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Browsing a snapshot collection #56

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Browsing a snapshot collection
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36 changes: 36 additions & 0 deletions userguide/storage.rst
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Expand Up @@ -2891,6 +2891,42 @@ leaving the define filter screen. After a filter is selected, the
pop-up message indicates that this removes the filter and all
available snapshots are listed.

.. warning:: A snapshot and any files it contains will not be accessible or
searchable if the snapshot's mount path is longer than 88 characters. The data
within the snapshot will be safe, and the snapshot will become accessible again
when the mount path is shortened. For details of this limitation, and how
to shorten a long mount path, see :ref:`Path and Name Lengths`.

Browsing a snapshot collection
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All snapshots for a dataset are accessible as an ordinary hierarchical file
system, which can be reached from a hidden :file:`.zfs` file located at the
root of every dataset. A user with permission to access that file can view
and explore all snapshots for a dataset like any other files - from the
:command:`CLI` or via :menuselection:`File Sharing` services such as
:menuselection:`Samba`, :menuselection:`NFS` and :menuselection:`FTP`. This
is an advanced capability which requires some :command:`command line` actions
to achieve. In summary, the main changes to settings that are required are:

* Snapshot visibility must be manually enabled in the ZFS properties of the dataset.
* In Samba auxillary setitngs, the :command:`veto files` command must be modified
to not hide the :file:`.zfs` file, and the setting :command:`zfsacl:expose_snapdir=true`
must be added.

The effect will be that any user who can access the dataset contents, will
also be able to view the list of snapshots by navigating to the dataset's :file:`.zfs`
directory, and to browse and search any files they have permission to access throughout
the dataset's entire snapshot collection. A user's ability to view files within a snapshot
will be limited by any permissions or ACLs set on the files when the snapshot was taken.
Snapshots are fixed as "read-only", so this access does not permit the user to change
any files in the snapshots, or to modify or delete any snapshot, even if they had write
permission at the time when the snapshot was taken.

.. note:: ZFS has a :command:`zfs diff` command which can list the files that have
changed between any two snapshot versions within a dataset, or between any snapshot and
the current data.


.. index:: VMware Snapshot
.. _VMware-Snapshot:
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