If you no longer need a FlashCopy logical drive, you may want to disable it because, as long as a FlashCopy logical drive is enabled, your storage subsystem performance is impacted by the copy-on-write activity to the associated FlashCopy repository logical drive. When you disable a FlashCopy logical drive, the copy-on-write activity stops.
If you disable the FlashCopy logical drive instead of deleting it, you can retain it and its associated repository. Then, when you need to create a different FlashCopy of the same base logical drive, you can use the re-create option to reuse a disabled FlashCopy. This takes less time than creating a new one.
When you disable a FlashCopy logical drive:
You cannot use that FlashCopy logical drive again until you use the re-create option on that logical drive.
Only that FlashCopy logical drive is disabled. All other FlashCopy logical drives remain functional.
If you do not intend to re-create a FlashCopy, you can delete that FlashCopy logical drive instead of disabling it.
Re-creating a FlashCopy Logical Drive
Re-creating a FlashCopy logical drive takes less time than creating a new one.
If you have a FlashCopy logical drive that you no longer need, instead of deleting it, you can reuse it (and its associated FlashCopy repository logical drive) to create a different FlashCopy logical drive of the same base logical drive.
When you re-create a FlashCopy logical drive:
The FlashCopy logical drive must be in either an optimal or a disabled state.
All copy-on-write data on the FlashCopy repository logical drive is deleted.
FlashCopy and FlashCopy repository logical drive parameters remain the same as the previously disabled FlashCopy logical drive and its associated FlashCopy repository logical drive. After the FlashCopy logical drive is re-created, you can change parameters on the FlashCopy repository logical drive through the appropriate menu options.
The original names for the FlashCopy and FlashCopy repository logical drives will be retained. You can change these names after the re-create option completes.