anyone able to setup vss on csvfs_refs?

Question

I've setup volume snapshots in ReFS (either running VSSUIRUN as admin, or via right click on the C:\ drive, which was NTFS, and Configure Shadow Copies, but then setup in there for another volume that was ReFS; i.e. can't right click directly on an ReFS volume and get in)

But now I'd like to get a cluster shared volume that's ReFS to have snapshots (and trying above technique on ownerNode of the csv didn't give me the option to select and setup the volume)

Anyone get that to work? Just looking to get some previous version action (not backup, but potential roll back of version or undelete specific files)

vssadmin is not helping, but diskshadow might be promising (feels like dispart, but instead of managing disks, you're managing snapshots)? anyone have any good walk-throughs for diskshadow?

this would be for server 2019 (if that matters)

Answer 1

Hi,

Sometimes, the setting will show up in the CSV properties:

And below, when we right click the C drive:

However, in my lab, the setting is also not stable, will disappear sometimes.

Thanks for your time!
Best Regards,
Anne

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Answer 2

Hi,

Actually, the screenshot in my last reply is not stable, for example, when we right click it first time, it has the "shadow copies" tab, when I click it second time, it disappears, just be general tab. When I remove the CSV to available storage, right click it again, "shadow copies" appear. When I add back it to CSV, right click it, "shadow copies" exits, right click second time, disappers. Not stable.

Best Regards,
Anne

Answer 3

Hi,

There are multiple methods to back up information that is stored on CSVs in a failover cluster. You can use a Microsoft backup application or a non-Microsoft application. In general, CSV do not impose special backup requirements beyond those for clustered storage formatted with NTFS or ReFS. CSV backups also do not disrupt other CSV storage operations.

You should consider the following factors when you select a backup application and backup schedule for CSV:

• Volume-level backup of a CSV volume can be run from any node that connects to the CSV volume.
• Your backup application can use software snapshots or hardware snapshots. Depending on the ability of your backup application to support them, backups can use application-consistent and crash-consistent Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) snapshots.

-If you are backing up CSV that have multiple running virtual machines, you should generally choose a management operating system-based backup method. If your backup application supports it, multiple virtual machines can be backed up simultaneously.

-CSV support backup requestors running Windows Server 2012 R2 Backup, Windows Server 2012 Backup or Windows Server 2008 R2 Backup. However, Windows Server Backup generally provides only a basic backup solution that may not be suited for organizations with larger clusters. Windows Server Backup does not support application-consistent virtual machine backup on CSV. It supports crash-consistent volume-level backup only. (If you restore a crash-consistent backup, the virtual machine will be in the same state it was if the virtual machine had crashed at the exact moment that the backup was taken.) A backup of a virtual machine on a CSV volume will succeed, but an error event will be logged indicating that this is not supported.

-You may require administrative credentials when backing up a failover cluster.

As far as I'm concerned, if you want to know how to backup the CSV, you may refer to the following article. If you want to learn the dedicated issue about the CSV shadow copy, it's recommended to open a case with MS, I couldn't find more information about CSV shadow copies.

Below is the link to open case with MS:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/gp/customer-service-phone-numbers

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/failover-clustering/failover-cluster-csvs

Thanks for your time!
Best Regards,
Anne

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