Backing up ONTAP LUNs using third party VSS capable backup software causes ONTAP clones
Applies to
- SnapDrive for Windows (SDW) 3.1 and higher
- SnapCenter Plug-in for Windows (SCW) 4.1 and higher
- Third party VSS capable backup program (Netbackup, BackupExec, NTBackup, etc.)
Issue
When using third party backup software for tape backup, for example, if that software has VSS capability, backing up ONTAP LUNs as part of the backup set causes UUID Snapshots and clones of these snapshots to be created during the backup.
With more recent versions of SDW (7.1.x) and SCW these clones do clean up automatically, when the backup finalizes.