vxsnap create
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vxsnap create

Creates snapshot(s) of the specified volume(s) or SQL database (component). Allows volumes to be snapshotted simultaneously.

Separate source volumes and attributes with forward slashes, not spaces. Source and snapshot volume attributes are paired. You must specify the source volume if you choose to specify the snapshot volume plex, drive letter, drive path, label, or volume name.

Syntax

The vxsnap create command has the following syntax:

vxsnap -x Filename create [-gDynamicDiskGroupName]
source=Volume [/DriveLetter=DriveLetter]
[/DrivePath=DrivePath][/Newvol=NewVolName]
[/Plex=PlexName]...
[writer=WriterName] [component=ComponentName]
[server=ServerName] [instance=InstanceName]
[backuptype=FULL|COPY] [-o]
Attributes

The vxsnap create command has the following attributes:

-x Filename

Indicates the name to be assigned to the XML metadata file that will be created with the command. The file name must include the ".xml" extension.

The default path to the file is under the SFW program files directory (normally C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Veritas\VSSXML\SQL). If you wish to place the file in another directory, specify a full path before the file name, for example J:\XML\Image1.xml.

Warning:

The snapshot XML files must be stored separately from the volumes that are included in the snapshots, otherwise a restore will fail.

-gDynamicDiskGroupName

Indicates an SFW dynamic disk group name. If any volume is specified using the SFW volume name, this option is required.

source=Volume

Indicates the source volume for the split-mirror snapshot specified by a drive letter, drive path (mount point), or volume name of the form "\\?\Volume{GUID}\". Repeat this parameter for each volume associated with the specified component.

[/plex=PlexName]

Specifies the name of the mirror or plex that is to be detached. Use this parameter if there are multiple snap plexes available to be snapshotted.

[/DriveLetter=DriveLetter]

The drive letter to be assigned to the new snapshot volume.

[/DrivePath=DrivePath]

The drive path to be assigned to the new snapshot volume. The drive path must reference an empty local NTFS folder, which was created beforehand. The path must include the drive letter and folder to be mounted, for example, C:\DB1VOL.

[/Newvol=NewVolName]

Specifies the name of the new snapshot volume that is created. If the name is not specified using this option, the form "SnapVolume01" is created. The full device path becomes: \Device\HarddiskDmVolumes\ DiskGroupName\NewVolName

writer=WriterName

Unique ID of the VSS writer, for example, SQLServerWriter or the GUID for the writer. Required if you specify the component.

component=ComponentName

Name of the database. The command prepares mirrors for both the database and log volumes of the SQL database.

server=ServerName

SQL Server server name.

instance=InstanceName

SQL Server instance name.

backuptype=FULL|COPY

Specifies the type of backup, either a Full or Copy. If no option is specified then Copy is the default. To back up logs in SQL Server so that you can restore the database using SQL log replay, at least one Full backup must have been created earlier.

-o

Allows an existing XML file of the same name to be overwritten. If -O is not specified the vxsnap create command does not overwrite an existing XML file of the same name and the operation fails.

Note:

Any text string that contains spaces must be enclosed in quotation marks.
Examples

The following is an example of the vxsnap create command:

vxsnap -x billing_DB.xml create
  source=G:/Newvol=billing_data
  source=H:/Newvol=billing_log
  writer=SQLServerWriter component=billing_DB
  backuptype=full

This example creates a snapshot set based on the component billing_DB which contains volume G, the database volume, and volume H, the log volume. The snapshot volumes are named billing_data and billing_log, respectively. The XML file, billing_DB.xml, is used to store the VSS metadata that identifies the snapshot set. This file is used in the command to reattach the snapshot set to resynchronize it and in the command to recover the database using the snapshot set.

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