Create a Virtual Snapshot

You can create a virtual snapshot of a LUN and mount the snapshot on any host. Creating a virtual snapshot allows you to recover the replicated LUN easily at any point in time that is within the protection plan retention window or sparse retention policy.

1. Navigate to Recover > More > Create Recovery Snapshots.
2. Select the replication pair from which to create the virtual snapshot, and then click Recover.
3. In the Recovery Options table, select Recovery Based On.

   Using Time

   Displays the Recovery Point options. You can specify the recovery point using one of the following methods:

   • Select the tabs that specify the year, month, day, and seconds.

   • Select the option Recovery Point Accuracy to display a graphical image of the recovery period. Use the slide bars that are located under the graph to narrow down the recovery dates. To update the graphic with your changes, click Generate Graphs. Continue to adjust the Recovery Point until the graphic displays the time frame that you want.

     Note: Select a recovery time that is represented as green on the graph. Data integrity is not guaranteed when you select a recovery time that is represented by any other color, such as yellow or red.

   Using Application Consistency and Event-Based

   Displays the Recovery Tag options. You can specify the search criteria to locate a specific recovery tag, or you can select a recovery tag from the available list.

   Note: Select a tag that contains a green accuracy flag to ensure data integrity.

4. In the Drive Type section, select Virtual.
5. To enable read or write capabilities to your virtual snapshot, select Read/Write.

   To make the virtual snapshot read only, clear the selection.

   The Read/Write option requires that you provide the path location for the retention LUN.

6. (Optional) In the Data Log Path field, enter the data log path for the retention LUN, then click Next.

   The retention LUN stores any writes from the host while the virtual snapshot is mapped. All such writes are deleted when the virtual snapshot is deleted.

7. To create the snapshot to the specified retention LUN, click Export, then click Next.
   Note: You can make changes to the exported retention LUN. If the retention LUN does not have enough storage capacity, protection plans that use the retention LUN might pause or purge old data. The actions are defined by the protection plan retention policy.
8. Under Access Control Group Name, select the access control group to which the snapshot will be exported.
   The access control group (ACG) defines the hosts that have the ability to mount and use the virtual snapshot.
9. Select a LUN number for the virtual snapshot and click Next.
   Note: You cannot use LUN number 0.
10. To create the virtual snapshot, click Finish.
11. Review your selections, then click Finish.