Preparing and starting a FlashCopy consistency group using the CLI

You can use the command-line interface (CLI) to prepare and start a FlashCopy® consistency group to start the FlashCopy process.

Successful completion of the FlashCopy process creates a point-in-time copy of the data on the source virtual disk (VDisk) and writes it to the target VDisk for each mapping in the group. When you have assigned several mappings to a FlashCopy consistency group, you only have to issue a single prepare command to prepare every FlashCopy mapping in the group, and you only have to issue a single start command to start every FlashCopy mapping in the group.

Perform the following steps to prepare and start a FlashCopy consistency group:

Issue the svctask prestartfcconsistgrp CLI command to prepare the FlashCopy consistency group before the copy process can be started.
Remember: You only have to issue a single prepare command for the whole group to prepare all of the mappings simultaneously.

The following is an example of the CLI command you can issue to prepare the FlashCopy consistency group:
```
svctask prestartfcconsistgrp -restore maintobkpfcopy
```
Where maintobkpfcopy is the name of the FlashCopy consistency group.

The optional restore parameter forces the consistency group to be prepared even if the target VDisk of one of the mappings in the consistency group is being used as a source VDisk of another active mapping. An active mapping is in the copying, suspended, or stopping state.
The group enters the preparing state, and then moves to the prepared state when it is ready.
Issue the svcinfo lsfcconsistgrp command to check the status of the FlashCopy consistency group.
The following is an example of the CLI command that you can issue to check the status of the FlashCopy consistency group.
```
svcinfo lsfcconsistgrp -delim :
```
The following is an example of the output that is displayed:
```
id:name:status
1:maintobkpfcopy:prepared
```
Issue the svctask startfcconsistgrp CLI command to start the FlashCopy consistency group to make the copy.
Remember: You only have to issue a single start command for the whole group to start all the mappings simultaneously.

The following is an example of the CLI command that you can issue to start the FlashCopy consistency group mappings:
```
svctask startfcconsistgrp -prep -restore maintobkpfcopy
```
Where maintobkpfcopy is the name of the FlashCopy consistency group.

When you use the prep parameter, the system automatically issues the prestartfcconsistgrp command for the group that you specify. When the restore parameter is combined with the prep option, you force the consistency group to be started even if the target VDisk of one of the mappings in the consistency group is being used as a source VDisk in another active mapping. An active mapping is in the copying, suspended, or stopping state.
The FlashCopy consistency group enters the copying state and returns to the idle_copied state when complete.
Issue the svcinfo lsfcconsistgrp command to check the status of the FlashCopy consistency group.
The following is an example of the CLI command that you can issue to check the status of the FlashCopy consistency group:
```
svcinfo lsfcconsistgrp -delim : maintobkpfcopy
```
Where maintobkpfcopy is the name of the FlashCopy consistency group.

The following is an example of the output that is displayed when the process is still copying:
```
id:name:status
1:maintobkpfcopy:copying
```
The following is an example of the output that is displayed when the process has finished copying:
```
id:1
name:maintobkpfcopy
status:idle_copied
autodelete:off
FC_mapping_id:0
FC_mapping_name:main1copy
FC_mapping_id:1
FC_mapping_name:main2copy
```