NetApp Releases SnapDrive for Windows 6.3
NetApp has finally released SnapDrive for Windows 6.3 to GA:
https://now.netapp.com/NOW/download/software/snapdrive_win/6.3/
It includes an amazing bit of functionality in the application consistent snapshots without the need for FC/iSCSI RDMS:
- Support for performing Snapshot copy operations on virtual machine disks (VMDKs) in an NFS or VMFS datastore, which requires Virtual Storage Console 2.0.1 or later. Please check the availability of Virtual Storage Console 2.0.1 and install it before using this feature.
- Support for space reclamation when using VMDKs in an NFS datastore
- Support for DataFabric Manager caching with RBAC
- Automatic download of the storage system access control (storacl.exe) tool as part of your SnapDrive 6.3 for Windows installation
This will allow us to remove a lot of complexity, just as soon as it supports all the different applications. There are some considerations & limitations with the VMDK support:
- SnapManager for Virtual Infrastructure 3.0.1 or later (included with Virtual Storage Console 2.0.1) must be installed
- Attached VMDKs can only be basic disks
- Dynamic disks are not supported
- Multiple partitions are not supported
- The guest OS must be able to communicate with the IP address or storage system name
- configured in the SnapManager for Virtual Infrastructure server
- VMDKs cannot have multiple mount points
For a first iteration I think it is a leap forward.
IAG – https://now.netapp.com/knowledge/docs/snapdrive/relsnap63/pdfs/admin.pdf
Release Notes – https://now.netapp.com/knowledge/docs/snapdrive/relsnap63/pdfs/rnote.pdf
3 Responses Leave a comment
Has anyone actually got SnapDrive to connect to a VMDK on an NFS datastore? I think that the documentation is lacking for this on the now website. Anyone have a good article or set of instructions on getting this working?
I was having the same trouble. I would open Snap Drive 6.3 and see no VMDKs. In order to resolve, I went into the VSC plugin inside vCenter, then added the Storage System in the “Backup and Restore” Setup. Once I did this, I closed SnapDrive, reopened, and my disks automatically show as VMDKs. Hope this helps.
NetApp should really look at their testing, I mean out of the box it does not even work with DOT 8.0, if you try and connect to the Filer it fails with RPC errors and you need to do a bunch of reg hacks to fix it. Alternatively upgrade to 8.0.1
You’d have thought somebody would have checked it works with the latest OS (at the time of release) before publishing.