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How to access the ~snapshot directory from Windows clients using SMB 2.x

The method that you use to access the ~snapshot directory from Windows clients using SMB 2.x differs from the method used for SMB 1.0. You need to understand how to access the ~snapshot directory when using SMB 2.x connections to successfully access data stored in Snapshot copies.

The SVM administrator controls whether users on Windows clients can view and access the ~snapshot directory on a share by enabling or disabling the showsnapshot share property using commands from the vserver cifs share properties families.

When the showsnapshot share property is disabled, a user on a Windows client using SMB 2.x cannot view the ~snapshot directory and cannot access Snapshot copies within the ~snapshot directory, even when manually entering the path to the ~snapshot directory or to specific Snapshot copies within the directory.

When the showsnapshot share property is enabled, a user on a Windows client using SMB 2.x still cannot view the ~snapshot directory either at the root of the share or within any junction or directory below the root of the share. However, after connecting to a share, the user can access the hidden ~snapshot directory by manually appending \~snapshot to the end of the share path. The hidden ~snapshot directory is accessible from two entry points:

  • At the root of the share

  • At every junction point in the share space

The hidden ~snapshot directory is not accessible from non-junction subdirectories within the share.

Example​

With the configuration shown in the following example, a user on a Windows client with an SMB 2.x connection to the eng share can access the ~snapshot directory by manually appending \~snapshot to the share path at the root of the share and at every junction point in the path. The hidden ~snapshot directory is accessible from the following three paths:

  • \\vs1\eng\~snapshot
  • \\vs1\eng\projects1\~snapshot
  • \\vs1\eng\projects2\~snapshot
cluster1::> volume show -vserver vs1 -fields volume,junction-path
vserver volume       junction-path
------- ------------ ----------------------------------------
vs1     vs1_root      /
vs1     vs1_vol1      /eng
vs1     vs1_vol2      /eng/projects1
vs1     vs1_vol3      /eng/projects2

cluster1::> vserver cifs share show
Vserver  Share   Path     Properties    Comment  ACL
-------- ------  -------  ----------    -------- ----------
vs1      eng     /eng     oplocks       -        Everyone / Full Control
                          changenotify
                          browsable
                          showsnapshot