About FlexClone volumes
FlexClone volumes are writable, point-in-time copies of a parent FlexVol volume. Often, you can manage them as you would a regular FlexVol volume, but they also have some extra capabilities and restrictions.
- How FlexClone volumes work
FlexClone volumes can be managed similarly to regular FlexVol volumes, with a few key differences.
- Operations that aren't supported on FlexClone volumes or their parent
Not all Data ONTAP capabilities are available on FlexClone volumes.
- FlexClone volumes and space guarantees
A FlexClone volume inherits its initial space guarantee from its parent volume. For example, if you create a FlexClone volume from a parent volume with a space guarantee of volume, then the FlexClone volume's initial space guarantee will be volume also. You can change the FlexClone volume's space guarantee.
- FlexClone volumes and shared Snapshot copies
When space guarantees are in use, a new FlexClone volume uses the Snapshot copies it shares with its parent to minimize its space requirements. If you delete the shared Snapshot copies, you might increase the space requirements of the FlexClone volume.
- How you can identify shared Snapshot copies in FlexClone volumes
You can identify a shared Snapshot copy by listing the Snapshot copies in the parent volume with the snap list command. Any Snapshot copy that appears as busy, vclone in the parent volume and is also present in the FlexClone volume is a shared Snapshot copy.
- How you use volume SnapMirror replication with FlexClone volumes
Because both volume SnapMirror replication and FlexClone volumes rely on Snapshot copies, there are some restrictions on how the two features can be used together.
- How splitting a FlexClone volume from its parent works
Splitting a FlexClone volume from its parent removes any space optimizations that are currently employed by the FlexClone volume. After the split, both the FlexClone volume and the parent volume require the full space allocation determined by their space guarantees. The FlexClone volume becomes a normal FlexVol volume.
- FlexClone volumes and LUNs
You can clone FlexVol volumes that contain LUNs and LUN clones.
