What is SnapLock and when would you use it?

• A. SnapLock provides WORM-style immutability for retention compliance, preventing deletion of snapshots for a defined period
• B. SnapLock is a data compression feature
• C. SnapLock is a volume migration tool
• D. SnapLock is a user authentication mechanism

Answer: (A)

SnapLock is a NetApp ONTAP feature that provides Write Once, Read Many (WORM) immutability, locking data so it cannot be deleted or altered for a defined retention period. This protection extends to data and its snapshots, helping ensure everything remains intact for the required time and cannot be tampered with, even by administrators.

You’d use SnapLock when you must meet regulatory or legal retention requirements, or internal policies that mandate data be kept unchanged for a specific duration. It’s especially important for archival or compliance-heavy data such as financial records, legal documents, or healthcare information, where preserving exact copies for the mandated window is essential.

In practice, SnapLock is configured on volumes with retention policies that enforce immutability for the defined period, and it can support different retention scenarios (time-based holds vs. legal holds) to align with various regulatory needs. It isn’t about data compression, migration, or authentication.