Volume Shadow Copy

[Guest]

If I understand what I have read, it is possible to configure Windows so that
it periodically saves the state of the shares on a volume such that
inadvertent destruction of the content can be remedied. I got complaints
from the Revert button in the Style Sheet under Properties and Shadow Volumes
for both the C: and F: drives (two distinct hard drives) that it is not
possible to Revert a volume that contains system files. F: contains no
system files. Probably I don't understand what the Revert button is supposed
to do (not remedy the inadvertent destruction, maybe) and there is no
context-sensitive help associated with the Revert button.

So I'm wondering if there is some well-written article somewhere that
explains exactly how to use the feature: both to make the backups (which are
primarily deltas over time, not multiple whole copies), and to recover lost
information when necessary.

Part of the documenation problem is that a similarly named feature helps
programs that do massive system backups provides reams of unhelpful technical
data on a subject of no interest to me.

This is a valuable feature of the OS -- one that I want to see properly
explained.

 

[Guest]

Since nobody replied to my post, I'll reply. The Volume Shadow Copy Service
is new with Windows Server 2003. It has two main purposes. 1) To allow
backup software to create backups of files that are in use (for example, the
files that contain the data of relational database management systems like
Microsoft SQL Server.) This is possible because there exists a new API for
such software that allows the software to get around locked files. 2) To
allow users to destroy their files and restore a better, prior copy without
troubling the HELP DESK.

I've found nothing in MSDN and nothing in Help and Support that explains how
to put the second function to good use. In a nutshell, here it is. As
Administrator, you create a shared folder on some computer on the network.
The user puts his documents into that shared folder. The user can build an
entire directory subtree if he (or she) likes. But, wait, before the user
begins, administer the volume of the share so that volume shadow copies are
scheduled to be made. The Administrator goes to Properties of the volume on
the computer that hosts the shared folder. There is a tab called Shadow
Copies. You, the Administrator, set the amount of storage to be used for
"snapshots" and you set the schedule as to when snapshots are to be taken.
Once that's done, users can begin to use the shared folder. Should they want
to revert a file, they go to Properties of the file and find a tab "Previous
Versions" which permits them to select a snapshot to replace the corrupt
version of the file. If the file had been inadvertently deleted, it can be
recreated empty and then reverted. The user must know the name of the file
that was deleted. A client for reverting is required for some releases of
Windows XP because Windows XP predates Windows 2003. Some versions of
Windows XP do not require the client.