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Volume Shadow Copy Service

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2

The Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) is the infrastructure within Windows to create a point in time image (shadow copy) of one or more volumes. Shadow copies provide both file system consistency and application consistency and can be used for a range of applications ranging from backup and restore programs to data mining.

Aspects

The following is a list of all aspects that are part of this managed entity:

Name Description

Volume Shadow Copy Service Initialization

The Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) provides the ability to create a point in time image (shadow copy) of one or more volumes that can be used to perform backups. The service is also used during restores of applications. After the VSS service is initialized, VSS requester applications can perform backups and restores in cooperation with VSS writers that manage application data to be backed up and VSS providers that create and manage shadow copies.

Volume Shadow Copy Service Operations

The Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) provides the ability to create a point in time image (shadow copy) of one or more volumes that can be used to perform backups. The service is also used during restores of applications.

VSS Hardware and Software Shadow Copy Provider Operations

Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) hardware and software shadow copy providers manage running volumes and create shadow copies of them on demand. A hardware provider manages shadow copies at the hardware level by working in conjunction with a hardware storage adapter or controller. A software provider manages shadow copies by intercepting I/O requests at the software level between the file system and the volume manager.

VSS Shadow Copy Creation and Storage Space Availability

A shadow copy is a snapshot of a volume that duplicates all of the data that is held on that volume at one well-defined instant in time.

VSS Shadow Copy Provider Operations

Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) providers manage running volumes and create shadow copies of them on demand.

VSS Writer Operations

Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) writers are applications or services that store persistent information in files on disk and that provide the names and locations of these files to requesters by using the shadow copy interface.

File Services