Networker

Re: [Networker] VSS on Windows

2008-04-22 17:09:39
Subject: Re: [Networker] VSS on Windows
From: Scott Bingham <bingham_scott AT EMC DOT COM>
To: NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:04:45 -0400
Hello all,

. Vista is supported by NetWorker Client 7.4 and later.

. Microsoft requires that VSS be used for backups for Vista and Windows
Server 2008, and later.

. Both NetWorker Client and NMM ("NetWorker Module for Microsoft
Applications" -- previously known as VSS Client) support VSS mechanisms.
NMM uses VSS exclusively for protecting the OS and applications, while
NetWorker Client allows you to turn off VSS if the client OS version
allows.

. Windows XP provided an early, different version of VSS, and VSS is not
supported on Windows XP by NetWorker or NMM.

The NetWorker Client uses VSS to quiesce the system.  A temporary
snapshot is made, using a "System Provider" provided by Microsoft.
NetWorker Client backs up the snapshot to traditional NetWorker Storage
Node media, and deletes the snapshot.

The NetWorker Module for Microsoft Applications can do that, but can
also save and manage various snapshots over time, has awareness and
better granularity for applications (Exchange, SharePoint, SQL, et al),
and understands and manipulates the snapshot capabilities of
sophisticated storage arrays.

When the VSS Client (now called NMM) was introduced, we had anticipated
that it would eventually become the base client for Windows, as
Microsoft was committed to VSS.  It eventually became apparent that the
extra features, power, and cost of this solution were too much for
desktops, and it was renamed to NMM and its target usage adjusted to
Applications, where it can excel.

Hope that this helps,
_Scott

-----Original Message-----
From: EMC NetWorker discussion [mailto:NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU] On
Behalf Of Stan Horwitz
Sent: Monday, April 21, 2008 8:08 PM
To: NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU
Subject: Re: [Networker] VSS on Windows XP

On Apr 21, 2008, at 10:10 PM, Nick Tan wrote:
> Stan Horwitz wrote:
>> On Apr 21, 2008, at 6:34 PM, Nick Tan wrote:
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>> I'm running Networker 7.4.1 on Windows 2003 Server.
>>>
>>> I'm having trouble trying to get Networker to use VSS to backup  
>>> Windows XP.  From the admin guide:
>>>
>>> In NetWorker software releases 7.1 and later, if a VSS client  
>>> license is present (for all Windows operating systems except  
>>> Vista, which does not require a VSS client license), NetWorker  
>>> software uses VSS technology to create snapshot backups of volumes  
>>> and exact copies of files, including all open files.
>>>
>>> However I cannot install the VSS client onto XP, so I install the  
>>> regular networker client.  Using this, I always get errors about  
>>> being unable to backup open files, for example:
>> VSS is not supported by Microsoft on XP. You need at least Windows  
>> 2003 to run VSS backups.
>
> Hi Stan,
>
> Hmm... the supplier who sold us Networker assured us that VSS and XP  
> would work so if it doesn't I'm going to have a word with them.
>
> Does VSS work with Vista clients?  I don't have any Vista clients  
> here to test myself unfortunately.

Hmm! I just googled for "VSS" and I found that "VSS" stands for  
numerous unrelated things, so I googled for "volume shadow service"  
which pointed me to
<http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/library/2b0d2457-b7d8-42
c3-b6c9-59c145b7765f1033.mspx?mfr=true 
 > which indicates that VSS is indeed supported under XP by Microsoft.

That being said, I also just checked the latest (from April 11th)  
"Information Software Protection Compatibility Guide" from
http://powerlink.emc.com 
. Note that EMC now calls its VSS module "NetWorker Module for  
Microsoft Applications" or "NMM" for short. On page 78 of the  
compatibility guide, it says that the NMM is compatible with Windows  
2003 and 2008. Nothing on there says anything about Windows XP or  
Vista compatibility. So it looks like your reseller might be in error,  
but perhaps there's a way to fool the NMM installer to ignore the  
different OS. This is something you should clarify with your reseller  
and its also an example of the benefits of  trying a demo license  
before you buy a license for new module.

I do not have any Vista, nor do I have any XP servers that require  
treatment with the NMM. Almost all of my Windows clients are of the  
2003 vintage. Even though we were a beta Vista site for at least a  
year prior to Vista's public release, it hasn't caught on here much  
yet, although I am sure that will change as people replace their  
laptops and workstations with new hardware. 

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