HP VSS Provider Software User Manual
3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows 1.6 User’s Guide
3PAR Inc.
4209 Technology Drive
Fremont, CA 94538 USA
Part No. 320-200148 Rev A
August 2009
Revision Notice
This is the first release of this manual. A complete revision history is provided at the end of this manual.
Changes
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made in the preparation of this document to assure its accuracy, 3PAR Inc. assumes no liability resulting from errors or omissions in
this document or from the use of the information contained herein.
3PAR reserves the right to make changes in the product design without reservation and without notification to its users.
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System from 3PAR’s Support page, at: http://support.3PAR.com.
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Contact your local service provider for technical support and services at http://www.3PAR.com/services.html.
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Telephone: 510-413-5999
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Copyright
Printed Material
Copyright © 2009 3PAR Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written
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Trademarks
3PAR, InServ, InForm, InSpire and Serving Information are registered trademarks of 3PAR Inc.
Microsoft Windows, Microsoft SQL server is a trademark of Microsoft, Inc.
VERITAS is a registered trademark of VERITAS Software Corporation.
All other trademarks and registered trademarks are owned by their respective owners.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Audience 1.1
1.2 Related Documents 1.2
1.3 Organization 1.3
1.4 Typographical Conventions 1.4
3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows 1.6 User’s Guide
1.5 Advisories 1.5
2Overview
2.1 Microsoft VSS 2.1
2.2 Operation of 3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows 2.2
2.2.1 3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows Aware Components 2.3
2.3 Host System Requirements 2.4
2.4 3PAR InServ Requirements 2.4
2.5 Support for Multiple InServ Connections 2.5
3 Installation, Upgrade and Deinstallation
3.1 System Setup 3.2
3.1.1 Creating an Inform User Using the InForm OS Command Line 3.2
3.2 Installing 3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows 3.3
3.3 Verifying the Installation 3.10
Table of Contents
iii
3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows 1.6 User’s Guide
3.4 Upgrading from a Previous Version 3.12
3.5 Removing the 3PAR VSS Provider For Microsoft Windows 3.13
3.6 System Registry 3.15
3.7 Using the Command Line Interface to Set Up or Modify an InServ Connection 3.18
4 Features and Considerations
4.1 Features 4.1
4.2 Special Considerations 4.3
5Diagnostics
5.1 Volume Shadow Copy Service Trace 5.1
5.1.1 Contents of the vsstrace.reg File 5.3
5.2 Application Event Log 5.3
RH Revision History
iv
Table of Contents
1
Introduction
In this chapter
1.1 Audience 1.1
1.2 Related Documents 1.2
1.3 Organization 1.3
3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows 1.6 User’s Guide
1.4 Typographical Conventions 1.4
1.5 Advisories 1.5
This user’s guide provides the information you need to install and use the 3PAR™ VSS (Volume
Shadow Copy Service) Provider for Microsoft Windows.
1.1 Audience
This guide is intended for System Administrators and Microsoft Windows Administrators who
are responsible for maintaining the Microsoft Windows operating system environment and
who understand Microsoft Windows 2003 and 2008.
Introduction
1.1
3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows 1.6 User’s Guide
1.2 Related Documents
The following documents also provide information related to the InServ Storage Server:
For information about… Read the…
Using the InForm Command Line
Interface (CLI) to configure and
manage the InServ Storage Server
Using the InForm Management
Console’s user interface to configure
and manage the InServ Storage Server
Using the InForm Command Line
Interface (CLI) for remote clients to
install and configure Recovery
Manager
Identifying InServ Storage Server
components and fixing problems
Understanding the InServ Storage
Server
and its features
Shadow copies using 3PAR VSS
Provider for Microsoft Windows
3PAR InForm OS CLI Administrator’s
Manual
3PAR InForm OS Management
Console Online Help
3PAR InForm OS Command Line
Interface Reference.
3PAR InForm OS Messages and
Operator’s Guide
3PAR InForm OS Concepts Guide
3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft
Windows User Guide
1.2
1.3 Organization
This guide is organized as follows:
■ This chapter provides an overview of this guide, including intended audience, related
documentation, typographical conventions, and advisories.
■ Chapter 2, Overview, provides an overview and information regarding supported
components and system requirements for 3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows.
■ Chapter 3, Installation, Upgrade and Deinstallation, provides installation, upgrade, and
deinstallation instructions for 3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows.
■ Chapter 4, Features and Considerations, describes the features provided by 3PAR VSS
Provider for Microsoft Windows.
■ Chapter 5, Diagnostics, describes the diagnostic capabilities of 3PAR VSS Provider for
Microsoft Windows.
3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows 1.6 User’s Guide
1.3
3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows 1.6 User’s Guide
1.4 Typographical Conventions
The following typographical conventions are used in this guide:
Typefa ce Meaning Example
ABCDabcd Used for dialog box
elements such as titles and
button labels.
ABCDabcd
ABCDabcd
<ABCDabcd>
Used for file names, paths,
and screen output, and for
text you are to enter.
Used to contrast your input
with system output.
Used for variables in file
names, paths, and screen
output, and variables in
user input.
Enter your system name in the
Value box and click OK.
Found < 12 > 73G disks.
Enter cli at the Windows
command prompt.
cli% removevv VV1
Removing vv VV1.
[root@(<systemID-
nodeID>
)root]
To continue Enter your
system name ==>
<systemname>.
1.4
1.5 Advisories
To avoid injury to people or damage to data and equipment, be sure to observe the cautions
and warnings in this guide. Always be careful when handling any electrical equipment.
NOTE: Notes are reminders, tips, or suggestions that supplement the procedures
included in this guide.
CAUTION: Cautions alert you to actions that can cause damage to equipment,
software, or data.
WARNING: Warnings alert you to actions that can cause injury to people or
irreversible damage to data or the operating system.
3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows 1.6 User’s Guide
1.5
3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows 1.6 User’s Guide
1.6
2
Overview
In this chapter
2.1 Microsoft VSS 2.1
2.2 Operation of 3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows 2.2
2.3 Host System Requirements 2.4
3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows 1.6 User’s Guide
2.4 3PAR InServ Requirements 2.4
This chapter provides an overview of supported components and system requirements for
3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows.
2.1 Microsoft VSS
Microsoft includes VSS in the Windows 2003 and 2008 operating systems to simplify the
enterprise’s storage environment. VSS provides a framework for creating a point-in-time copy
of a single volume or multiple volumes.
Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and 2008 VSS work with VSS-aware applications to determine
when a volume shadow copy (snapshot) can be made. A snapshot is a copy of some data set, (a
disk volume for example), at a given point-in-time.
Overview
2.1
3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows 1.6 User’s Guide
2.2 Operation of 3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows
3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows (Figure 2-1) communicates with the operating
system and applications, and temporarily freezes computing tasks to allow for the creation of
and removal of snapshots. The freeze function allows for the creation of a snapshot that
reflects the state of application data at a given point in time. When the process resumes, the
original volume will continue to change while the shadow copy of the volume remains
constant.
3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows also gives permission for the backup application to
access the volume and back it up in its “frozen” state. The shadow copy volume is then used
for the actual backup. After the shadow copy volume is saved on the backup device, the
shadow copy is deleted.
2.2
Figure 2-1. 3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows Operation Overview
3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows 1.6 User’s Guide
2.2.1 3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows Aware Components
To ensure absolute data integrity for all volumes, especially those that are interrelated, the
application, the backup program, and the backup device should be “VSS aware”. This means
that the components participating in the backup must be specifically programmed to work
with 3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows. Microsoft provides a Software Development
Kit (SDK) to enable independent hardware and software vendors to interface with their
components. This includes applications, data stores, snapshot engines and backup applications
that interface with 3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows.
3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows was developed with VSS SDK, release 7.2 for
Windows 2003 and Windows Server 2008 Platform SDK, as part of the VSS provider
implementation.
These components are called writers, requestors, and providers respectively as described in
more detail in Table 2-1.
Table 2-1. 3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows Components
VSS Component VSS Component Description
Requestor The requestor is backup software that initiates the creation
of the shadow copy.
Writer The writer is any application software that participates in
the shadow copy process and whose files and data are
included in the process.
Provider The provider is the storage technology that performs the
actual shadow copy.
2.3
3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows 1.6 User’s Guide
2.3 Host System Requirements
■ Microsoft Windows Server 2003 (x86 and x64) or 2008 (x86 and x64).
For the latest system service pack requirements, refer to the appropriate 3PAR InForm OS
Configuration Matrix (PN 320-200099) which can be accessed through the 3PAR Document
Control System (DCS).
■ 3PAR InForm CLI installation.
For the supported InForm CLI version, see the appropriate 3PAR InForm OS Configuration
Matrix (PN 320-200099) which can be accessed through the 3PAR Document Control System
(DCS).
■ The Windows logical volume must be configured as Basic Disk and located on the 3PAR
virtual volume.
■ Microsoft .Net Framework 3.5.
■ Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Package.
2.4 3PAR InServ Requirements
■ 3PAR InForm OS with Virtual Copy license enabled.
For the supported InForm OS release, refer to the appropriate InForm OS Configuration
Matrix (PN 320-200099) which can be accessed through the 3PAR Document Control System
(DCS).
■ The 3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows license must be enabled on the InServ
Storage Server.
Refer to the 3PAR InForm OS Command Line Reference for instructions on verifying the
license from the InServ Storage Server.
■ Snapshot space must be available on 3PAR Virtual Volumes. In order to take snapshots on
3PAR’s base volume, the volume itself must have snapshot space allocated during the base
volume creation.
Please see the 3PAR InForm OS Command Line Reference for instructions on creating a base
volume with snapshot allocation, or assigning snapshot space after the base volume is
created.
2.4
3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows 1.6 User’s Guide
2.5 Support for Multiple InServ Connections
The current version of 3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows supports multiple InServ
connections to the same host server where 3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft is installed. This
allows VSS hardware snapshots to be managed from a host that is connected to multiple InServ
Storage Servers via HBA or iSCSI.
Consider the scenario where Exchange 2007 CCR is deployed in an organization with 3PAR
Recovery Manager for Exchange. The Recovery Manager for Exchange backup server will have
connections to two InServ Storage Servers where the Active Exchange Server is connected to
the first InServ Storage Server and the Passive Exchange Server is connected to the second. In
order for the Recovery Manager for Exchange backup server to support this type of CCR
configuration, the 3PAR VSS Provider on the backup server needs to have access to both InServ
Storage Servers to manage the snapshots accordingly.
Support for multiple InServ Storage Servers can be accommodated by registering the
additional InServ Storage Servers using the
Provider installation folder. Please see Using the Command Line Interface to Set Up or Modify
an InServ Connection on page 3.18 for more information.
ProvCfg.exe utility available under the VSS
NOTE: By default, the 3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows installation
provides support for a single InServ Storage Server registration. Additional InServ
Storage Servers need to be set up and registered using the
ProvCfg.exe utility.
2.5
3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows 1.6 User’s Guide
2.6
3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows 1.6 User’s Guide
3
Installation, Upgrade and
Deinstallation
In this chapter
3.1 System Setup 3.2
3.2 Installing 3PAR VSS Provider for Microsoft Windows 3.3
3.3 Verifying the Installation 3.10
3.4 Upgrading from a Previous Version 3.12
3.5 Removing the 3PAR VSS Provider For Microsoft Windows 3.13
3.6 System Registry 3.15
3.7 Using the Command Line Interface to Set Up or Modify an InServ Connection 3.18
Installation, Upgrade and Deinstallation
3.1
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