Dell MD3600I, MD3620I owner manual 159

Before creating a snapshot virtual disk, the host server must be in the proper state. To prepare your host server:

1Stop all I/O activity to the source.

2Using your Windows system, flush the cache to the source. At the host prompt, type SMrepassist -f<filename-identifier>and press <Enter>. For more information, see "SMrepassist Utility" on page 257.

3Remove the drive letter(s) of the source in Windows or unmount the virtual drive(s) in Linux to help guarantee a stable copy of the drive for the Snapshot. If this is not done, the snapshot operation reports that it has completed successfully, but the snapshot data is not updated properly.

NOTE: To verify that the virtual disk is in Optimal or Disabled state, select the Summary tab and then click Disk Groups & Virtual Disks.

4Follow any additional instructions for your operating system. Failure to follow these additional instructions can create unusable snapshot virtual disks.

NOTE: If your operating system requires additional instructions, you can find those instructions in your operating system documentation.

After your host server has been prepared, see "Creating a Snapshot Virtual Disk Using the Advanced Path" on page 156, to create the snapshot using the advanced path.

If you want to use a snapshot regularly, such as for backups, use the Disable Snapshot and Re-create Snapshot options to reuse the snapshot. Disabling and re-creating snapshots preserves the existing virtual disk-to-host mappings to the snapshot virtual disk.

Configuration: Premium Feature—Snapshot Virtual Disks

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