Server 2008 x64 And Shadow Copy Backups/DosDev

[Guest Saitir]

Hi All

 

We're using Server 2008 x64 Standard for running Exchange 2007 and SQL

Server 2005 plus a few small COM application objects and a small amount of

file serving.

 

When it comes to backup time I have to say I was disappointed with the

Server 2008 option of full drive only. Its useful to be able to do that,

certainly, but its not the only kind of backup thats useful.

 

So, I decided to go the Robocopy route - an excellent tool for anyone

unfamiliar with it.

 

All went fine until I got to the point of wanting to get the Exchange edb

files backed up.

 

Some quick reading later and the combination of VShadow and DosDev (create a

shadow copy, then mount it as a drive letter) seemed perfect.

 

I got the x64 version of VShadow.exe from the VSS SDK and DosDev from one of

the reporting tools. Version number: 5.2.3790.1830 (10/05/2007).

 

The VShadow -Script=vss.cmd D: works fine and as various sites suggest.

>DosDev L: %SHADOW_DEVICE_1%

Returns:

 

Current definition: L: = \??\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy193

 

If I try to change to the drive I get:

>L:

The device is not ready.

 

Or if I've left it a while (in case it was a timing issue) eventually it

comes out with:

File not found.

 

Anyone have any thoughts, ideas or alternatives? Thanks!

[Guest Paul Weterings]

Re: Server 2008 x64 And Shadow Copy Backups/DosDev

 

What does 'vssadmin list volumes' give you?

 

/ ) Regards,

/ /_________

_|__|__) Paul Weterings

/ (O_) http://www.servercare.nl

__/ (O_)

____(O_)

 

 

Saitir wrote:

> Hi All

>

> We're using Server 2008 x64 Standard for running Exchange 2007 and SQL

> Server 2005 plus a few small COM application objects and a small amount of

> file serving.

>

> When it comes to backup time I have to say I was disappointed with the

> Server 2008 option of full drive only. Its useful to be able to do that,

> certainly, but its not the only kind of backup thats useful.

>

> So, I decided to go the Robocopy route - an excellent tool for anyone

> unfamiliar with it.

>

> All went fine until I got to the point of wanting to get the Exchange edb

> files backed up.

>

> Some quick reading later and the combination of VShadow and DosDev (create a

> shadow copy, then mount it as a drive letter) seemed perfect.

>

> I got the x64 version of VShadow.exe from the VSS SDK and DosDev from one of

> the reporting tools. Version number: 5.2.3790.1830 (10/05/2007).

>

> The VShadow -Script=vss.cmd D: works fine and as various sites suggest.

>

>> DosDev L: %SHADOW_DEVICE_1%

> Returns:

>

> Current definition: L: = \??\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy193

>

> If I try to change to the drive I get:

>

>> L:

> The device is not ready.

>

> Or if I've left it a while (in case it was a timing issue) eventually it

> comes out with:

> File not found.

>

> Anyone have any thoughts, ideas or alternatives? Thanks!

[Guest Saitir]

Re: Server 2008 x64 And Shadow Copy Backups/DosDev

 

vssadmin list volumes only shows my actual internal hard drive volumes (C:

and D: in this case) No networks mappings and certainly not the dosdev

mapping (and yes, I ran all the commands again directly before running

vssadmin).

 

 

 

"Paul Weterings" wrote:

> What does 'vssadmin list volumes' give you?

>

> / ) Regards,

> / /_________

> _|__|__) Paul Weterings

> / (O_) http://www.servercare.nl

> __/ (O_)

> ____(O_)

>

>

> Saitir wrote:

> > Hi All

> >

> > We're using Server 2008 x64 Standard for running Exchange 2007 and SQL

> > Server 2005 plus a few small COM application objects and a small amount of

> > file serving.

> >

> > When it comes to backup time I have to say I was disappointed with the

> > Server 2008 option of full drive only. Its useful to be able to do that,

> > certainly, but its not the only kind of backup thats useful.

> >

> > So, I decided to go the Robocopy route - an excellent tool for anyone

> > unfamiliar with it.

> >

> > All went fine until I got to the point of wanting to get the Exchange edb

> > files backed up.

> >

> > Some quick reading later and the combination of VShadow and DosDev (create a

> > shadow copy, then mount it as a drive letter) seemed perfect.

> >

> > I got the x64 version of VShadow.exe from the VSS SDK and DosDev from one of

> > the reporting tools. Version number: 5.2.3790.1830 (10/05/2007).

> >

> > The VShadow -Script=vss.cmd D: works fine and as various sites suggest.

> >

> >> DosDev L: %SHADOW_DEVICE_1%

> > Returns:

> >

> > Current definition: L: = \??\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy193

> >

> > If I try to change to the drive I get:

> >

> >> L:

> > The device is not ready.

> >

> > Or if I've left it a while (in case it was a timing issue) eventually it

> > comes out with:

> > File not found.

> >

> > Anyone have any thoughts, ideas or alternatives? Thanks!

>

[Guest Saitir]

RE: Server 2008 x64 And Shadow Copy Backups/DosDev

 

I hate answering my own questions, but it happens sometimes!

 

The answer, in case anyone else out there has similar issues, is to use

DiskShadow.

 

Its a command that comes with Server 2008 and (for my purposes) rolls up

vshadow and dosdev into something new. It does /alot/ more but it fixes my

problem nicely.

 

Its got an internal commandline sort of like diskpart et al, but you can

exec other commands from it if needs be, or just have two diskshadow scripts

and whatever you need to do for your backup in between.

 

Have fun all!

 

 

"Saitir" wrote:

> Hi All

>

> We're using Server 2008 x64 Standard for running Exchange 2007 and SQL

> Server 2005 plus a few small COM application objects and a small amount of

> file serving.

>

> When it comes to backup time I have to say I was disappointed with the

> Server 2008 option of full drive only. Its useful to be able to do that,

> certainly, but its not the only kind of backup thats useful.

>

> So, I decided to go the Robocopy route - an excellent tool for anyone

> unfamiliar with it.

>

> All went fine until I got to the point of wanting to get the Exchange edb

> files backed up.

>

> Some quick reading later and the combination of VShadow and DosDev (create a

> shadow copy, then mount it as a drive letter) seemed perfect.

>

> I got the x64 version of VShadow.exe from the VSS SDK and DosDev from one of

> the reporting tools. Version number: 5.2.3790.1830 (10/05/2007).

>

> The VShadow -Script=vss.cmd D: works fine and as various sites suggest.

>

> >DosDev L: %SHADOW_DEVICE_1%

> Returns:

>

> Current definition: L: = \??\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy193

>

> If I try to change to the drive I get:

>

> >L:

> The device is not ready.

>

> Or if I've left it a while (in case it was a timing issue) eventually it

> comes out with:

> File not found.

>

> Anyone have any thoughts, ideas or alternatives? Thanks!

[Guest Paul Weterings]

Re: Server 2008 x64 And Shadow Copy Backups/DosDev

 

I didn't know that. Thanks for sharing the info!

 

/ ) Regards,

/ /_________

_|__|__) Paul Weterings

/ (O_) http://www.servercare.nl

__/ (O_)

____(O_)

 

 

Saitir wrote:

> I hate answering my own questions, but it happens sometimes!

>

> The answer, in case anyone else out there has similar issues, is to use

> DiskShadow.

>

> Its a command that comes with Server 2008 and (for my purposes) rolls up

> vshadow and dosdev into something new. It does /alot/ more but it fixes my

> problem nicely.

>

> Its got an internal commandline sort of like diskpart et al, but you can

> exec other commands from it if needs be, or just have two diskshadow scripts

> and whatever you need to do for your backup in between.

>

> Have fun all!

>

>

> "Saitir" wrote:

>

>> Hi All

>>

>> We're using Server 2008 x64 Standard for running Exchange 2007 and SQL

>> Server 2005 plus a few small COM application objects and a small amount of

>> file serving.

>>

>> When it comes to backup time I have to say I was disappointed with the

>> Server 2008 option of full drive only. Its useful to be able to do that,

>> certainly, but its not the only kind of backup thats useful.

>>

>> So, I decided to go the Robocopy route - an excellent tool for anyone

>> unfamiliar with it.

>>

>> All went fine until I got to the point of wanting to get the Exchange edb

>> files backed up.

>>

>> Some quick reading later and the combination of VShadow and DosDev (create a

>> shadow copy, then mount it as a drive letter) seemed perfect.

>>

>> I got the x64 version of VShadow.exe from the VSS SDK and DosDev from one of

>> the reporting tools. Version number: 5.2.3790.1830 (10/05/2007).

>>

>> The VShadow -Script=vss.cmd D: works fine and as various sites suggest.

>>

>>> DosDev L: %SHADOW_DEVICE_1%

>> Returns:

>>

>> Current definition: L: = \??\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy193

>>

>> If I try to change to the drive I get:

>>

>>> L:

>> The device is not ready.

>>

>> Or if I've left it a while (in case it was a timing issue) eventually it

>> comes out with:

>> File not found.

>>

>> Anyone have any thoughts, ideas or alternatives? Thanks!