@Test
  public void testSkipFlushTableSnapshot() throws Exception {
    // make sure we don't fail on listing snapshots
    SnapshotTestingUtils.assertNoSnapshots(admin);

    // put some stuff in the table
    Table table = UTIL.getConnection().getTable(TABLE_NAME);
    UTIL.loadTable(table, TEST_FAM);
    UTIL.flush(TABLE_NAME);

    LOG.debug("FS state before snapshot:");
    UTIL.getHBaseCluster().getMaster().getMasterFileSystem().logFileSystemState(LOG);

    // take a snapshot of the enabled table
    String snapshotString = "skipFlushTableSnapshot";
    String snapshot = snapshotString;
    admin.snapshot(snapshotString, TABLE_NAME, SnapshotType.SKIPFLUSH);
    LOG.debug("Snapshot completed.");

    // make sure we have the snapshot
    List<SnapshotDescription> snapshots =
      SnapshotTestingUtils.assertOneSnapshotThatMatches(admin, snapshot, TABLE_NAME);

    // make sure its a valid snapshot
    LOG.debug("FS state after snapshot:");
    UTIL.getHBaseCluster().getMaster().getMasterFileSystem().logFileSystemState(LOG);

    SnapshotTestingUtils.confirmSnapshotValid(UTIL,
      ProtobufUtil.createHBaseProtosSnapshotDesc(snapshots.get(0)), TABLE_NAME, TEST_FAM);

    admin.deleteSnapshot(snapshot);
    snapshots = admin.listSnapshots();
    SnapshotTestingUtils.assertNoSnapshots(admin);
  }
Test snapshotting a table that is online without flushing
hbase-server/src/test/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/snapshot/TestFlushSnapshotFromClient.java