Which command or action satisfies the requirement to create writable test environments from production LUN with minimal storage usage?

Which command or action satisfies the requirement to create writable test environments from production LUN with minimal storage usage?

• A. Create a FlexClone LUN from a Snapshot of the production LUN.
• B. Create a new LUN and restore data from backup.
• C. Use SnapMirror to replicate the LUN to a new volume.
• D. Expand the production LUN and share it.

Answer: (A)

Creating a writable test environment with minimal extra storage is best achieved by making a FlexClone LUN from a Snapshot of the production LUN. FlexClone uses copy-on-write technology, so the clone initially shares the same data blocks as the source and only allocates new blocks when writes occur. This means you get a fully writable test environment that is fast to create and uses almost no additional storage upfront, while the snapshot preserves a fixed point-in-time baseline of production data. Other approaches are less efficient for this goal. Restoring data from backup to a new LUN copies the entire dataset, consuming significant storage and time. Replicating the LUN with SnapMirror creates a separate mirrored copy, which uses additional space and isn’t inherently a writable test environment. Expanding the production LUN and sharing it doesn’t provision a separate test space and risks impacting production data.

Creating a writable test environment with minimal extra storage is best achieved by making a FlexClone LUN from a Snapshot of the production LUN. FlexClone uses copy-on-write technology, so the clone initially shares the same data blocks as the source and only allocates new blocks when writes occur. This means you get a fully writable test environment that is fast to create and uses almost no additional storage upfront, while the snapshot preserves a fixed point-in-time baseline of production data.

Other approaches are less efficient for this goal. Restoring data from backup to a new LUN copies the entire dataset, consuming significant storage and time. Replicating the LUN with SnapMirror creates a separate mirrored copy, which uses additional space and isn’t inherently a writable test environment. Expanding the production LUN and sharing it doesn’t provision a separate test space and risks impacting production data.