Snapshots within the PowerStore system provide an easy-to-use local data protection solution to protect the data within volumes, volume groups, file systems, virtual machines, and thin clones. Using customizable snapshot rules and protection policies, a consistent and predictable data protection solution can be configured across the various resources of the system. Because snapshots are compatible with the various features within the PowerStore system, they can be used to protect user data in a wide array of environments and use cases.

Thin clones within PowerStore provide space-efficient copies of production environments which can be used for several use cases. For example, thin clones can be:

• Used to quickly deploy new test and development environments. Multiple thin clones can run processing jobs in parallel.
• Used to build and deploy templates for identical or near-identical environments.
• Refreshed using data from the parent resource to quickly provide the latest information to where it is needed.
• Support protection policies, which can provide local and remote protection for supported resources.

PowerStore snapshots and thin clones are features that provide significant flexibility, data protection and added value to a customer application environment.