64Understanding Veritas Volume Manager

Volume snapshots

Figure 1-31

T1

T2

T3

T4

Time

Volume snapshot as a point-in-time image of a volume

Original volume

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snapshot volume is

 

Original

 

 

 

Snapshot

 

 

 

 

 

 

created at time T2

 

volume

 

 

 

volume

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snapshot volume retains

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Original

 

 

 

Snapshot

 

 

 

 

 

 

image taken at time T2

 

volume

 

 

 

volume

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snapshot volume is

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Original

 

 

 

Snapshot

 

 

 

 

 

 

updated at time T4

 

volume

 

 

 

volume

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Resynchronize

snapshot volume

from original volume

The traditional type of volume snapshot in VxVM is of the third-mirrorbreak-offtype. This name comes from its implementation where a snapshot plex (or third mirror) is added to a mirrored volume. The contents of the snapshot plex are then synchronized from the original plexes of the volume. When this synchronization is complete, the snapshot plex can be detached as a snapshot volume for use in backup or decision support applications. At a later time, the snapshot plex can be reattached to the original volume, requiring a full resynchronization of the snapshot plex’s contents. For more information about this type of snapshot, see Traditional third-mirrorbreak-off snapshots” on page 305.

The FastResync feature was introduced to track writes to the original volume. This tracking means that only a partial, and therefore much faster, resynchronization is required on reattaching the snapshot plex. In later releases, the snapshot model was enhanced to allow snapshot volumes to contain more than a single plex, reattachment of a subset of a snapshot volume’s plexes, and persistence of FastResync across system reboots or cluster restarts.

For more information about FastResync, see FastResync” on page 66.

Release 4.0 of VxVM introduced full-sized instant snapshots and space- optimized instant snapshots, which offer advantages over traditional third-