LiveVault How To: Run The Agent On Servers With Multiple VSS Providers

CloudRecover uses the standard Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider service.

 Some application vendors have written their own Shadow Copy Provider service APIs and install it when their software is installed. These third-party API’s can cause the Microsoft Shadow Copy Provider service API to malfunction.

 If another application has superseded or broken the standard Microsoft version, then CloudRecover may not work. Even if you un-install the offending application, it may not return the Microsoft Shadow Copy Provider service API to its original working condition. This will cause CloudRecover not to work.

 If this occurs, CloudRecover recommends that you contact Microsoft support, or the support contact for the third-party API.

 CloudRecover Support may recommend that you open a support ticket with Microsoft support if your server shows signs of problems with its Microsoft VSS subsystem. Microsoft VSS subsystem errors are captured in the System and Application Event logs, which you can view in the Microsoft Event Viewer.

Run the Agent on Servers with Multiple VSS Providers

 On servers where additional VSS providers have been installed, there may be an additional configuration step required in order for the CloudRecover agent to function properly.

 By default, the CloudRecover agent does not specify a particular provider. Instead it allows VSS to determine which provider is appropriate when a snapshot is requested. This may not always work properly depending on some system configurations.

To determine the VSS providers running on a system

 A list of GUIDs associated with installed providers can be found by running “vssadmin list providers” from a command prompt.

 For example:

vssadmin 1.1 – Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool

(C) Copyright 2001-2005 Microsoft Corp.

Provider name: ‘Microsoft Software Shadow Copy provider 1.0′

Provider type: System

Provider Id: {b5946137-7b9f-4925-af80-51abd60b20d5}

Version: 1.0.0.7

 If more than one VSS provider is present on your server, the CloudRecover agent can be configured to work with a specific provider.

To configure the agent to use a specific VSS provider

1. On the server, browse to the directory where you installed the CloudRecover agent software.

 By default, this is:

 C:\Program Files\Autonomy\BackupEngine

or

C:\Program Files\Iron Mountain\BackupEngine

 2. Open the lvconfig.xml file with Notepad.

 3. Set the VSS Provider ID parameter by adding the following line to the configuration settings:

<VSSProviderID>{b5946137-7b9f-4925-af80-51abd60b20d5}</VSSProviderID>

 4. Save the changes and close Notepad.

The configuration settings are saved.

 5.Stop and restart the lvbackupservice service.

 If you are trying to back up your entire server, CloudRecover recommends that you set the provider GUID associated with ‘Microsoft Software Shadow Copy provider 1.0.

 The CloudRecover agent software will not be able to make use of the additional provider that may be installed, but the default provider from Microsoft allows the agent to backup all specified volumes.

 You may choose to specify the provider GUID of a third party provider, but you will only be able to select volumes for protection for which the provider works.

 For example, you may have a provider for SAN storage. If your backup rules only contain files and directories located on SAN volumes then this configuration may work for you. You would not be able to back up local volumes with this provider specified, resulting in backup errors.