The following table describes the process that ONTAP uses to back up the object indicated by the dump path:

The dump backup uses a Snapshot copy of your data for the backup. Therefore, you do not have to take the volume offline before initiating the backup.

The dump backup names each Snapshot copy it creates as snapshot_for_backup.n, where n is an integer starting at 0. Each time the dump backup creates a Snapshot copy, it increments the integer by 1. The integer is reset to 0 after the storage system is rebooted. After the backup operation is completed, the dump engine deletes this Snapshot copy.

When ONTAP performs multiple dump backups simultaneously, the dump engine creates multiple Snapshot copies. For example, if ONTAP is running two dump backups simultaneously, you find the following Snapshot copies in the volumes from which data is being backed up: snapshot_for_backup.0 and snapshot_for_backup.1.