3PAR InForm® OS 2.2.4 CLI Administrator's Manual (320-200113 Rev A, March 2009)

8.2
Overview
3PAR InForm OS CLI Administrator’s Manual InForm OS Version 2.2.4
8.1 Overview
This chapter explains how to use the InForm CLI to create virtual and physical copies of virtual
volumes.
8.2 Snapshot Volumes
There are two types of copy volumes, or snapshots, that can be created from virtual volumes:
virtual copies and physical copies.
 A virtual copy volume is a point-in-time copy of another volume (a base volume or another
virtual copy). Virtual copies are either read/write or read-only. A read-only copy can have
only one read/write copy, but a read/write copy can have many read-only copies.
 A physical copy is a snapshot that duplicates all the data from one virtual volume to
another volume. A physical copy can only be made from a base volume with enough free
snapshot data space to accommodate writes to that volume during the physical copy
operation. In addition, the destination volume must meet the following conditions:
 It must have at least as much user space as that of the volume being copied.
 It must not be exported.
NOTE: 3PAR Thin Provisioning and snapshot functionality are optional system
features which must be licensed separately from other 3PAR software products
and features.
NOTE: Snapshots and all associated functionality must be licensed separately
from other 3PAR software products and features.
NOTE: To halt volume export, you must delete all VLUNs associated with the
volume as described in 7.9 Removing Virtual Volumes on page 7.10. After you
delete all VLUNs, you can use the volume as the destination volume for a physical
copy.