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Is it possible to restore a SAN boot volume using Snapshot or SnapMirror in ONTAP 9

  1. Last updated
    Apr 23, 2025
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Category:
ontap-9
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san
Last Updated:
4/23/2025, 3:50:27 AM

Applies to

  • ONTAP 9
  • SAN boot
  • Snapshot
  • SnapMirror

Answer

  • Yes, it is possible.
  • However, the success of restoring the host OS to a previous state depends on the OS itself rather than the storage system.
Note:
  • Consistency of the Snapshot: 
    • When a Snapshot is taken while the OS is running, there might be data cached by the OS that has not yet been written to the storage. 
    • Restoring such a Snapshot might lead to an inconsistent file system, causing the OS to fail to boot properly.
  • ONTAP's Role:
    • ONTAP can take a Snapshot of the volume, including the LUN, at any point in time. 
    • However, ONTAP cannot determine if the file system within the LUN is in a consistent state from the OS's perspective.

Additional Information

 

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