How to create a snapshot in the command line

[torsknod]

Hello,
I have created a cron job (shell script) to ssh+rsync files from a remote server to a NAS directory on a separate volume.
Now I would like to snapshot this after every rsync. Creating a snapshot with

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lvcreate

does not make it visible in the GUI.
I found out that

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/home/httpd/cgi-bin/disk/snapshot.cgi

is used by the Web GUI to create the snapshots, which links library

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/usr/lib/libuLinux_Storage.so.0.0

. This library contains several functions which could be used to create snapshots, but even in the QDK there is no include file for it.
Would be nice if someone could help me.

Thanks in Advance
Torsten Knodt

[OneCD]

Hi Torsten and welcome to the forum.

I have created a cron job (shell script) to ssh+rsync files from a remote server to a NAS directory on a separate volume.
Now I would like to snapshot this after every rsync. Creating a snapshot with

Code: Select all

lvcreate

does not make it visible in the GUI.

Like many functions in QTS, there is a low-level component (lvcreate) and a high-level component (QTS GUI). You'd need to work out where QTS stores its snapshot configuration info. If you can find this file and modify it directly with info compatible with your low-level operation, then the QTS GUI might show this.

I don't use snapshots, so can't advise you as to where this info is stored. But maybe you could start in /etc/config. I'd suggest that you perform the high-level function (through the QTS GUI), then SSH in and see what files have been recently modified.

[torsknod]

Creating a snapshot with

Code: Select all

lvcreate

does not make it visible in the GUI.

Like many functions in QTS, there is a low-level component (lvcreate) and a high-level component (GUI). You'd need to work out where QTS stores its snapshot configuration info. If you can find this file and modify it directly with info compatible with your low-level operation, then the QTS GUI might show this.

I don't use snapshots, so can't advise you as to where this info is stored. But maybe you could start in /etc/config. I'd suggest that you perform the high-level function (through the QTS GUI), then SSH in and see what files have been recently modified.

I already tried to add the same tags to the snapshot volume as they are created by the GUI and modified the configuration file in /etc/config/qsnapshot but this doesn't result in the snapshot being visible in the GUI. Also the entries in the file are relatively complex. That is why I tried to find out what snapshot.cgi is doing and came to this library. In the meantime I looked into the symbol table and found some functions which might be right. Unfortunately I did not find an include file for them so it is hard to get the arguments right.

[OneCD]

In the meantime I looked into the symbol table and found some functions which might be right. Unfortunately I did not find an include file for them so it is hard to get the arguments right.

Ah, it looks like you are more able than I.

Hope you can work this out.

[torsknod]

I found a way with a hack in C using a function in the same library (libuLinux_Storage.so), snapshot.cgi is using. I will post details tomorrow.

[kugelkopf]

And? How did you do that?

Im searching for an option to make daily and weekly snapshots. The daily should stay for 14 days and the weekly for 6 month.
I've add some lines in /etc/config/qsnapshot/snapshotSchedule.conf. This works for making the daily and the weekly snapshots but the NAS use the 6 month expire time for both snapshots although I have adapted the expiremin value for the daily Snapshot...

Someone an idea?

[kirtlander]

+1 - I love the snapshot functionality; but I would also like the ability to either script it from the command line to allow more than one schedule or retention period for a given volume. I am still forced to either manually change the retention to permanent for those snapshots that we need to keep around forever, or use some other mechanism to persist the state of storage for longer term recovery availability. I'd love to be able to enable the the following scenario:

7 daily snapshots, expire in 7 days
8 weekly snapshots, expire in 8 weeks
12 monthly snapshots, expire in 1 year
yearly snapshots, keep permanently

[PFITS]

Is it possible now to trigger a Snapshot from SSH or command line (which is basically the same).
I would need to start the Snapshot from an external event, which would run a ssh command.

Is taking a (preconfigured) snapshot with command line possible in any way?

Thanks in advance!

[storageman]

I can see any scripting might get the snapshot GUI and available space reports and its records into a right mess.

[PFITS]

OK, but what if there is some possibility to run the same command like starting the snapshot from GUI? That would be perfect!

[OneCD]

OK, but what if there is some possibility to run the same command like starting the snapshot from GUI?

Maybe you could monitor the process list (with htop, top, ps, etc...), then create a snapshot via the UI?

[PFITS]

That could work, but I think there is more in the Background, maybe some Database that tracks all actions on the GUI and then something could go wrong.
I find it very interesting, that there is no standard for doing this...

[tramCS]

Hello.

Can somebody explain me, how can i make a snapshot at the commandline.

When i make a "lvcreate -s -n test lv", the new volume test is inactive and i cant make this active.

Thanks a lot
Christian