daily back-up with a retention period of a year ?

Re: How does Protection Manager handles a back-up retention period > max. (= 255) amount snapshots ?

adaikkap — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:26:12 GMT

Hi Robin,

Currently this is not handled.Once the number of snaphots on the

volume has reached the limit of 255, the further protection jobs fails

with the job details for snapshot create giving the following error.

"No more snapshots available"

There are plans to handle this in next release of protection manager.

Regards,

Re: How does Protection Manager handles a back-up retention period > max. (= 255) amount snapshots ?

dammers — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:31:24 GMT

By next release, do you mean v 3.8 ?

Re: How does Protection Manager handles a back-up retention period > max. (= 255) amount snapshots ?

adaikkap — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 11:29:14 GMT

Not 3.8, but release next to it.

Re: How does Protection Manager handles a back-up retention period > max. (= 255) amount snapshots ?

adaikkap — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 11:35:42 GMT

Hi Robin,

Not 3.8, but release next to it.

Regards,

adai

Re: How does Protection Manager handles a back-up retention period > max. (= 255) amount snapshots ?

dammers — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 11:47:12 GMT

Hi Adai,

How can we work aroud this ? (till the appropriate version is released)

Should we create different data sets with different remote back-up schedules,

e.g. one schedule on mo, tue, wed and the other scedule on thu, fri, sat

Then I'll probably need two different secundary volumes, each having a baseline copy + 156 (=3*365/7) incremental Snapshot copies.

Maybe you've got some other suggestions.

Rgrds,

Robin

Re: How does Protection Manager handles a back-up retention period > max. (= 255) amount snapshots ?

adaikkap — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:00:04 GMT

what you mentioned is one way.

i am trying couple of other things as workaround for your issue.

Will let you know once i do some hands-on and share the test results.

regards

adai

Re: How does Protection Manager handles a back-up retention period > max. (= 255) amount snapshots ?

adaikkap — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:12:42 GMT

Hi Robin,

What you said is one way of doing it.Other options are,

Option 1:

Would be to force the volume to migrate after 250/255 snapshots by tweaking the volume full threshold ,there by all backup relations are intact.

But the disadvantage of this would be it would require a base line transfer of the source volume from primary filer, which is a costly operation.

Option 2:

Would be to use flexclone, there by common data is shared no need of double space or atleast the extra space required for the two baseline data.

But this will require fixing the backup relations which we need to try and test before giving this as a solution.

Option 2 would be the superior options compared to option 1 and what you suggested.

Regards,

adai