VSS installation
and application
Sam Lee
lntroduction
This document introduces how to perform VSS (Volume Shadow copy Service) function on
QSAN subsystem. The content in this document includes the QSAN VSS DSM installation,
how to use QSAN VSS client, and using Symantnec Backup Exec to preforme the VSS backup and restore.
Software contents
Before start using VSS, it is necessary to install the QSAN Storage Service software.
The software includes the following items: 1. Multipath I/O Driver (MPIO)
2. Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) (optional)
3. QVolume Shadow Copy Application (optional), this is an application for demo VSS function.
The software has 2 versions. One is for 32-bits OS (x86), the other is for 64-bit OS (x64). It can be installed in Microsoft Windows Server 2003, 2003 R2, 2008, 2008 R2 only.
Environment
Host OS: Windows Server 2008 Enterprise edition R2 Target: QSAN P300Q-D316
RAM: 2GB DDR2-667
Firmware: 2.0.0p1 (20101118_1200)
Software QSAN_Storage_Service_Setup-2.0.0-x64-en.msi
Install MPIO, VSS software
1. Run “QSAN_Storage_Service_Setup-2.0.0-x64-en.msi”. (For windows server 2008 R2)
2. Click “Next”.
4. Click “Browse…” to change the installation directory. Default is “C:\Program Files\QSAN\”. Then click “Next”.
6. There is a Windows Security warning to make sure that this DSM driver is trusted, then click “Install”.
8. Please reboot the system to ensure the DSM driver take effect.
9. After reboot, use Windows CLI command “vssadmin list providers” to check whether the QSAN VSS hardware provider is installed successfully.
Example of Using QVSSClient
1. Format the disk and assign a drive letter “S:\”. This volume is a Virtual disk which comes from P300Q-D316. Click “Start Æ All Programs Æ QSAN Æ QVSSClient” to run the application.
2. Click “Create”. It will take a snapshot via VSS.
3. During QSAN VSS Hardware Provider is in operation, the volume icon will be displayed in yellow.
4. Observe the event log on P300Q-D316, there is an associated snapshot through VSS.
5. Select the No. 1 column and click “Expose”, then select a folder. The snapshot will expose to a directory as a disk image format.
6. Click “Schedule” to enable taking snapshots by schedule.
7. Click “Delete” to delete the snapshot.
Example of Using Symantec Backup Exec 2010 R2
Part 1: Configure Devices
2. Firstly, run “Configure Devices” of Symantec Backup Exec 2010 R2.
4. And then it will start a Backup-to-Disk Wizard. Click “Next”.
5. Enter a folder name. Click “Next”.
7. User could decide whether to allocate all the disk space for backup. Default option is
“No”. Click “Next”.
9. Enter the maximum number of backup sets. The default is “100”. Click “Next”.
11. Enter the size of the low disk space threshold. Click “Next”.
13. Done. Click “Finish”.
Part 2: Perform a backup
1. Click “Create a backup job”.
2. Then it displays a “Backup Wizard”. Select a source volume “V:” to backup. Click
5. Select a storage device for backup data which has been created at Part 1. Click
6. Default setting is to keep each backup data for 4 weeks. It can be modified here. Click “Next”.
8. The backup job state can be monitor at “Job Monitor”.
Caution
When the backup job completes, Symantec Backup Exec will delete VSS snapshot automatically. It causes that the other snapshots will be deleted in
P300Q-D316.
9. When backup job completes, it has a detail log at “Job History”. Double click the Job log for more information.
Part 3: Restore data to disk
1. Click “Restore”. It will display a “Restore Job Wizard”.
2. Select one of the disk images on volume “V:” for restore. The data can be previewed on the disk image. Click “Next”.
3. The restore job can be tested here. Make sure that the restore job can be performed successfully, and then click “Next”.
5. Select the restore destination. Click “Next”.
7. Finish. Click “Finish”.