snapdrive snapshots and snapmanager for sharepoint and sql.

[GUVNIJJAR]

We are having issues with our snapmanager for sharepoint backups, and the issue seems to be on the sql server.   The sql server is a virtual machine and we use nfs, so the vmdk files of the VM are seen on snapdrive.   The snapshots which are created by snapmanager for sql, are not being displayed on snapdrive on the sql server, if i expand on the volumes where the vmdk's are.   If i go to the filer, i can see the list of snapshots on that volume.   I can only see snapshots on snapdrive which i created via snapdrive, not any snapshots which are created on the filer.   Any reason why this is.   I think this is impacting the snapmanager for sharepoint backups.

I have checked access and accounts on the filer and it all seems fine.  It was working before and could see all snapshots in snapdrive but not now.

Any ideas what may have caused this.

Thanks

[parisi]

Try the following:

- options cifs.show_snapshot on

- vol options [volname] nosnapdir off

- options nfs.hide_snapshot off

Can you see the snapshots after that?

[GUVNIJJAR]

Thanks for the reply.

I have all those options set and still cannot see any of the filer snapshots on snapdrive.

[parisi]

What versions of:

- SnapManager for SQL

- SnapDrive

- ONTAP

Can you also include output from "snap list" from the volume that has the snapshots you want SnapDrive to see and highlight the ones not being seen?

Do you currently have a case open for this? If so, what is the case number?

[GUVNIJJAR]

ontap version 8.0.5 7 mode

snapmanager for sql 6.0.1

snapmanager for sharepoint 7.1

snapdrive 6.4.2

i have attached an image of the snapshots.  The sqlsnaps ones i cant see on snapdrive.  The test ones were snapshots created via snapdrive.

I havent opened a case with netapp yet.

[parisi]

Can you try the following?

- create a snapshot via CLI with the name "test"; can SnapDrive see that one?

- create a snapshot via CLI with the name sqlsnap_fcgcoldbtest01_06-05-2014_16.00.00; can SnapDrive see that snapshot?

- create a snapshot from SnapDrive named sqlsnap_fcgcoldbtest01_06-05-2014_16.00.10; can SnapDrive see that snapshot?

Essentially, we're testing to see if the issue is with non-snapdrive created snapshots or the naming convention...

[parisi]

I checked my SDW environment and I can see snapshots I created manually from the CLI with the same naming convention as SMSQL, but only from the "connect disk wizard":

When I try to look at them from the actual connected disks, I only see snapshots from my SMVI backups:

But I can see snapshots created with SDW:

This might just be expected behavior. From the docs:

https://library.netapp.com/ecm/ecm_download_file/ECMM1278950 - page 141

Restrictions on Snapshot copy creation

You must keep in mind some restrictions for creating Snapshot copies.

• You can keep a maximum of 255 Snapshot copies with Data ONTAP. After the number of Snapshot copies has reached the limit, the Snapshot Create operation fails, and you must delete some of the old Snapshot copies before you can create any more.

• SnapDrive does not support Snapshot copies that are created from the storage system console, because such a practice can lead to inconsistencies within the NTFS file system. Therefore, use

only SnapDrive to create Snapshot copies of LUNs.

• You cannot create a Snapshot copy of a LUN connected to a Snapshot copy.

• SnapDrive automatically turns off the Snapshot copy schedule on a storage system volume that stores LUNs, so that the storage system does not create automatic Snapshot copies.

Note: Any Snapshot copies inadvertently made at the storage system console, or through System Manager or FilerView are dimmed (unavailable) in the SnapDrive MMC plug-in and are not usable by SnapDrive.

Is there any particular reason why you need to see these snapshots from SnapDrive?

[GUVNIJJAR]

I have another sql server with the same versions, and they are able to see the snapshots created by snapmanager for sql, but this specific server i cannot see, but only snapshots created via snapdrive.   I think its the reason why my backups and restores via snapmanager for sharepoint are not working correctly.

I tried creating a snapshot on the cli, and still wasnt able to see the snapshots via snapdrive.

[parisi]

I'd start comparing configs then. Is SnapDrive configured the same on both servers?

sdcli sysconfig list

sdcli vsconfig list

sdcli vsc_config list

sdcli smvi_config list

[parisi]

Also, do the snapshots show up as backups in SMSQL? I've seen snapshots orphaned and cause issues with backups...

As far as I recall, SMSQL uses SnapDrive to take snapshots via API calls. So even though the backups occur via SMSQL, the snapshots should still be created by SDW.

Are you able to see snapshots created on the CLI from the working server? I'd suspect not..

[bhirsch]

I had a similar issue, with a similar setup. What ended up working for me was to change the backup naming convention from Use Generic (_recent) to use Unique (time stamp). I believe it has something to do with trying to take SQL snapshots in a VM running SQL where the Datastore is NFS. If I move this machine to a VMDK data store then I have no issues.