Playing with ZFS Snapshots In Oracle Solaris 11.1

Published May 2014by Alexandre Borges

Part 6 of a series that describes the key features of ZFS in Oracle Solaris 11.1 and provides step-by-step procedures explaining how to use them. This article focuses on how to use ZFS snapshots to create a read-only copy of a file system and then transfer the snapshot stream from one system to another system.

Part 1 - Using COMSTAR and ZFS to Configure a Virtualized Storage Environment
Part 2 - Playing with Swap Monitoring and Increasing Swap Space Using ZFS Volumes
Part 3 - Playing with ZFS Shadow Migration
Part 4 - Delegating a ZFS Dataset to a Non-Global Zone
Part 5 - Playing with ZFS Encryption
Part 6 - Playing with ZFS Snapshots
Part 7 - Configuring SMB Sharing
Part 8 - Mirroring the ZFS Root Pool (posted on Oracle Community)

I've been working with backup software for the last five years and, as everybody knows, creating backups provides a fundamental security baseline for any environment. However, in contrast to what everyone thinks, backup concepts can be difficult to learn and use.

Note: Creating copies of your data using ZFS snapshots is simple and easy. If you need per-file restoration, backup media verification, and media management capability, consider using an enterprise backup solution.

Luckily, Oracle Solaris 11 (and Oracle Solaris 10 releases) provides some simple but very useful commands to help us keep copies of our data: zfs send and zfs recv. Additionally, zfs send and zfs recv don't work alone because all their operations are based on ZFS snapshot streams that can be received to re-create a file system.

For anyone who isn't familiar with the snapshot concept, a snapshot is a "picture" of a file system. Usually snapshots are read-only, and this feature permits us to create a point-in-time copy of our file system.

Furthermore, snapshots take only a small amount of space initially; they start to consume space only after files and directories are deleted or changed from the original file system. This is due to the copy-on-write (COW) concept, which means that initially a snapshot keeps a set of pointers to the original files and directories (for example, f1, f2, f3, and f4), and as the original file system is changed (for example, f1', f2', f3', and f4'), files must be saved to keep the same status that existed when the snapshot was created (f1, f2, f3, and f4).

It's essential to highlight that when using snapshot streams, the whole file system is saved and it isn't possible to exclude any individual directory from the stream or even to choose any individual file or directory for restoration.

Creating a snapshot is simple. First, we create a new pool, then we create a file system in this pool, and then we populate this file system with some files:

root@solaris11-1:~# zpool create snap_pool c8t3d0
root@solaris11-1:~# zfs create snap_pool/fs_1
root@solaris11-1:~# cp /etc/[a-m]* / snap_pool/fs_1            
root@solaris11-1:~# zfs list -r snap_pool
NAME             USED  AVAIL  REFER  MOUNTPOINT
snap_pool       84.3M  78.2G    32K  /snap_pool
snap_pool/fs_1  84.2M  78.2G  84.2M  /snap_pool/fs_1

Now, it's time to create the snapshot using the zfs snapshot command:

root@solaris11-1:~# zfs snapshot snap_pool/fs_1@snap1
root@solaris11-1:~# zfs list -r snap_pool
NAME                   USED  AVAIL  REFER  MOUNTPOINT
snap_pool             80.8M  78.2G    32K  /snap_pool
snap_pool/fs_1        80.7M  78.2G  80.7M  /snap_pool/fs_1

Hmm...unfortunately, snapshots aren't listed by default, but we can enable this feature through a property:

root@solaris11-1:~# zpool listsnapshots=on snap_pool
root@solaris11-1:~# zfs list -r snap_pool
NAME                   USED  AVAIL  REFER  MOUNTPOINT
snap_pool             80.8M  78.2G    32K  /snap_pool
snap_pool/fs_1        80.7M  78.2G  80.7M  /snap_pool/fs_1
snap_pool/fs_1@snap1      0      -  80.7M  -

To prove that snapshots are cool, some files are removed (those that begin with "i") and the snapshot is roll backed to show that all files are restored:

root@solaris11-1:~# cd /snap_pool/fs_1/
root@solaris11-1:/snap_pool/fs_1# ls -al [f-j]*
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root        6967 Dec  9 21:56 format.dat
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         209 Dec  9 21:56 ftpusers
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root       10834 Dec  9 21:56 gnome-vfs-mime-magic
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         420 Dec  9 21:56 group
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         393 Dec  9 21:56 hba.conf
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root          27 Dec  9 21:56 hostid
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         357 Dec  9 21:56 hosts
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         394 Dec  9 22:06 ima.conf
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         812 Dec  9 22:06 inetd.conf
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         955 Dec  9 22:06 inittab
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root          39 Dec  9 22:06 ioctl.syscon
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         596 Dec  9 22:06 iu.ap

root@solaris11-1:/snap_pool/fs_1# hrm i*
root@solaris11-1:/snap_pool/fs_1# ls -al [f-j]*
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root        6967 Dec  9 21:56 format.dat
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         209 Dec  9 21:56 ftpusers
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root       10834 Dec  9 21:56 gnome-vfs-mime-magic
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         420 Dec  9 21:56 group
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         393 Dec  9 21:56 hba.conf
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root          27 Dec  9 21:56 hostid
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         357 Dec  9 21:56 hosts

root@solaris11-1:/snap_pool/fs_1# cd
root@solaris11-1:~# zfs rollback snap_pool/fs_1@snap1
root@solaris11-1:~# cd /snap_pool/fs_1/
root@solaris11-1:/snap_pool/fs_1# ls -al [f-j]*
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root        6967 Dec  9 21:56 format.dat
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         209 Dec  9 21:56 ftpusers
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root       10834 Dec  9 21:56 gnome-vfs-mime-magic
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         420 Dec  9 21:56 group
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         393 Dec  9 21:56 hba.conf
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root          27 Dec  9 21:56 hostid
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         357 Dec  9 21:56 hosts
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         394 Dec  9 22:06 ima.conf
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         812 Dec  9 22:06 inetd.conf
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         955 Dec  9 22:06 inittab
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root          39 Dec  9 22:06 ioctl.syscon
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         596 Dec  9 22:06 iu.ap

Before sending the snapshot stream to our second Oracle Solaris 11 host (solaris11-2), a pool named backup_pool must be created on the second host. Then the ZFS send stream process can be started:

root@solaris11-1:~# ssh solaris11-2
Password:
Last login: Mon Dec  9 18:42:02 2013
Oracle Corporation      SunOS 5.11      11.1    September 2012

root@solaris11-2:~# zpool create backup_pool c8t3d0        
root@solaris11-2:~# zpool list backup_pool
NAME          SIZE  ALLOC   FREE  CAP  DEDUP  HEALTH  ALTROOT
backup_pool  3.97G    85K  3.97G   0%  1.00x  ONLINE  -

root@solaris11-1:~# zfs send snap_pool/fs_1@snap1 | ssh solaris11-2 zfs recv -F backup_pool/fs_1_backup
Password:

root@solaris11-2:~# zpool list      
NAME               SIZE  ALLOC   FREE  CAP  DEDUP  HEALTH  ALTROOT
backup_pool       3.97G  80.8M  3.89G   1%  1.00x  ONLINE  -
repo_pool         15.9G  7.64G  8.24G  48%  1.00x  ONLINE  -
rpool             79.5G  28.4G  51.1G  35%  1.00x  ONLINE  -
softtoken_pool_2  3.97G   193K  3.97G   0%  1.00x  ONLINE  -
softtooken_pool   3.97G   194K  3.97G   0%  1.00x  ONLINE  -
solaris11-2-pool  3.97G   540M  3.44G  13%  1.00x  ONLINE  -

root@solaris11-2:~# zfs list -r backup_pool
NAME                      USED  AVAIL  REFER  MOUNTPOINT
backup_pool              80.8M  3.83G    32K  /backup_pool
backup_pool/fs_1_backup  80.7M  3.83G  80.7M  /backup_pool/fs_1_backup

root@solaris11-2:~# cd /backup_pool/fs_1_backup
root@solaris11-2:/backup_pool/fs_1_backup# ls -l
total 165286
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root        1436 Dec  9 21:56 aliases
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         182 Dec  9 21:56 auto_home
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         220 Dec  9 21:56 auto_master
-rw-------   1 root     root     84034034 Dec  9 21:53 core
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root        1931 Dec  9 21:56 dacf.conf
-r--r--r--   1 root     root         516 Dec  9 21:56 datemsk
...

Once again, ZFS is great. A backup of file system snap_pool/fs_1 was done using its snapshot (snap_pool/fs_1@snap1) and sent to the second host (solaris11-2) into /backup_pool. The same files that exist on the first host now also exist on the second Oracle Solaris 11 host.

Testing the ZFS receive functionality is done almost the same way. To illustrate, on the first host (solaris11-1), some files are removed and the existing snapshot of snap_pool/fs_1 is destroyed:

root@solaris11-1:~# rm /snap_pool/fs_1/[d-j]*

root@solaris11-1:~# zfs list -r snap_pool
NAME                   USED  AVAIL  REFER  MOUNTPOINT
snap_pool              162M  78.1G    34K  /snap_pool
snap_pool@snap1       80.7M      -  80.7M  -
snap_pool/fs_1        80.7M  78.1G  80.6M  /snap_pool/fs_1
snap_pool/fs_1@snap1   114K      -  80.7M  -

root@solaris11-1:~# zfs destroy snap_pool/fs_1@snap1

Then, on the second host (solaris11-2), we execute the receive procedure:

root@solaris11-2:~# zpool set listsnapshots=on backup_pool

root@solaris11-2:~# zfs list -r backup_pool
NAME                            USED  AVAIL  REFER  MOUNTPOINT
backup_pool                    80.8M  3.83G    32K  /backup_pool
backup_pool/fs_1_backup        80.7M  3.83G  80.7M  /backup_pool/fs_1_backup
backup_pool/fs_1_backup@snap1      0      -  80.7M  -

root@solaris11-2:~# zfs send -Rv backup_pool/fs_1_backup@snap1 | ssh solaris11-1 zfs recv -F snap_pool/fs_1
sending from @ to backup_pool/fs_1_backup@snap1
Password:
root@solaris11-2:~#

Going back to first machine, let's list the files in the snap_pool/fs_1 file system:

root@solaris11-1:~# ls -al /snap_pool/fs_1/
total 165288
drwxr-xr-x   2 root     root          40 Dec  9 22:06 .
drwxr-xr-x   3 root     root           3 Dec 10 01:08 ..
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root        1436 Dec  9 21:56 aliases
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         182 Dec  9 21:56 auto_home
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         220 Dec  9 21:56 auto_master
-rw-------   1 root     root     84034034 Dec  9 21:53 core
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root        1931 Dec  9 21:56 dacf.conf
-r--r--r--   1 root     root         516 Dec  9 21:56 datemsk
-r--------   1 root     root        5900 Dec  9 21:53 delegated_zone.xml
...

Fantastic. The files are back in the snap_pool/fs_1 file system.

About the Author

Alexandre Borges is an Oracle ACE and who worked as an employee and contracted instructor at Sun Microsystems from 2001 to 2010 teaching Oracle Solaris, Oracle Solaris Cluster, Oracle Solaris security, Java EE, Sun hardware, and MySQL courses. Nowadays, he teaches classes for Symantec, Oracle partners, Hitachi, and EC-Council, and he teaches several very specialized classes about information security. In addition, he is a regular writer and columnist at Linux Magazine Brazil.

Revision 1.0, 05/01/2014

Playing with ZFS Snapshots In Oracle Solaris 11.1

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