Creating a snapshot by using GUI

A snapshot can be created manually or based on a schedule by defining the snapshot rules. You can also create an AFM peer snapshot from the Snapshots page. The following procedure explains how to schedule snapshot creation and retention by defining snapshot rules.

Perform the following steps to create a snapshot:

  1. Go to Files > Snapshots page in the IBM Storage Scale GUI.
  2. Click Create Snapshot. The Create Snapshot window appears.
    The Create Snapshot window by default shows options to create snapshots under the manual mode. If you want to schedule snapshot creation of a file system or an independent fileset, use the options that are provided under the Schedule tab of the Create Snapshot window. This procedure shows how to schedule a snapshot creation.
  3. Click Schedule.
  4. In the Path field, type the path of the file system or independent fileset for which you need to create snapshots.
  5. Click Create Rule to schedule the snapshot creation and retention. Create Snapshot Rule window appears.
  6. In the Name field, type the name of the snapshot scheduling rule.
  7. In the Frequency field, select the frequency in which you need to create snapshot. You need to enter some more details based on the value that is selected in the Frequency field. For example, if value selected is Multiple Times an Hour, select the minutes of the hour in which you need to create snapshots.
  8. In the Retention fields, specify the number of snapshots that must be retained in a time period.
  9. In the Prefix field, specify a prefix to be added with the name of the snapshots that are created with this rule. The prefix is added to the date and time to identify the rule that is used to create the snapshot. If a prefix is not specified, the default prefix @GMT is used. Using the default prefix enables Microsoft Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) identification if the file is shared by using the SMB protocol.
  10. Select the Allow Expiration checkbox to delete the snapshot when the defined retention period is completed.
    Note: If you do not select the Allow Expiration checkbox then the expiration time for all snapshots created is the same as its creation time.
  11. Click OK to create the snapshot rule. You can associate more than one rule to a path.
  12. In the Create Snapshot window, click Create to create the snapshot creation schedule and retention policy for the snapshots. The snapshot of the file system or independent fileset will be created based on the schedule specified in the snapshot rule.