Dell MD3200, MD3220 owner manual Creating a Snapshot Virtual Disk Using the Simple Path, 136

repository uses less disk space than a full physical copy, because the only data blocks that are stored in the snapshot repository virtual disk are those that have changed since the time of the snapshot.

When you create a snapshot virtual disk, you specify its location, capacity, and other parameters. You can disable or delete the snapshot virtual disk when it is not required. If you disable a snapshot virtual disk, you can re- create and reuse it the next time you perform a backup. For more information, see "Re-creating Snapshot Virtual Disks" on page 149. If you delete a snapshot virtual disk, you also delete the associated snapshot repository virtual disk.

NOTE: Deleting a snapshot does not affect data on the source virtual disk.

NOTE: The following host preparation sections also apply when using the snapshot feature through the CLI interface.

Creating a Snapshot Virtual Disk Using the Simple Path

You can choose the simple path to create a snapshot virtual disk if the disk group of the source virtual disk has the required amount of free space. A snapshot repository virtual disk requires a minimum 8 MB of free capacity. The destination of a snapshot repository virtual disk is determined based on the free capacity available in the disk group.

If 8 MB of free capacity is not available in the disk group of the source virtual disk, the Create Snapshot Virtual Disks feature defaults to the advanced path. For more information, see "Creating a Snapshot Virtual Disk Using the Advanced Path" on page 140.

In the advanced path option, you can choose to place the snapshot repository virtual disk in another disk group or you can use unconfigured capacity on the storage array to create a new disk group.

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Configuration: Premium Feature—Snapshot Virtual Disks