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FlexClone file and FlexClone LUN use overview

Contributors netapp-dbagwell netapp-aherbin
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FlexClone files and FlexClone LUNs are writable, space-efficient clones of parent files and parent LUNs, and help in efficient utilization of the physical aggregate space. FlexClone files and FlexClone LUNs are supported only for FlexVol volumes.

FlexClone files and FlexClone LUNs utilize 0.4 percent of their size to store the metadata. Clones share the data blocks of their parent files and parent LUNs and occupy negligible storage space until clients write new data either to the parent file or LUN, or to the clone.

Clients can perform all file and LUN operations on both the parent and the clone entities.

You can use multiple methods to delete FlexClone files and FlexClone LUNs.