Volume Shadow Copy (VSS)

Using Volume Shadow Copy (VSS) with DataKeeper/SIOS Protection Suite Volumes

On Windows 2008 R2, VSS Shadow Copy can be enabled for SIOS Protection Suite-protected (shared or replicated) volumes. However, the following guidelines apply:

• VSS snapshot images must not be stored on a SIOS Protection Suite-protected volume. Storing VSS snapshots on a SIOS Protection Suite-protected volume will prevent SIOS Protection Suite from being able to lock the volume and switch it over to another node.

• When a SIOS Protection Suite-protected volume is switched or failed over, any previous snapshots that were taken of the SIOS Protection Suite protected volume are discarded and cannot be reused.

• VSS snapshot scheduling is not copied between the SIOS Protection Suite servers. If snapshots are scheduled to be taken twice a day on the primary server and a switchover occurs, this schedule will not be present on the backup server and will need to be redefined on the backup server.

• There is a slight difference in behavior when switching back to a server where snapshots were previously enabled:

• • If the volume is a shared volume, VSS snapshots must be re-enabled.

• • If the volume is a replicated volume, VSS snapshots are automatically re-enabled.