OC/PM Change Retention of SnapManager Backup on Secondary

[mweinstabl]

Hello.

Im running a small NetApp configuration with one HA pair and a single controller for SnapVault Backups. We also use a couple SnapManagers for Exchange and SQL to backup our databases on the HA pair and vault them afterwards to the single controller. Added to this blend, we use the Protection Manager to control and log the datasets. However, Ive run into a problem/inconvenience:

When I vault a CIFS share, I can set different schedules for "Primary data" and "Primary data to Backup" to create hourly, daily and weekly snapshots on the primary, but vault them daily, weekly and monthly to the Seconday Filer.

With SnapManager backups, there is no "Primary data" or "Primary data to Backup" schedule, and as far as I know, only the SnapManager initiates the vaulting, not the Protection Manager. So, the SnapManager delivers the snapshot with "daily" retention to the Protection Manager and from there on, the Protection Manager manages the snapshots on the secondary Filer according to the retention settings for "Backup" in the Protection Policy. My problem is now, that I only can keep 256 snapshots of the volume, and since the SnapManager delivers them with "daily", I can only keep about 2/3 of a year in snapshots, not the 3 years I was aiming at.

So, is there an option to change the retention setting of certain backups when they get vaulted?

I know, Plan B is just to create another backup job in the SnapManager and set the retention setting to weekly, but then you have to edit two or more backup jobs just for the purpose of vaulting.

Best regards,

Michael

[adaikkap]

Hi Michael,

     Unfortunately, the inconvenience you face is a design and expected behaviour. SME/SMSQL are windows based snapmanager and when they integrate with protection manger, their retention and its schedules from primary to secondary as well as primary are controller by Snap Manager and not Protection Manager.

Where as in case of Unix based snapmanagers like SMO/SMSAP, only the primary snapshot schedule and retention's is controlled by snapmanagers. Retention and updated schedules can be delegated to PM or controlled by SnapManager as well.

Regards

adai

[mweinstabl]

Hi adai,

thanks for the answer.

Does the SnapManager then have a hidden option to change the retention time of the backup? Ive never stumbled upon it.

Regards

Michael

[adaikkap]

Hi Michael,

  To my knowledge there is api to change it, but that would make it an unsupported configuration for you.

Regards

Adai