Need some fundemental questions answered

patrickd26 · Thu Jun 18, 2009 9:22 pm

hello,
I am trying to understand snapshots and snapshot recovery more clearly. Here's what I would like to do:

I would like to create a device in SW and allow snapshots every 24 hrs. Inside that device I plan to store a .VHD file for MS HyperV. I would like a snapshot of that volume created nightly. That offline snapshot would then ideally be copied over the network to another share that will be used to copy to tape as well as a place that could be ready to "mount" the SW files for quick access. I only want the ability to mount if need be. I don't necessarily need my second copy of SW to be attached continually.

Here is where I am lost (and maybe I'm not thinking correctly here, so I'm open to best practice as well)..... I have my SW files (.ibv, .ibvm, ibvd, .ibvss) Which of those files are considered the "offline" files that I would need to copy to my second server? I would assume that they are the oldest files datewise, but if I do that the files are locked and also appear to be the largest (most likely where my actual data is stored).

Once again, what I want to do is to import whatever offline files i copy and be able to access my VHD's from another server to get things back up quickly. I created my device as a Snapshot and CDP.

Any help, ideas, criticisms, etc are welcome.

Thanks!

patrickd26 · Sun Jun 21, 2009 3:49 am

disregard my question. I purchased an actual iSCSI appliance and they were able to answer this question.

Robert (staff) · Mon Jun 22, 2009 8:23 am

Hello,

I would anyway like to answer the questions mentioned,

So, as for the Snapshots and CDP:

Each session (or snapshot) create the following files on the hard drive:

o *.ibv – the volume header.

o *.ibvm – the sectors map of the volumes (session).

o *.ibvd – the file that contains the changes list.

o *.ibvss – the snapshot header. A snapshot uses a single sectors map and several journals.

It is recommended to copy all the files to a remote share. Once a snapshot is created (ibvss) - this will be the actual snapshot with all the data from the target. It can later be mounted in read-only mode, or used to create a full clone to mount in read/write mode.

Thanks

patrickd26 · Mon Jun 22, 2009 1:40 pm

Thanks for the response! It is greatly appreciated.

Robert (staff) · Tue Jun 23, 2009 12:59 pm

You're welcome!

ctcline · Fri Jun 11, 2010 6:22 pm

Hi!
I am still confused on this. I have my journals sent to a remote location, but I don't think these are all the required snapshot files that you refernce above. Is this not the point of placing the jornals in a different location?

Thanks,
Chris

Fri Jun 11, 2010 9:46 pm

You can place your journals where you want. Remote location works just fine! Or you can store them on local RAID and replicate file-by-file with third-party tools (soon StarWind will be able to do it on it's own).

ctcline wrote:Hi!
I am still confused on this. I have my journals sent to a remote location, but I don't think these are all the required snapshot files that you refernce above. Is this not the point of placing the jornals in a different location?

Thanks,
Chris