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Veritas NetBackup™ Snapshot Client Administrator's Guide

Last Published: 2018-09-19

Product(s): NetBackup (8.1.2)

Platform: Linux,UNIX,Windows

Verifying that VSS can make a snapshot

Before you finish preconfiguration or run a backup with the Windows VSS method, verify that the Volume Shadow Copy Service can make and delete a snapshot on the array.

The command that is used in the following procedure is available with Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy SDK 7.2.

On the NetBackup client, you can use the commands in the following procedure.

Note:

If these commands do not succeed, consult your Windows documentation or your array administrator.

To verify that VSS can make or delete a snapshot

To create a snapshot, enter one of the following commands .
- For a differential (copy-on-write) snapshot:
```
    vshadow.exe -ad -nw -p source_drive
```
- For a plex (clone or mirror) snapshot:
```
    vshadow.exe -ap -nw -p source_drive
```

To display information on all existing snapshots on the client, enter the following command:

    vshadow.exe -q

Example output:

VSHADOW.EXE 2.2 - Volume Shadow Copy sample client
Copyright ©) 2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
(Option: Query all shadow copies)
- Setting the VSS context to: 0xffffffff

Querying all shadow copies in the system ...

* SNAPSHOT ID = {ae445cc3-e508-4052-b0f6-a5f02cf85f1e} ... 
    - Shadow copy Set: {6665f5f7-6468-4a22-bd73-29ef8a30a760} 
    - Original count of shadow copies = 1 
    - Original Volume name:
    \\?\Volume{0db3bc15-53b1-4d63-94dc-7c7d28b172cb}\ [K:\]

    - Creation Time: 4/10/2007 2:02:13 PM 
    - Shadow copy device name:
    \\?\Volume{55226978-3131-4a12-8246-97ace27cf976}
    - Originating machine: oil.fun.com 
    - Service machine: oil.fun.com 
    - Not Exposed 
    - Provider id: {21e5ab69-9685-4664-a5b2-4ca42bddb153} 
    - Attributes: No_Auto_Release Persistent Hardware 
No_Writers
         Plex

To delete snapshots, do the following:
- Look in the vshadow.exe -q command output for the Shadow copy Set ID of a snapshot that you created above.
- Enter the following command to delete a particular snapshot:
```
    vshadow.exe -dx = {Shadow_copy_set_ID}
```
- Enter the following command to delete all snapshots on the client:
```
    vshadow.exe -da
```

More Information

Initial configuration of certain arrays