About configuring storage lifecycle policies for snapshots and snapshot replication

A storage lifecycle policy (SLP) contains instructions in the form of storage operations, to be applied to the data. Operations are added to the SLP that determine how the data is stored and copied or replicated. For example, the NetBackup administrator creates an operation that determines where the data exists as a snapshot, as a replication, or as a duplication. The administrator also determines the retention of the data at each storage unit or storage unit group.

Storage operations that are defined in the SLP use storage units that represent disk pools. An SLP that is configured for snapshots or snapshot replication must contain a specific, hierarchical combination of operations.

The following figure represents an SLP for a replication scenario. In the example, the following operations are used:

A Snapshot operation creates a snapshot.
A Replication operation replicates the snapshot to another volume.
A Backup From Snapshot operation creates a tar-formatted backup from the snapshot.
A Duplication operation copies the backup to tape.

Table: Example of a storage lifecycle policy configured for snapshots and snapshot replication describes the four types of operations that are required in this example replication scenario.

Table: Example of a storage lifecycle policy configured for snapshots and snapshot replication

Operation order in SLP	Operation	Description
1	Snapshot	Operation 1 creates a snapshot in the primary storage. The snapshot serves as the source for the other operations in the SLP. The operation must be a Snapshot operation. The storage must be a snapshot storage unit that has the following properties set: Primary and Replication source. Note: Only one operation to a Primary storage unit is permitted in an SLP.
2 (Child to operation 1)	Replication	Operation 2 replicates the snapshot that the first operation created. The operation must be a Replication operation and it must be the replication partner to the source storage unit. The retention type determines what replication method is used. For example, if retention type Fixed or Expire after copy is selected for a NetApp storage system, the SnapVault replication method is used. The storage must be a snapshot storage unit that has the Replication target property set. Since no other replica is created from this operation in this example, it does not need to have the Replication source property set.
3 (Child to operation 2)	Backup From Snapshot	Operation 3 creates a tar-formatted backup copy of the snapshot. The operation must be a Backup From Snapshot operation. This operation creates a backup image from the snapshot. The storage must be a backup storage unit.
4 (Child to operation 3)	Duplication	Operation 4 makes a duplicate copy from the tar-formatted backup copy. In this example, the copy is duplicated to tape media. The operation must be a Duplication operation. This operation creates a backup copy of the tar-formatted image. The storage must be a backup storage unit.

After the SLP is configured for different operations, the NetBackup administrator configures a backup policy that points to the snapshot SLP.

The SLP Parameters host properties in the NetBackup Administration Console allow administrators to customize how SLPs are maintained and how SLP jobs run.

Best-practice information about SLPs appears in the following document:

http://www.veritas.com/docs/TECH208536

About configuring storage lifecycle policies for snapshots and snapshot replication

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