SnapCreator as passthrough for existing snapshot PM update

[jhubert]

I'm trying to fill a void until the next VSC is (re)released.  The customer wants to use VSC rather than SnapCreator/VIBE, but retain the ability to pull snapvaulted snapshots back with Protection Manager.  So while SV-SMVI works great, it doesn't update through Protection Manager.

Is there a way to have SnapCreator use an existing .recent snapshot (taken through VSC) to pass to Protection Manager and do it's snapvault update? 

Thanks,

Jeff

[ktenzer]

Yes well at least in theory

As long as snapshot matches <SNAME>-<SNAP_TYPE>_recent or <something>-<something>_YYYYMMDDhhmmss

SNAME is set in sc config and SNAP_TYPE is policy so set with --policy for example if SNAME=test and --policy daily it would be test-daily_recent or test_daily_<YYMMDDhhmmss>

What you could do if you can create a snapshot SC understands is set following:

NTAP_SNAPSHOT_DISABLE=Y

NTAP_SNAPSHOT_NODELETE=Y

This would ensure SC doesnt create snapshot and doesnt delete snapshot

Next enable protection manager:

NTAP_PM_UPDATE=Y

NTAP_DFM_DATA_SET=<filer name>:<dataset name>/<list of volumes in dataset separated by commas>

SC now should use your snapshot and register it in PM since there is nothing else to do.

However _recent wont work since though SC could register it in PM it wont be unique and PM cant handle that, meaning snapshot name must always be unique so you have to use timestamp.

In SC you can override timestamp by setting SNAP_TIME. I would do this in config:

SNAP_TIME=%USER_DEFINED

and then from cli use --user_defined <timestamp>

Again this is all theory...we never tested this but the chances of something working are at least 50/50 and it sure doesnt hurt to try

If you get things working there is another interesting option

NTAP_PM_RUN_BACKUP=Y

This will cause SC to actually kick off PM job after snapshot is registered, this removes PAIN in all other SnapManager integrations with PM of having two different schedules, so SC can drive everything. SC will even wait for PM job to complete and tell you if it succeeded or failed.

Let us know if this helps or you get this working

Regards,

Keith

[ktenzer]

Oh another thing make sure dataset is Application dataset you can see Application info at bottom under description if it isnt there use SC to create dataset. It must be app dataset. so either VSC or SC needs to create dataset. If you create by hand NOTHING will work, this is PM and there is no option to create application dataset from CLI or GUI.

To create in SC:

./snapcreator --profile <profile> --action pmsetup --verbose

oh last thing you must set following parameters in config for this:

OM_HOST=<dfm host or ip>

OM_USER=<dfm admin user>

OM_PWD=<dfm pwd>

OM_PORT=8088

OM_EVENT_GENERATE=N

Pay attention to the OM_PORT if TRANSPORT is HTTP 8088 if TRANSPORT is HTTPS 8488

Other settings you need:

CONFIG_TYPE=STANDARD

SNAME=<SNAME>l

SNAP_TIMESTAMP_ONLY=N

VOLUMES=<filer>:<volumes separated by commas should be same volumes in dataset>

NTAP_SNAPSHOT_RETENTIONS=<policy>:1

NTAP_USERS=<filer>:<user>/<pwd>

NTAP_PWD_PROTECTION=Y

TRANSPORT=HTTP

PORT=80

LOG_NUM=10

And last but not least watch this video so you know how to setup PM with SC

http://communities.netapp.com/videos/1998

Keith

[f_duranti]

Hi, it's a really interesting idea

Are you scheduling the VSC and SC jobs separately or are you running the VSC jobs with snapcreator agent with command line?

[ktenzer]

Scheduling separately, probably the issue you will have is SMVI / VSC creates a snapshot SC wont understand there is an override

Add in smvi.override :

snapshot.name.format.timestamp={backupName}

But not sure how this works, anyway snapshot must be in naming convention of SC otherwise SC wont help

Keith

[f_duranti]

Do you think it will be possible to run the NTAP_SNAPSHOT_CREATE_CMD to run the snapshot through the smvi.bat command line?

[ktenzer]

Sure but SC expects an SC snapshot so if you get an SMVI snapshot and not an SC snapshot nothing else will work like PM, etc

Keith

[f_duranti]

It will not work eVen if tHe snapsHot name is in tHe rigHt format? I tHink tat wit SMVI it's possible to pass te Complete snap name. (sorry for tHe upperCase, my keyboard is working in a strange way at tHis moment)

[ktenzer]

If snapshot name is what SC expects then it should work. We havent tested this so its just theorycrafting at this point but SC is pretty flexible and if you can pass in snap or make it compatible w/SC snapshot I see no reason it wouldnt work.

Only one way to find out 😉

Keith

[f_duranti]

I'll try tomorrow (if I HaVe time) and let you know.