Dell EMC PowerVault MD 34XX/38XX Series Storage Arrays Administrator's Guide

Creating snapshot group

A snapshot group is a sequence of point-in-time images of a single associated base virtual disk. A snapshot group uses a repository to save data for all snapshot images contained in the group. The repository is created at the same time the snapshot group is created.

1. From the AMW, select the base virtual disk whose data you want to copy.
2. Select a base virtual disk and then select Copy Services > Snapshot Group > Create.
   The Snapshot Group Settings window is displayed.
3. In the Snapshot group name field, enter a unique name (30 character maximum) that best describes the virtual disk selected for this group. For example, AccountingData.
   By default, the snapshot group name is shown in the name text box as:[base-virtual disk-name] - SG + sequence-numberIn this example, SG (snapshot group) is the appended suffix and sequence-number is the chronological number of the snapshot group relative to the base virtual disk.

   For example, if you create the first snapshot group for a base virtual disk called “Accounting”, the default name of the snapshot group is “Accounting_SG_01”. The default name of the next snapshot group you create based on “Accounting” is “Accounting_SG_02”.

4. Select Create the first Snapshot Image Now to take the first copy of the associated base virtual disk at the same time the snapshot group is created.
5. Do one of the following to select how you want to create the snapshot group repository:
   • Select Automatic and click Finish to create the snapshot group repository with the default capacity settings. This option is the recommended one.
   • Select Manual and click Next to define the properties for the snapshot group repository; then click Finish to continue with the snapshot group creation process.
   NOTE: Use this option if you want to specify all the customizable settings for the snapshot group repository. The Manual method is considered advanced and only those who understand physical disk consistency and optimal physical disk configurations should use this method. See Creating The Snapshot Group Repository (Manually) for instructions on how to set the repository parameters.
6. Click Finish.
   The system performs the following actions:

   • The snapshot group and its properties under the individual virtual disk node for the associated base virtual disk are displayed in the navigation tree.
   • If Create the first Snapshot Image Now was selected, the system takes a copy of the associated base virtual disk and the Snapshot Image Successfully Created window is .