Using the Create FlashCopy Logical Drive Wizard

Use the Create FlashCopy Logical Drive Wizard to create a logical point-in-time image of another .

A flashcopy logical drive is the logical equivalent of a complete physical copy, but you create it much more quickly than a physical copy. A flashcopy logical drive requires less disk space. In this release of the storage management software, the logical drive from which you are basing the flashcopy, called the , must be a in your storage subsystem.

Valid Base Logical Drives

The Create FlashCopy Logical Drive option is not available from the pull-down menu or the right-mouse pop-up menu if you select an invalid base logical drive before you start the wizard. The following logical drives are not valid base logical drives:

Using the Create FlashCopy Logical Drive Wizard


Attention:

Risk of application errors – You cannot create a flashcopy for a logical drive that contains unreadable sectors.

Keep these guidelines in mind when you use the Create FlashCopy Logical Drive Wizard:


Attention:

Possible loss of data redundancy – If the flashcopy logical drive is to be based on the root disk of the host operating system, the final point-in-time image might not be completely consistent with the base logical drive.

  1. Stop the host application accessing the base logical drive, and unmount the base logical drive.
  2. In the Logical pane, select a valid base logical drive, and select Logical Drive >> FlashCopy >> Create .
  3. Follow the directions on each wizard dialog, and click Next to move to the next wizard dialog.


    Note:

    Each wizard dialog has context-sensitive help. Click Help to view information applicable for that particular dialog.

  4. After you have created one or more flashcopy logical drives, mount the base logical drive, and restart the host application using that base logical drive.
  5. In the Mappings tab of the Subsystem Management Window, assign between the flashcopy logical drive and the host that will access the flashcopy logical drive.


    Note:

    In some cases, conflicts might result from mapping the same host to both a base logical drive and its associated flashcopy logical drive. This conflict depends on the host operating system and any logical drive manager software in use. For operating-system-specific instructions, refer to the Create FlashCopy Logical Drive Wizard - Additional Instructions online help topic.

  6. To register the flashcopy logical drive with the host operating system, run the host-based .
  7. To associate the mapping between the physical storage subsystem name and the logical drive name, run the host-based utility.


    Important:

    If you will use this flashcopy on a regular basis (for example, for backup purposes), use the Disable FlashCopy option and the Re-create FlashCopy option to reuse the flashcopy. These actions alleviate the need to stop the host application and unmount the base logical drive while the flashcopy is created again. Using the Disable FlashCopy option and the Re-create FlashCopy option also preserves the existing mappings to the flashcopy logical drive.

A Preview of the Create FlashCopy Logical Drive Wizard

These dialogs appear as part of the Create FlashCopy Logical Drive Wizard:

This dialog appears if you chose the Simple path:

This dialog appears if you chose the Advanced path:

If you select the Free Capacity node in the Advanced path, these dialogs appear:

If you select the Unconfigured Capacity node in the Advanced path, these dialogs appear:

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