Making snapshot backups and cloning a cloned database with SnapManager for SQL

[JAW_2K_NETAPP]

How come when I clone a database with SMSQL, those cloned databases are greyed out in the SnapManager GUI? This means I can't create snapshots or reclone these databases into another development environment.

When I create the clones using the ONTAP commands on the filer, then mount the cloned LUNS as disks via SnapDrive, then attach the databases in SQL I can use the clones as "real" databases with the GUI. This requires a lot of extra work and could be difficult to automate. I really need to take snapshot backups of our clones for testing our database deployments in our testing environment. I also really need to be able to Clone a Cloned database as well.

[spat]

SnapDrive for Windows (SDW) not allow you to create snapshot from the FlexClone volume.  You have to clone the volume using DataOntap PowerShell Tool kit.  You also need to stop SQL Service before you clone the volume to make the data in the volume consistence.

[JAW_2K_NETAPP]

I was afraid you were going to say that. I was looking into the mechanics if it and it's very inconvenient. Are there any plans to fix that in SDW? I guess I could use SMSQL powershell tool to backup and use the PowerShell Tool kit to create the flexclone from that snapshot. It's a lot of work to do that, then mount the disks with SDW, then add those disks to the Cluster group, then add then make them a dependency to the SQL service, then attach the database in SQL. SMSQL does this already and we paid so much for it.

How come a FlexClone is treated differently than a "real" volume/LUN?

[spat]

In general, you want to automate the process anyway instead of try to do it thru GUI.  I will also check with the dev team next time when I have a meeting with them.

[JAW_2K_NETAPP]

Agree, I want to automate it. I tried the new-backup command, but it also skipped the cloned databases. Please let me know what the developers say.