Restore NetApp .snapshot

[zimma]

Hello....

Need some help :)

Im using Netbackup 6.5 to backup a NetApp filer using NDMP. The policy backs up:

/vol/Data

Now, I need to restore /vol/Data/.snapshot in order to get some data back (long story, I'll spare the details) - BUT - I cannot see the .snapshot file/folder listed in the restore file structure under /vol/Data - I see everything else under /vol/Data. Is there a way I can restore the .snapshot file/folder??

Thanks!

[zimma]

Perhaps I should add some background here - basically a particular folder under /vol/Data is excluded from the backup, but now we need something in it. The current snapshots on that folder dont go back far enough to get an old enough version. So, Im hoping to get an older version of that directories snapshots...

Possible??

Thanks

[Andy_Welburn · Accepted solution]

As far as I am aware you won't see the .snaphot as it won't be backed up - you either backup the snapshot directly OR backup the volume & a backup snapshot is created that is then backed up. This does not snapshot the snapshot (which could in turn be a snapshot of a snapshot of a snapshot - if you get my drift!!!).

***Edit***

Sorry, had to dig out my course notes for a clear explanation  

"Snaphot - a read-only space-efficient, point in time image of the data in a volume or aggregate. It is only a picture of the file-system and does not contain the actual contents of data files."

Essentially a 'pointer' to the actual data - so even if the .snapshot was included in the backup (as part of the backup .snapshot (here we go again!!) it wouldn't do you any good as you haven't actually backed up the data.

Message Edited by Andy Welburn on 12-02-2008 04:30 PM

[zimma]

Thanks Andy,

Oh well, was a long shot I guess :)