3PAR Recovery Manager 4.1.0 For Microsoft Exchange 2010 User’s Guide
2.3Features Not Supported
■VSS backup types “Incremental”, “Differential”, “Copy” and “Log” are not supported
■A single Exchange server spanning different InServs
■All backup tools excluding Symantec NetBackup
■Access to 3PAR InServ Storage Server via SSH
■Create virtual copy on System Boot Volume
■Cross-domain Exchange server management
2.4Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service
Microsoft includes VSS (Volume Shadow Copy Service) in Windows to simplify the enterprise’s storage environment. It provides a framework for creating a point-in-time copy of a single or multiple volumes.
Microsoft Windows Server VSS works with VSS-aware applications that are in use to determine when a volume shadow copy (snapshot) can be made. A snapshot is a copy of some data set, for example, a disk volume, at a point in time. VSS then communicates with the operating system and applications and freezes computing tasks to allow snapshot creation. Without the freeze function, data could become corrupted when the snapshot is taken because the system might be in the middle of a task. Meanwhile, applications continue to run uninterrupted. The original volume continues to change as the process continues, but the shadow copy of the volume remains constant. VSS also gives permission to the backup application to access the volume and back it up in its frozen state. The shadow copy volume is then used for the actual backup. After the shadow copy volume is saved on the backup device, the shadow copy is deleted.
VSS coordinates between Requestors (backup applications – Recovery Manager), Writers, and Providers (components that create the shadow copies).
