2.1.7 Exascale Immutable Snapshots

Starting with Oracle Exadata System Software release 26.1.0, you can lock an Exascale snapshot (file or volume) to prevent its deletion before a specified future date and time. You can also make the lock immutable, which prevents users from removing the lock or changing it to expire earlier.

Immutable snapshots can help organizations meet financial or legal data retention requirements. They also provide tamper-resistant, time-based retention for Exascale files and volumes, helping customers create trusted point-in-time copies for compliance, ransomware recovery, and testing.

For example, during an audit or legal proceeding, an organization may need to preserve relevant data unchanged for the duration of the process. By applying an immutable lock, the organization prevents premature deletion or alteration of the data.