If you are using Snapdrive for Windows v5 or higher, the snapshot and snapvault operations can be done via the sdcli command interface.  Otherwise you can use rsh.  This is how we backup our Oracle databases every day.  We ‘recycle’ a set of snapshots for daily backups.

1. Delete snapshot sd_daily.1 on all volumes used for the database

2. Rename snapshot sd_daily.0 to sd_daily.1

3. Put database in hot backup mode

4. Create snapshot name sd_daily.0 on all database volumes except the archive log volume

5. Take database out of hot backup mode

6. Create snapshot named sd_daily.0 on archive log volume

7. Snapvault update the database volumes from sd_daily.0

This method guarantees a snapvault update immediately following the snapshots rather than waiting for some specified time.  We then use rsh to do a snapvault status on the destination every couple of minutes to determine when the snapvault update has completed transfer so we can then take a snapshot on the snapvault destination and also trigger an ndmp tape backup that gets removed to a fireproof safe every day.

Since we use Snapdrive for Windows, there is also a snapmirror update triggered whenever we take a snapshot.

Looks like you are probably using Linux/Unix.  I know NetApp has Snapdrive for that platform, but I am unfamiliar with it to know what interface it may provide.  However, every step I have outlined above can be performed via rsh.

From: owner-toasters@mathworks.com [mailto:owner-toasters@mathworks.com] On Behalf Of Page, Jeremy
Sent: Wednesday, December 10, 2008 11:24 AM
To: toasters@mathworks.com
Subject: Snapvaults schedules not at the top of the hour

What would be the best way to get snapvault to move a snapshot from the primary that’s not created on an hour boundary? We’re putting our DB into hot backup mode at 9:05 and I don’t want to make the DBA change his scripts if possible, is there a way (maybe with rsh+cron) that I can manually create a snapshot at 9:15 and then use snapvault to transfer it?

Please be advised that this email may contain confidential information.
If you are not the intended recipient, please do not read, copy or
re-transmit this email. If you have received this email in error,
please notify us by email by replying to the sender and by telephone
(call us collect at +1 202-828-0850) and delete this message and any
attachments. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and assistance.

In addition, Danaher and its subsidiaries disclaim that the content of
this email constitutes an offer to enter into, or the acceptance of,
any
contract or agreement or any amendment thereto; provided that the
foregoing disclaimer does not invalidate the binding effect of any
digital or other electronic reproduction of a manual signature that is
included in any attachment to this email.