Possible to Automate a Clone of a Snapshot?

[clovett09]

So our DBA would like to be able to once a week get a copy of her SQL database backup and mount it on another VM.  This backup is almost 2tb so the most efficient way for us has been to disconnect the disk from the VM1 and attach it to VM2 then copy the database to another drive on VM2.  Then disconnect the disk from VM2 and reconnect to VM1.  Is there a way to somehow automate this process thru Nimble snapshot clones and/or powercli?

[Satish04 · Accepted solution]

Hi clovett09,

Yes, it is possible to automate the process of copying a SQL database backup from one virtual machine (VM1) to another virtual machine (VM2) using Nimble snapshot clones and PowerCLI.

Here is the overview of the process:

1. Create a Nimble snapshot of the SQL database volume on VM1 using the Nimble storage management interface or CLI.
2. Create a snapshot clone of the Nimble snapshot. The clone will be a read/write copy of the snapshot.
3. Present the snapshot clone to VM2 by attaching it as a new disk.
4. Use PowerCLI or any scripting language to copy the database backup files from the attached disk on VM2 to another location on VM2.
5. Detach the snapshot clone disk from VM2.
6. Reconnect the snapshot clone disk to VM1.
7. Perform any necessary cleanup or verification steps.

To automate this process, you can create a script using PowerCLI. The script would involve invoking the Nimble Storage management API to create snapshots and snapshot clones,
as well as using PowerCLI cmdlets to manage the virtual machine disks and perform the file copy operation.

The specific implementation details would depend on your environment, the versions of Nimble storage and VMware, and any specific requirements or constraints you have.

Do get back to us, if you need further help.

Regards,
Satish