Snapshot Access Using Nocopy Undefined Thin Devices

A non-transitory tangible computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program for providing snapshot access using a nocopy undefined thin device, the computer program including a set of instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising the steps of:

• creating a snapshot of a production volume by a snapshot subsystem;
• linking the snapshot to a thin device;
• inspecting, by the snapshot subsystem, the thin device for the presence of a tag identifying the thin device as being used by a cloud tethering subsystem in connection of movement of the snapshot to a cloud repository;
• if the tag doesn't exist on the thin device, implementing a define process on the thin device by the snapshot subsystem, the define process changing pointers of tracks of the thin device to identify locations of backend data of the snapshot of the production volume;
• if the tag exists on the thin device;
• not implementing the define process on the tagged thin device by the snapshot subsystem;
• mounting the tagged thin device in the cloud tethering subsystem;
• and
• issuing data read operations, by the cloud tethering subsystem, on the tracks of the tagged thin device.