topic SnapDrive snapvault archive not working on vFilers? in Active IQ Unified Manager Discussions

SnapDrive snapvault archive not working on vFilers?

mheimberg — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 07:15:41 GMT

I have set up a SnapVault relation between to vFilers, replicating the content of a volume with a MS SQL LUN in it.

So far everything is working fine; I see the status in the vfiler, I can run a snapvault update from the secondary:

SecFiler>vfiler context vfiler-test

vfiler-test@SecFiler>snapvault status

Snapvault secondary is ON.
Source Destination State Lag Status
172.17.1.98:/vol/iscsi_mssql2k5_lab_db/db vfiler-test:/vol/sv_mssql2k5_lab_db/db Snapvaulted 01:32:02 Idle

vfiler-test@SecFiler>snapvault update -S 172.17.1.98:/vol/iscsi_mssql2k5_lab_db/db vfiler-test:/vol/sv_mssql2k5_lab_db/db

....everything is working.

When switching to the MS SQL server I see the LUN as a SnapVault primary by sdcli disk list

Now I would like to replicate the most recent backup by using sdcli snapvault archive:

>sdcli snapvault archive -a sv_daily -DS N: sqlsnap__mssql2k5-lab__recent

I get the output, that the backupset is submitted, but actually nothing happens on the vFilers.

Could it be, that sdcli archive is not working on vFilers because some kind of API is missing there?

THX

Markus

Re: SnapDrive snapvault archive not working on vFilers?

scottgelb — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 04:51:45 GMT

It sounds like sdcli may be looking for vfiler0 (similar to dfm where it only works with vfiler0 for snapvault). Does "sdcli snapvault snap_list" work? There is updated documentation on SnapVault management of vFilers stating management is only supported from vfiler0.

http://now.netapp.com/NOW/knowledge/docs/ontap/rel733/html/ontap/onlinebk/GUID-B5462BA9-83F7-4F67-8148-DE0167C5DDE7.html

There are certain limitations when using SnapVault with vFiler units. These limitations apply to all Data ONTAP releases that support vFiler units.

The management of SnapVault secondary (creation or modification of SnapVault relationships and schedules at the SnapVault secondary) is only supported from the default vFiler unit (vfiler0). The management of SnapVault secondary is not supported from a nondefault vFiler context. If the volume containing the SnapVault destination qtree is owned by a nondefault vFiler unit, the SnapVault secondary needs to be managed through the default vFiler unit (vfiler0).

Re: SnapDrive snapvault archive not working on vFilers?

mheimberg — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 06:27:13 GMT

It sounds like sdcli may be looking for vfiler0 (similar to dfm where it only works with vfiler0 for snapvault). Does "sdcli snapvault snap_list" work?

Yes, this command, like all the others, works and gives a correct output.

The documentation is weired, because my experience shows something else: in vfiler context you can set options snapvault, eg snapvault.access to another network than vFiler0 is connected, you can also initialize a SnapVault from a primary volume owned by a vFiler to a secondary volume also owned by a vFiler and set the snapvault snap sched....and it is all working!

And that is what I am expecting according the often heard "multi-tennancy"-story 🙂

Seems, like one developpers group does not know what the others are doing...or maybe they know that expanding vFilers capabilities are not yet complete and want to avoid support questions...

Markus