Confused about Shadow Copy

[Ken_Wallewein]

Windows Small Business Server 2003, BE SBS 10.1

o Is it required that I purchase AOFO in order to back up using Shadow Copy (VBSS)?

o Is it true that I need to buy a Symantec/Veritas license to use a Microsoft feature?

o Can I not do a full and proper backup of "Shadow Copy Components" (i.e., System State and Service State) without AOFO?

o If I can arrange to have important files closed during backup, and can skip or supporess messages for unimportant files, do I need AOFO?

/kenw

[Ken_Wallewein]

I have some answers I thought I'd post FWIW.

>> Is it required that I purchase AOFO in order to back up using Shadow Copy (VBSS)?

Yes, except for Shadow Copy Components, which are backed up via a Windows service which uses Shadow Copy regardless of whether you have it turned on on the volumes and have AOFO installed and running.

>> If I can arrange to have important files closed during backup, and can skip or suppress messages for unimportant files, do I need AOFO?

No. If.

As a comment, I've always thought of open-file backups as a cheat that's likely to backfire, and inappropriate for most small sites. OTOH, it seems odd to have to pay for an overblown service when all I want is that is largely provided by the OS. Maybe I'm missing something.

Also, if you have the check-box option to turn on AOFO, but your (AOFO demo?) license has expired, you might as well uncheck it, because all it gets you is error messages.

/kenw

[Deepali_Badave]

Hello,

Please note that the open files or the files which are in use while running backup are skipped by Backup Exec. To protect these files you need to have Backup Exec Advanced Open File Option . Advanced Open File Option(AOFO) can backup the files which are in use, e.g. databases can be protected on line.

If there are any open files selected for back up then they may be skipped if you are not using the advanced open file option. Advanced Open File Option(AOFO) is a paid option.


If you have open files on the media or the remote server then you can install AOFO option for protecting the open files.


In Windows 2003 select the entire "Shadow copy components" for backup. Do not select individual components under the "shadow copy components" for backup.


NOTE : If we do not receive your reply within two business days, this post would be marked assumed answered and would be moved to answered questions pool.

[Ken_Wallewein]

>>Please note that the open files or the files which are in use while running backup are skipped by Backup Exec. To protect these files you need to have Backup Exec Advanced Open File Option .

Which begs the question of whether is it is better to have a corrupted backup or none at all. AOFO guarantees a backup, but not a good one. If the file is active during backup, the backup copy may be internally inconsistent.

I'd rather important files were closed during backups, and not be bothered by BE crying wolf over unimportant ones.

>>Advanced Open File Option(AOFO) can backup the files which are in use, e.g. databases can be protected on line.

Whoa, this is different. What does AOFO do to protect databases? How does it ensure that the database engine RAM cache is updated to disk? My understanding was that database backups are handled properly by the appropriate options which are included with the SBS version of BE (AOFO is not). Are you saying that AOFO is an acceptable alternative, or preferred, or better with both?

It would be nice to have AOFO, but it's BE is already a big ticket for SBS users who could get away with NTBACKUP.

/kenw

[Gauri_Ketkar]

Hi,

-Refer the technote given below for more Info:

- http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/275975.htm

- http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/263784.htm

Update us on the same and revert for any further Query
Hope this will help you


Thank you
Gauri

Additional Information :
For information on the recent VERITAS Backup Exec security vulnerabilities, including links to the downloads for the necessary hotfixes, please refer to the following document:
Patch summary for Security Advisories VX05-001, VX05-002, VX05-003, VX05-005, VX05-006, VX05-007

http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/277429.htm



NOTE : If we do not receive your reply within two business days, this post would be marked "assumed answered" and would be moved to "answered questions" pool.

[Ken_Wallewein]

This is still unclear.

It has been stated that Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) is used to back up MS SQL and Exchange databases, as well as Shadow Copy Components , when AOFO is used.

It has also been stated that VSS is used to back up Shadow Copy Components whether or not AOFO is used.

So, what happens to MS SQL and Exchange databases when AOFO is NOT used. Are they still backed up via VSS, the way Shadow Copy Components are?

/kenw

[Ashutosh_Tamhan]

If you want to find out what the difference between the Exchange IS backup with & without the snapshot technology using BEWS is, then run the two backups (with & without the snapshot method), you could go through your exchange server's application event Logs to find out what activity took place while the two backups were carried out.

Notice the difference between event source and category.

1) Because of a non MS IS snapshot backup, you will find events from:



Event Source: { ESE , ESE BACKUP }

Event Category: {Backup Logging/Recovery}



2) Because of a MS IS snapshot backup, you will find the following:



Event Source: { MSExchangeIS , ESE }

Event Category: { Exchange VSS Writer , ShadowCopy }



3) NTBackup will use the same method of backing up the MS IS as our non snapshot backup technology.

Observe the Application event log.

Event Source: { ESE , NTBackup, ESE BACKUP }

Event Category: {Backup Logging/Recovery}


Hope this helps! If you have further questions, kindly get back to us!

Regards, Ashutosh NOTE : If we do not receive your reply within two business days, this post would be marked assumed answered and would be moved to answered questions pool.

[Ashutosh_Tamhan]

Ken,

Do you have an update for us?

Regards, Ashutosh NOTE : If we do not receive your reply within two business days, this post would be marked assumed answered and would be moved to answered questions pool.