topic Re: What is the API call to show/hide .snapshot directory? in Software Development Kit (SDK) and API Discussions

What is the API call to show/hide .snapshot directory?

milk — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 10:53:29 GMT

I have been led to believe that all of the interactions in the ONTAP System Manager UI map to API calls but I cannot seem to find the call that toggles visibility of the .snapshot directory as seen in the 'Configure Snapshot Copy Settings' dialogue after selecting Storage > Volume > VOLUME_NAME.

I have dug through the API documentation (https://library.netapp.com/ecmdocs/ECMLP2856304/html/index.html) and see no reference to the .snapshot dir. I also know that the "Preview the new experience" has an option to show all the API calls but the .snapshot directory visibility toggle is missing in the preview.

I am no web developer but was able to identify the component in the console of my browser (id="gwt-debug-netapp-clSnapshotConfigureDialogEnableScheduleCheckBox") but it ended up not being so helpful to me.

Re: What is the API call to show/hide .snapshot directory?

mbeattie — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 04:33:39 GMT

Hi,

I doesn't look like this is available via the REST API to enable\disable access to view the .snapshot directory for a volume.

There is a ZAPI available thought. EG

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <netapp xmlns="http://www.netapp.com/filer/admin" version="1.170"> <volume-modify-iter> <attributes> <volume-attributes> <volume-id-attributes> <name>cifs_data_001</name> <owning-vserver-name>vserver1</owning-vserver-name> </volume-id-attributes> <volume-snapshot-attributes> <snapdir-access-enabled>false</snapdir-access-enabled> </volume-snapshot-attributes> </volume-attributes> </attributes> <max-records>1</max-records> <query> <volume-attributes> <volume-id-attributes> <name>cifs_data_001</name> <owning-vserver-name>vserver1</owning-vserver-name> </volume-id-attributes> <volume-snapshot-attributes> <snapdir-access-enabled>true</snapdir-access-enabled> </volume-snapshot-attributes> </volume-attributes> </query> </volume-modify-iter> </netapp>

The above will disable the snapshot dir access for the volume.

cluster1::> vol show -vserver vserver1 -volume cifs_data_001 -fields snapdir-access vserver volume snapdir-access -------- ------------- -------------- vserver1 cifs_data_001 false

To enable it again reverse the true\false parameters. EG:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <netapp xmlns="http://www.netapp.com/filer/admin" version="1.170"> <volume-modify-iter> <attributes> <volume-attributes> <volume-id-attributes> <name>cifs_data_001</name> <owning-vserver-name>vserver1</owning-vserver-name> </volume-id-attributes> <volume-snapshot-attributes> <snapdir-access-enabled>true</snapdir-access-enabled> </volume-snapshot-attributes> </volume-attributes> </attributes> <max-records>1</max-records> <query> <volume-attributes> <volume-id-attributes> <name>cifs_data_001</name> <owning-vserver-name>vserver1</owning-vserver-name> </volume-id-attributes> <volume-snapshot-attributes> <snapdir-access-enabled>false</snapdir-access-enabled> </volume-snapshot-attributes> </volume-attributes> </query> </volume-modify-iter> </netapp>

The above enables access to the .snapshot directory. EG

cluster1::> vol show -vserver vserver1 -volume cifs_data_001 -fields snapdir-access vserver volume snapdir-access -------- ------------- -------------- vserver1 cifs_data_001 true

What programming language are you using to to invoke API's???

/Matt

Re: What is the API call to show/hide .snapshot directory?

milk — Sat, 19 Sep 2020 01:42:12 GMT

Thanks @mbeattie . Promising, as this looks like it toggles what I want. All of the automation I've written so far is in python.

I am not familiar with ZAPI a bit of searching did not turn up much but I did find "... NetApp tools or proprietary ZAPI via the ONTAP SDK". Then I found post from 2008 of someone having trouble running a secure connection using perl scripts.

Is ZAPI some interface that's addressable only via some non-restful interface?

Re: What is the API call to show/hide .snapshot directory?

mbeattie — Mon, 21 Sep 2020 04:24:39 GMT

Hi,

Based on the XML here is a Python example using the NMSDK libraries:

import sys sys.path.append("<path_to_nmsdk_root>/lib/python/NetApp") from NaServer import * s = NaServer("<server name or IP address>", 1 , 170) s.set_server_type("FILER") s.set_transport_type("HTTPS") s.set_port(443) s.set_style("LOGIN") s.set_admin_user("<user name>", "<password>") api = NaElement("volume-modify-iter") xi = NaElement("attributes") api.child_add(xi) xi1 = NaElement("volume-attributes") xi.child_add(xi1) xi2 = NaElement("volume-id-attributes") xi1.child_add(xi2) xi2.child_add_string("name","cifs_data_001") xi2.child_add_string("owning-vserver-name","vserver1") xi3 = NaElement("volume-snapshot-attributes") xi1.child_add(xi3) xi3.child_add_string("snapdir-access-enabled","false") api.child_add_string("max-records","1") xi4 = NaElement("query") api.child_add(xi4) xi5 = NaElement("volume-attributes") xi4.child_add(xi5) xi6 = NaElement("volume-id-attributes") xi5.child_add(xi6) xi6.child_add_string("name","cifs_data_001") xi6.child_add_string("owning-vserver-name","vserver1") xi7 = NaElement("volume-snapshot-attributes") xi5.child_add(xi7) xi7.child_add_string("snapdir-access-enabled","true") xo = s.invoke_elem(api) if (xo.results_status() == "failed") : print ("Error:\n") print (xo.sprintf()) sys.exit (1) print ("Received:\n") print (xo.sprintf())

Hope that helps

/Matt