Introducing VSS Support › How the Enterprise Option for VSS Hardware Snap-Shot Works

How the Enterprise Option for VSS Hardware Snap-Shot Works

Intended for use with extremely large data sets on various disk array enterprise environments, the Enterprise Option for VSS Hardware Snap-Shot works with the Agent for Open Files and hardware-based providers to create a transportable shadow copy of entire volumes. This shadow copy is a mirror of an entire LUN; however, the data can be restored for specific volumes of the LUN.

The transportable shadow copy can be imported to a different server where it can be backed up to tape. This leaves the production system running while the data is backed up on the secondary (or backup) server. Data on the shadow copy volume can also be mounted on another server to be used in the following ways:

• As the basis for restores in the event of system failure
• By developers to test applications
• For archive or longer term storage when transported to another location

Note: The Enterprise Option for VSS Hardware Snap-Shot does not support disaster recovery. The hardware-based Provider is not functional during disaster recovery.

Two servers are involved in the creation of a transportable VSS backup: a production server and a backup server:

• The production server contains the database and connects to the original volumes in the disk array. The Client Agent for Windows must also be installed.
• The backup server connects to the shadow copy volumes in the disk array and to the tape library. Arcserve Backup must be installed on the server.

More information:

How the Agent Works

How Transportable Shadow Copies are Created