Isilon: How to delete all snapshots from an Isilon cluster

Summary: This KB article explains how to delete all Snapshots using the OneFS command-line interface.

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Instructions

 

This KB article explains how to delete ALL snapshots from a cluster using the OneFS command-line interface. If only individual or certain Snapshots must be deleted, see KB 000008457 OneFS: How to delete snapshots

 

IMPORTANT: Snapshots with names that start with "SIQ" are SyncIQ snapshots. Do not delete SIQ snapshots unless the ramifications of doing so are understood. Deleting SIQ snapshots resets the SyncIQ policy state, which requires a reset of the policy and potentially a full sync. A full sync could take many times longer than a normal snapshot-based incremental sync.

 

IMPORTANT: Depending on the number of snapshots that exist, deleting all the snapshots might consume system resources, which could disrupt cluster performance. To avoid this potential performance issue, consider deleting all the snapshots when cluster performance is not critical, such as during non-business hours.
 

To delete every snapshot from the cluster, follow these instructions:
  1. Open an SSH connection on any node in the cluster and log in using the "root" account.
  2. To list all existing snapshots, run the following command:
      
    isi snapshot snapshots list -v --format=table --sort=path
     
  3. Review the list to see if any of the snapshots start with "SIQ." If any do, then stop now. Do not continue this procedure unless you understand the ramifications of deleting SyncIQ snapshots. See the Important note at the beginning of this article.
  4. Run the following command:
      
    isi snapshot snapshots delete --all
  5. Type yes at the "Are you Sure?" Prompt
The snapshots are queued for a SnapshotDelete job. There might be a delay of up to 10 minutes before the SnapshotDelete job starts.  

Note: A SnapshotDelete job may not run while a FlexProtect or FlexProtectLin job is running. To check whether a FlexProtect or FlexProtectLin job is running, run isi job status. If a FlexProtect or FlexProtectLin job is running and you must free up space immediately, contact Dell Technical Support.


Verification:

Perform these steps to verify that the SnapshotDelete job is running as expected. 
 

  1. Run the following command repeatedly, waiting from 30 s to 60 s between runs.
      
    isi job jobs view snapshotdelete

    Or
      
    isi job status -v


    This command returns output indicating how many LINs have been processed out of the total number of LINs that must be processed; and the number of snapshots deleted out of the total number of snapshots that must be deleted. The output looks similar to the following:
      
    Running jobs: Job          Impact Pri Policy     Phase Run Time
-------------------------- ------ --- ---------- ----- ----------
SnapshotDelete[10578]      Medium 2   MEDIUM     1/1   7:02:40        
        Progress: Deleted 27718163/79842937 LINs and 130/543 snapshots; last
        deleted: 13888; 0 errors

     
  2. Verify that the number of snapshots that are deleted continues to increase each time you run the command.

    If the number of snapshots that are deleted does not increase, it might be because a large snapshot is being deleted. Check the number of LINs that are processed. If the number of LINs that are processed increases each time you run the command, then the SnapshotDelete job is proceeding as it should.
     
  3. Continue to run the command until you are satisfied that the SnapshotDelete job is running and deleting snapshots that are expected.

 

Depending on the number and size of Snapshots being deleted, the Snapshot deletion process may take several hours to complete. Disk space is reclaimed as the snapshots are deleted. Also, by default, the SnapshotDelete job deletes 1000 snapshots per job pass. If more than 1000 snapshots are to be deleted, the cluster automatically queues additional SnapshotDelete jobs to complete the deletion. 

 

Note: Snapshots may contain locks that prevent snapshot deletion. See KB 000014653 How to remove locks from a snapshot that has locks. Contact Dell Technical support if assistance is needed due to Snapshot locks.

Affected Products

Isilon

Products

Isilon, PowerScale OneFS
Article Properties
Article Number: 000013320
Article Type: How To
Last Modified: 26 May 2025
Version:  5
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