Data protection by using WORM-protected file volumes

To meet strict regulatory requirements for archived data, you can protect your data by using Write Once Read Many (WORM)-protected file volumes.

You can use either of the following solutions to enable WORM protection:

Use a NetApp file server in combination with the NetApp SnapLock licensed feature.
To use the SnapLock licensed feature, SnapLock file volumes must be mounted to the data retention server by using the Network File System (NFS) protocol.
Use IBM Spectrum® Scale immutable filesets.
To use IBM Spectrum Scale immutable filesets, the data protection server must have direct access to the IBM Spectrum Scale file system that includes the immutable fileset. The data retention server must be a member of the IBM Spectrum Scale cluster.

With both solutions, you can use IBM Spectrum Protect to set a retention date for files and to commit a file to a WORM state. Data that is stored with a retention date cannot be deleted from the file system before the retention period expires. The SnapLock licensed feature and IBM Spectrum Scale immutable fileset features can be used by IBM Spectrum Protect servers only if the servers are enabled for data retention protection through IBM Spectrum Protect for Data Retention.

For both the NetApp SnapLock licensed feature and IBM Spectrum Scale immutable fileset solutions, the following information applies:

Data that is archived by data retention protection servers and stored to NetApp NAS file servers or to an IBM Spectrum Scale immutable fileset is stored as IBM Spectrum Protect FILE volumes. At the end of a write transaction, a retention date is set for the FILE volume. This date is calculated by using the RETVER and RETMIN parameters of the archive copy group that is used when you archive the data. By associating a retention date with the FILE volume, the FILE volume does not destroy or overwrite the data until the retention date passes. These FILE volumes are referred to as WORM FILE volumes.
The WORM FILE volume is set to append-only as long as it is in a FILLING state. In this state, more data can be added to the end of the volume. When the volume is full, the FILE volume is set to WORM (or IMMUTABLE) and no new data can be added. The retention date of a given FILE volume is the maximum retention date of data, and the WORM FILE volume cannot be deleted until the retention date passes. IBM Spectrum Protect for Data Retention combined with WORM FILE volume reclamation helps to ensure that data is always protected.

Tip: When the storage pool is configured with the RECLAMATIONTYPE=SNAPLOCK setting, the data retention server sets the append-only and immutability flags on a WORM FILE volume automatically.
Storage pools can be managed either by threshold or by data retention period. The RECLAMATIONTYPE storage pool parameter indicates that a storage pool is managed based on a data retention period. When a traditional storage pool is queried with the FORMAT=DETAILED parameter, this output is displayed:
```
Reclamation Type: THRESHOLD
```
If an IBM Spectrum Protect server is enabled for data retention protection, and the server has access to a NetApp file server with the SnapLock licensed feature or to an IBM Spectrum Scale immutable fileset, you can define a storage pool with the RECLAMATIONTYPE parameter set to SNAPLOCK. This means that data that is created on volumes in this storage pool is managed by retention date. When a SnapLock storage pool is queried with the FORMAT=DETAILED parameter, the output indicates that the storage pools are managed by data retention period:
```
 Reclamation Type: SNAPLOCK
```

For more information about the SnapLock file server, see the NetApp documentation Data ONTAP Archive and Compliance Management Guide for 7-Mode. For more information about IBM Spectrum Scale immutable filesets, see the IBM Spectrum Scale documentation.