OneFS: Writable Snapshot "date modified" shows Creation Date of Snapshot, Not Creation Date of File

This is working as designed.

This is a listing of file information:

ls -l /ifs/.snapshot/read_only_test_policy/test_dir/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
total 7360
-rwxrwx--- + 1 admin admin 172788 Jun 1 1998 1998_06-01_test_file.ai
-rwxrwx--- + 1 admin admin 304110 Mar 2 2004 2004_03_02_test_file.eps
-rwxrwx--- + 1 admin admin 3949 Jun 3 2006 2005_06_03_test_file.txt
-rwxrwx--- + 1 admin admin 335609 Feb 24 2008 2008_02_24_test_file.jpg
-rwxrwx--- + 1 admin admin 13139 Sep 3 2009 2009_09_03_test_file.txt
-rwxrwx--- + 1 admin admin 23040 Aug 11 2010 2010_08_11_test_file.xls
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is the listing of the same files, but from the writable snapshot:

ls -l /ifs/read_only_test_policy/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-rwxrwx--- + 1 admin admin 172788 May 3 20:30 1998_06-01_test_file.ai
-rwxrwx--- + 1 admin admin 304110 May 3 20:30 2004_03_02_test_file.eps
-rwxrwx--- + 1 admin admin 3949 May 3 20:30 2005_06_03_test_file.txt
-rwxrwx--- + 1 admin admin 335609 May 3 20:30 2008_02_24_test_file.jpg
-rwxrwx--- + 1 admin admin 13139 May 3 20:30 2009_09_03_test_file.txt
-rwxrwx--- + 1 admin admin 23040 May 3 20:30 2010_08_11_test_file.xls
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Other snapshot types show the same data as the files:

ls -l /ifs/.snapshot/read_only_test_policy/test_dir/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
total 7360
-rwxrwx--- + 1 admin admin 172788 Jun 1 1998 1998_06-01_test_file.ai
-rwxrwx--- + 1 admin admin 304110 Mar 2 2004 2004_03_02_test_file.eps
-rwxrwx--- + 1 admin admin 3949 Jun 3 2006 2005_06_03_test_file.txt
-rwxrwx--- + 1 admin admin 335609 Feb 24 2008 2008_02_24_test_file.jpg
-rwxrwx--- + 1 admin admin 13139 Sep 3 2009 2009_09_03_test_file.txt
-rwxrwx--- + 1 admin admin 23040 Aug 11 2010 2010_08_11_test_file.xls
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From the administration guide:

In other words:
The writable snapshot populates file metadata on first access. This is the creation date of the writable snapshot. After files are modified in the writable snapshot, the date reflects the new access date.

UPDATE:
From version 9.12.0, changes to the handling of the dates was implemented.

The Creation Time (or Birth Time), mtime, ctime, and atime of a file in a writable snapshot are the same as that of the respective file in the backing read-only snapshot. Later, mtime, ctime, or atime is modified as and when the file in the writable snapshot is accessed or modified.

If a user wants to fall back to the previous behavior, they can make the following change:

​​​​sysctl efs.wsnap.copy_time_attrs_wsnap_cor=0

• Modification Time - mtime - is the timestamp that indicates the last time the contents of a file were modified.
• Change Time - ctime - is the timestamp that indicates the last time the metadata of a file was changed.
• Access Time - atime - is the timestamp that indicates the last time a file was accessed.