This section describes how to use the zfs send -I and -R options to send and receive more complex snapshot streams.
Keep the following points in mind when sending and receiving ZFS snapshot streams:
Use the zfs send -I option to send all incremental streams from one snapshot to a cumulative snapshot. Or, use this option to send an incremental stream from the original snapshot to create a clone. The original snapshot must already exist on the receiving side to accept the incremental stream.
Use the zfs send -R option to send a replication stream of all descendent file systems. When received, all properties, snapshots, descendent file systems, and clones are preserved.
Or use both options to send an incremental replication stream.
Changes to properties and snapshot and file system renames and destroys are preserved.
If zfs recv -F is not specified when receiving the replication stream, dataset destroys are ignored. The zfs recv -F syntax in this case also retains its rollback if necessary meaning.
As with other (non zfs send -R) -i or -I cases, if -I is used, all snapshots between snapA and snapD are sent. If -i is used, only snapD (for all descendents) are sent.
To receive any of these new types of zfs send streams, the receiving system must be running a software version capable of sending them. The stream version is incremented.
However, you can access streams from older pool versions by using a newer software version. For example, you can send and receive streams created with the newer options to and from a version 3 pool. But, you must be running recent software to receive a stream sent with the newer options.
A group of incremental snapshots can be combined into one snapshot by using the zfs send -I option. For example:
# zfs send -I pool/fs@snapA pool/fs@snapD > /snaps/fs@all-I |
Remove snapshots B, C, and D.
# zfs destroy pool/fs@snapB # zfs destroy pool/fs@snapC # zfs destroy pool/fs@snapD |
Receive the combined snapshot.
# zfs receive -d -F pool/fs < /snaps/fs@all-I # zfs list NAME USED AVAIL REFER MOUNTPOINT pool 428K 16.5G 20K /pool pool/fs 71K 16.5G 21K /pool/fs pool/fs@snapA 16K - 18.5K - pool/fs@snapB 17K - 20K - pool/fs@snapC 17K - 20.5K - pool/fs@snapD 0 - 21K - |
You can also use the zfs send -I command to combine a snapshot and a clone snapshot to create a combined dataset. For example:
# zfs create pool/fs # zfs snapshot pool/fs@snap1 # zfs clone pool/fs@snap1 pool/clone # zfs snapshot pool/clone@snapA # zfs send -I pool/fs@snap1 pool/clone@snapA > /snaps/fsclonesnap-I # zfs destroy pool/clone@snapA # zfs destroy pool/clone # zfs receive -F pool/clone < /snaps/fsclonesnap-I |
Use the zfs send -R command to replicate a ZFS file system and all descendent file systems, up to the named snapshot. When received, all properties, snapshots, descendent file systems, and clones are preserved.
In the following example, snapshots are created for user file systems. One replication stream is created for all user snapshots. Then, the original file systems and snapshots are destroyed and recovered.
# zfs snapshot -r users@today # zfs list NAME USED AVAIL REFER MOUNTPOINT users 187K 33.2G 22K /users users@today 0 - 22K - users/user1 18K 33.2G 18K /users/user1 users/user1@today 0 - 18K - users/user2 18K 33.2G 18K /users/user2 users/user2@today 0 - 18K - users/user3 18K 33.2G 18K /users/user3 users/user3@today 0 - 18K - # zfs send -R users@today > /snaps/users-R # zfs destroy -r users # zfs receive -F -d users < /snaps/users-R # zfs list NAME USED AVAIL REFER MOUNTPOINT users 196K 33.2G 22K /users users@today 0 - 22K - users/user1 18K 33.2G 18K /users/user1 users/user1@today 0 - 18K - users/user2 18K 33.2G 18K /users/user2 users/user2@today 0 - 18K - users/user3 18K 33.2G 18K /users/user3 users/user3@today 0 - 18K - |
You can use the zfs send -R command to replicate the users dataset and its descendents and send the replicated stream to another pool, users2.
# zfs create users2 mirror c0t1d0 c1t1d0 # zfs receive -F -d users2 < /snaps/users-R # zfs list NAME USED AVAIL REFER MOUNTPOINT users 224K 33.2G 22K /users users@today 0 - 22K - users/user1 33K 33.2G 18K /users/user1 users/user1@today 15K - 18K - users/user2 18K 33.2G 18K /users/user2 users/user2@today 0 - 18K - users/user3 18K 33.2G 18K /users/user3 users/user3@today 0 - 18K - users2 188K 16.5G 22K /users2 users2@today 0 - 22K - users2/user1 18K 16.5G 18K /users2/user1 users2/user1@today 0 - 18K - users2/user2 18K 16.5G 18K /users2/user2 users2/user2@today 0 - 18K - users2/user3 18K 16.5G 18K /users2/user3 users2/user3@today 0 - 18K - |
You can use the zfs send and zfs recv commands to remotely copy a snapshot stream representation from one system to another system. For example:
# zfs send tank/cindy@today | ssh newsys zfs recv sandbox/restfs@today |
This command sends the tank/cindy@today snapshot data and receives it into the sandbox/restfs file system and also creates a restfs@today snapshot on the newsys system. In this example, the user has been configured to use ssh on the remote system.