Snapcenter plug in for VMWare _recent name

[bhirsch]

Hi,

When is the ordinal or generic (_recent) snapshot naming ability going to be added to snapcenter plug in for VMWare? Unfortunately i still do NDMP backups to tape and need a consistent name on the snapshot. It would be nice if NetApp built this functionality into SnapCenter considering SMVI is no longer an option for customers running the latest versions of vSphere and Data OnTap.

Thanks

[smeijboom]

Does anyone have any update for this?

[Rmindin]

An update would be great, as i am in the same position now.. Did you manage to work around the issue? Maybe run a post-script?

[smeijboom]

I just reverted back to VSC 6.2.1P1 because i couldn't get in working properly in the timeframe i had.

[Fabian1993]

we need it also...

any new Informations?

[AshishGupta]

Hi Team,

Currently we don't have a capability to add _recent in SnapCenter Plug-in for VMware vSphere. There is no workaround either to my knowledge. 

We do have a cmdlet to get the latest snapshot in SnapCenter (see below) but unfortunately SCV plug-in doesn't supports cmdlets

>> Get-SmBackup -AppObjectName 'NetApp'

BackupId                      BackupName                    BackupTime                    BackupType

--------                      ----------                    ----------                    ----------

2                             vise-f7_NetApp_vise-f7_02-... 2/8/2018 2:42:08 PM           Full Backup

15                            vise-f7_NetApp_vise-f7_02-... 2/13/2018 2:41:10 PM          Full Backup

23                            vise-f7_NetApp_vise-f7_02-... 2/28/2018 5:54:04 PM          Full Backup

>> Get-SmBackup -AppObjectName 'NetApp' | select -Last 1

BackupId                      BackupName                    BackupTime                    BackupType

--------                      ----------                    ----------                    ----------

23                            vise-f7_NetApp_vise-f7_02-... 2/28/2018 5:54:04 PM          Full Backup

SCV plug-in version 4.1 is coming with REST API support in Aug'18, using which you can get hold of the latest snapshot.

_recent tag will be introduced in SCV 4.1 currently planned for Jan'19. We haven't passed Phase 2 so the feature is not yet committed by engineering.

[AshishGupta]

Sorry typo:

_recent tag will be introduced in SCV 4.2 currently planned for Jan'19. We haven't passed Phase 2 so the feature is not yet committed by engineering.

[Fabian1993]

and VSC 6.2.1 is in March' 19 EOS right?

[AshishGupta]

That is correct. VSC 6.2.x will go End of Version Support (or go in self-service support model) beginning 1-Mar-2019. Details can be accessed from here: https://mysupport.netapp.com/info/web/ECMP1147223.html?access=a under General Software End of Version Support Table

[AshishGupta]

I represnt the Product Management team and have a query on this particular ask.

Since customers anyway need this functionality (locating the latest snapshot via _recent tag) to script dumping the snapshot to NDMP or tapes, will customers be ok using just the REST API to locate the latest snapshot?

OR

You would like to see the latest snapshot with _recent tag in the SCV GUI itself, something what VSC 6.x used to provide?  

Basically, the ask is how many customers would be ok scripting this Vs actually looking for a configurable option in SCV GUI?

Thanks,

Ashish

[bhirsch]

I'd like to see this functionality in the GUI. When i was using SMVI it was in the GUI. Why would you replace a product and not keep existing functionality??? I can see adding more but never removing.

Thank you

[olaf]

Hello,

I'm from support, and I found that the vSphere Plugin does support pre- and postscripting as documented on page 31.

Since the scripts get the snapshot names in the environment variables, why didn't anyone consider to create a post-script

that adjusts the backup script to use that particular snapshot name ?

Is it because the path for each backup would be different ?

Or that the tape backup has to be started through a script ?

Regards,

Olaf Leimann.

[tbernhardson]

This would not work in our environment. While we can execute an existing job definition through a script, backup jobs can only be defined via a GUI. There is no command line or scripting interface to define or modify a backup job definition.

[smeijboom]

In the GUI please.

Maybe a question that should have been asked before removing it from the client.

[Fabian1993]

The most Customer needed this function again in the GUI, hardly any overrun api..

Thanks a lot for pushing the Function!

[tbernhardson]

We also need it in the GUI. The software that manages our NDMP to tape backups does not support a scripting solution.

[bhirsch]

So are we going to see this capability soon? Would love to be able to differentiate my backups.

[AshishGupta]

@bhirsch, we are currently planning to support _recent naming in SCV plug-in for SnapCenter 4.2 release planned for Jan'19 release. The idea is to get this live before VSC 6.2.x goes End of Version Support in Mar'19.

[spwilkinson]

Hi, 

Is it now confirmed that the _recent snapshot facility will be a feature in version 4.2 for NDMP backup? I have a requirement for this for a project early next year.

Regards

Simon

[AshishGupta]

Unfortunately, _recent functionality is not part of the SC 4.2 roadmap. It was initially planned but dropped later due to lack of engineering bandwidth and change in business priorities.

[Pieter-Jan]

Dear,

Are there yet any further plans on implementing the "_recent" naming for Snapshots taken by SnapCenter Plug-in for VMware vSphere? We still have several customers asking for this functionality (for their NDMP backup selection) seen Virtual Storage Console/SnapManager for Virtual Infrastructure had this functionality.

Thank you in advance for any feedback!

Kind regards,

Pieter-Jan Rijmenants