What SnapVault is

SnapVault is a disk-based storage backup feature of Data ONTAP. SnapVault enables data stored on multiple storage systems to be backed up to a central, secondary storage system quickly and efficiently as read-only Snapshot copies.

In event of data loss or corruption on a storage system, backed-up data can be restored from the SnapVault secondary storage system with less downtime and uncertainty than is associated with conventional tape backup and restore operations.

You must understand the following terms that describe the SnapVault feature:

Primary storage system—a system whose data is to be backed up
Secondary storage system—a storage system or the NearStore system to which data is backed up
Primary system qtree—a qtree on a primary storage system whose data is backed up to a secondary qtree on a secondary storage system
Secondary system qtree—a qtree on a secondary storage system to which data from a primary qtree on a primary storage system is backed up
Open Systems platform—a server running AIX, Solaris, HP-UX, Red Hat Linux, SUSE Linux, or Windows, whose data can be backed up to a SnapVault secondary storage system
Open Systems SnapVault agent—a software agent that enables the system to back up its data to a SnapVault secondary storage system
SnapVault relationship—the backup relationship between a qtree on a primary storage system or a directory on an Open Systems primary platform and its corresponding secondary system qtree
SnapVault Snapshot copy—the backup images that SnapVault creates at intervals on its primary and secondary storage systems
SnapVault Snapshot copies capture the state of primary qtree data on each primary system. This data is transferred to secondary qtrees on the SnapVault secondary system. The secondary storage system creates and maintains versions of Snapshot copies of the combined data for long-term storage and possible restore operations.
SnapVault Snapshot basename—a name that you assign to a set of SnapVault Snapshot copies using the snapvault snap sched command. As incremental Snapshot copies for a set are taken and stored on both the primary and secondary storage systems, the system appends a number (0, 1, 2, 3, and so on) to the basenames to track the most recent and earlier Snapshot updates.
SnapVault baseline transfer—an initial complete backup of a primary storage qtree or an Open Systems platform directory to a corresponding qtree on the secondary storage system
SnapVault incremental transfer—a follow-up backup to the secondary storage system that contains only the changes to the primary storage data between the current and last transfer actions

Advantages of using SnapVault
The SnapVault disk-based backup and restore system enables you to perform fast and simple data restore operations.
What data gets backed up and restored through SnapVault
The data structures that are backed up and restored through SnapVault depend on the primary storage system.
Types of SnapVault deployment
You can deploy SnapVault in three ways as per business requirements.
How SnapVault backup of storage systems works
Backing up storage system qtrees using SnapVault involves starting the baseline transfers, making scheduled incremental transfers, and restoring data upon request.
How SnapVault backup of Open Systems platforms works
The process of SnapVault backup of Open Systems platform directories involves starting the baseline transfers, scheduling incremental transfers, and restoring data upon request.

Parent topic: Data protection using SnapVault