Users can restore data themselves by simply accessing the snapshot directory and copying files over. SnapRestore allows the entire filesystem to be restored to a previous snapshot in minutes. Data redundancy makes SnapMirror a key feature for Disaster Recovery. Additional benefits are low filesystem overhead because of asynchronous transfers and high efficiency because only changed blocks are sent over the wire. A clustered system offers full redundancy, with no single point of failure.
Takeovers take very little time because filers can reboot very quickly.
The ContentDirector provides a seamless interface for content management, between filers at the Center to NetCache at the Edge. These medias include fibre channel, gigabit Ethernet and InfiniBand. Native multiprotocol support for CIFS and NFS allows filers to stage content in a heterogeneous development, where Windows PCs and UNIX workstations can safely share the same data using SecureShare. Snapshot may control content versioning by creating read-only versions of content. SnapMirror allows consolidation onto a central large filer for backups.