Dell POWERVAULT MD3600I - Manual (Page 156)

NOTE: Before you create a new snapshot of a source virtual disk, stop any data access (I/O) activity or
suspend data transfer to the source virtual disk to ensure that you capture an accurate snapshot of the
source virtual disk. Close all applications, including Windows Internet Explorer, to make sure all I/O activity
has stopped.
NOTE: Removing the drive letter of the associated virtual disk(s) in Windows or unmounting the virtual
drive in Linux helps to guarantee a stable copy of the drive for the Snapshot.
Before creating a snapshot virtual disk, the host server has to be in the proper state. To ensure that the host server is
properly prepared to create a snapshot virtual disk, you can either use an application to carry out this task, or you can
perform the following steps:
1. Stop all I/O activity to the source.
2. In the AMW, select the Storage & Copy Services tab and select a valid source virtual disk.
3. Select Copy Services → Snapshot Image → Create Snapshot Virtual Disk. Alternatively, you can right-click the
source virtual disk and select Create → Snapshot Virtual Disk from the pop-up menu.
The Create Snapshot Virtual Disk Wizard - Introduction dialog is displayed.
4. Select Simple (Recommended), and click Next.
The Specify Names window is displayed.
5. Enter the Snapshot virtual disk name and the Snapshot repository virtual disk name and click Next.
The Specify Snapshot Repository Capacity window is displayed.
6. Enter the snapshot repository virtual disks capacity as a percentage of the source virtual disks capacity and click
Next.
The Preview window containing the summary of the snapshot virtual disk is displayed.
7. Click Finish.
The Completed window is displayed.
8. Click OK.
After creating one or more snapshot virtual disks, mount the source virtual disk, and restart the host application
using that source virtual disk.
9. In the AMW, select the Host Mappings tab, assign mappings between the snapshot virtual disk and the host that
accesses the snapshot virtual disk.
NOTE: In some cases, conflicts might result from mapping the same host to both a source virtual disk and its
associated snapshot virtual disk. This conflict depends on the host operating system and any virtual disk
manager software in use.
10. To register the snapshot virtual disk with the host operating system, run the host-based hot_add utility.
11. To associate the mapping between the storage array name and the virtual disk name, run the host-based
SMdevices utility
NOTE: If your operating system requires additional instructions, you can find those instructions in your
operating system documentation.
Creating A Snapshot Virtual Disk Using The Advanced Path
About The Advanced Path
Use the advanced path to choose whether to place the snapshot repository virtual disk on free capacity or unconfigured
capacity and to change the snapshot repository virtual disk parameters. You can select the advanced path regardless of
whether you use free capacity or unconfigured capacity for the snapshot virtual disk.
Using the advanced path, you can specify the following parameters for your snapshot virtual disk:
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