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    I think it would save the life  of a lot of people if turning on by default - or at least suggest it at installation time - the shadow copies functionnality. The clients computer are backed up, the server is "RAID" backed up but if we accidentally delete a file from the network, we loose it. This functionnality is really usefull.

     

    Monday, June 18, 2007 2:08 PM

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    Volume shadow copies are turned on by default. A snapshot is taken every 12 hours for all network shares, and (if you have a client OS that supports VSC) you can browse/restore the old versions using the normal interface, i.e. right click, etc. ...
    Monday, June 18, 2007 2:57 PM
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    The VSS service is, I believe, run on a 12 hour schedule by some component of WHS, possibly Drive Extender. It's normal for it to be set to disabled, but it does get run. The number of copies that will be kept is dependent on how much free space you have free, how many files change, and how big those files are. Lots of changes, or changes to big files, or little free space, all mean that few copies are kept.

    As a point of reference, I have about 20% free on each of the internal drives in my WHS (except for D:, which is almost empty), and I see shadow copies back through Tuesday.
    Saturday, September 8, 2007 1:22 AM
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    Volume shadow copies are turned on by default. A snapshot is taken every 12 hours for all network shares, and (if you have a client OS that supports VSC) you can browse/restore the old versions using the normal interface, i.e. right click, etc. ...
    Monday, June 18, 2007 2:57 PM
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    Okay, i know the system...

    But after a fresh install of WHS i found the shadow copies disabled... (that's why i posted!)

    I can't upload screenshot but i'm sure of me !

    Monday, June 18, 2007 3:02 PM
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    I think that's misleading, because if you check the various folders - you'll see Shadow Copies have been created for the folders.

     

    What I would like is an option to better configure Shadow Copies, depending on the folder. For example, my Software share is unlikely to change a lot, so creating Shadow Copies twice a day isn't necessary. However, my user files might change more frequently, so 2-3 times a day might be better for them.

     

    Regardless, the system is working as designed - and works very well. Thanks!

    Monday, June 18, 2007 3:51 PM
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     Ken Warren wrote:
    Volume shadow copies are turned on by default. A snapshot is taken every 12 hours for all network shares, and (if you have a client OS that supports VSC) you can browse/restore the old versions using the normal interface, i.e. right click, etc. ...

     

    Would you care to point out where to check this?

     

    I am looking at Shadow Copies properties in the SYS volume and all drives have as "Schedule Disabled"... For some folders though (\fs\K and \fs\N and D:\) it shows with some used space.

     

    However there's only one shadow copy in each volume, created this morning at midnight.

     

    I was expecting to see more than one Shadow Copy created for each volume...

     

     

    Friday, September 7, 2007 10:54 PM
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    Hi,

    In your client, right click on the connector in your task, shared folders, then chose a folder, right click on it, properties, then "Previous Versions" tab.

    My best.
    Friday, September 7, 2007 11:15 PM
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    Thanks I've found that... I wasn't sure about the Schedule and Limits since the properties had "Schedule Disabled" although it seems to be doing it every day at midnight.

     

    It looks like it only creates a single copy in my system, perhaps because the amount of space required to create more than one shadow copy would be quite large?

     

     

     

    Friday, September 7, 2007 11:23 PM
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     freitasm wrote:

    Thanks I've found that... I wasn't sure about the Schedule and Limits since the properties had "Schedule Disabled" although it seems to be doing it every day at midnight.

     

    It looks like it only creates a single copy in my system, perhaps because the amount of space required to create more than one shadow copy would be quite large?

     

     

     



    Hi,

    Yes, that correct, since it take like 10%, and when the space reach it limited, oldest will be gone or do more than one copies and a like, so it matters of the space left in that volume.

    My best.
    Friday, September 7, 2007 11:39 PM
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    The VSS service is, I believe, run on a 12 hour schedule by some component of WHS, possibly Drive Extender. It's normal for it to be set to disabled, but it does get run. The number of copies that will be kept is dependent on how much free space you have free, how many files change, and how big those files are. Lots of changes, or changes to big files, or little free space, all mean that few copies are kept.

    As a point of reference, I have about 20% free on each of the internal drives in my WHS (except for D:, which is almost empty), and I see shadow copies back through Tuesday.
    Saturday, September 8, 2007 1:22 AM
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    Thanks for this - it's a good reference...

     

     

    Saturday, September 8, 2007 1:26 AM
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    I have an HP MediaSmart Server and until I "enabled" shadow copies, previous versions were not available.

    Thursday, December 27, 2007 6:01 AM
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    I have found the same to be true with my HP MediaSmart and accordingly right-clicking on the shares in the Console or Remote Desktop does not offer the option of Previous Versions.  I presume it's safe to enable Shadow Copies using the Remote Desktop and nothing will break!  I've not tried this yet.
    Saturday, December 29, 2007 10:32 PM
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    Clarification on this is being sought from Microsoft and HP. For the moment, I suggest you leave it alone.

    Edit:

    Clarification is still being sought from HP, and I still recommend leaving it turned off on your MSS, because we don't know why it's that way. You should also not turn shadow copies on for a regular WHS installation, because they are taken regularly through a different mechanism, and that appears to be working correctly in my lab.

    Windows Home Server uses VSS to support "previous versions", which is a way of keeping snapshots of files as they change on your server. This is not implemented through the Shadow Copy scheduler, though. I believe that Drive Extender (or possibly some other component) triggers snapshots twice a day, even though on a normal Windows Home Server shadow copies show up as disabled.

    I would not recommend enabling shadow copies for a couple of reasons. First, you need to get snapshots of all drives at the same time, to get a consistent slice across your server (without doing this you might not be able to view data in old versions at a later date). Second, I suspect but can't yet prove that backups are excluded from shadow copies. Backups should logically be excluded because they are the largest consumer of space on the average WHS PC, and they change every night. There's a limited amount of space for shadow copies, so if backups participate, they would pretty much blow away old copies of other files, making the feature useless.
    Sunday, December 30, 2007 3:37 AM
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    any word from HP?

    Wednesday, January 2, 2008 6:57 PM
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     Kastnerd wrote:
    any word from HP?
    Jogging my elbow 14 hours later won't get an answer any faster. Smile

    The facts at this time:
    Windows Home Server uses shadow copies to support the Previous Versions functionality in Microsoft desktop operating systems. This feature is available on Windows XP (you may have to install a client utility on some versions), and on some SKUs of Vista. (Ultimate, Business, Enterprise.)

    On a normal OEM installation of Windows Home Server, shadow copies are made regularly. This is controlled by Windows Home Server components and API calls, not the Windows Server 2003 interface for scheduling them. However, on the HP MediaSmart Server, this functionality has been disabled.

    Microsoft is seeking clarification from HP on exactly why the HP servers are not taking shadow copies as expected, but until that information is available Microsoft has recommended not using the Windows Server 2003 interface to enable scheduled shadow copies, as doing so may result in problems.
    Wednesday, January 2, 2008 10:03 PM
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     Ken Warren wrote:
     Kastnerd wrote:
    any word from HP?
    Jogging my elbow 14 hours later won't get an answer any faster.

    The facts at this time:
    Windows Home Server uses shadow copies to support the Previous Versions functionality in Microsoft desktop operating systems. This feature is available on Windows XP (you may have to install a client utility on some versions), and on some SKUs of Vista. (Ultimate, Business, Enterprise.)

    On a normal OEM installation of Windows Home Server, shadow copies are made regularly. This is controlled by Windows Home Server components and API calls, not the Windows Server 2003 interface for scheduling them. However, on the HP MediaSmart Server, this functionality has been disabled.

    Microsoft is seeking clarification from HP on exactly why the HP servers are not taking shadow copies as expected, but until that information is available Microsoft has recommended not using the Windows Server 2003 interface to enable scheduled shadow copies, as doing so may result in problems.


    Ken, are you speaking officially for Microsoft here? You make it sound like HP did something to modify WHS when neither Microsoft nor HP has said any such thing, to my knowledge.



    Thursday, January 3, 2008 10:35 PM
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    I am relaying the information provided to me (and other MVPs) during a monthly call with Microsoft.

    Most of the information you quoted is actually available in white papers, the WHS help files, and/or the forums; Most of the rest is from personal research into where shadows copies work and where they don't. (And they can break in certain circumstances.) But the warning in bold is straight from Microsoft. If you enable shadow copies through the normal interface with VSS, you are likely to cause problems.
    Friday, January 4, 2008 3:56 AM
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    Any word yet? I have plenty of space on my MediaSmart server and no previous versions. I'd like to turn on VSS so I can have them.

     

    Thanks!

    Friday, January 11, 2008 9:05 AM
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    Ken

    At 10 days later have you anything to report or is there a reference elsewhere we can consult on this issue?

    Thanks
    Saturday, January 12, 2008 10:16 PM
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    On a very related note, I'm shocked MS has chosen to use VSS to host the previous versions.  I've used this for over a decade for SWD before finally ditching it for real source control; it simply is far too unreliable and corrupts easily once your db gets large.  We used to have to do weekly maintenance for several hours just to keep it up and running.  It always starts out great, but after working with the same repository for a few months with s small team, they start getting flakey.  After every major release, we'd have to start over with a completely new repository and lose all historical versions.

     

    Does anybody know if WHS manages this maintenance of the VSS repository?  Does it handle compaction / defragmentation, etc?  What happens when the repository becomes corrupted?

     

    My guess is this is *exactly* why HP disabled the feature!!!  During this internal testing they probably determined it far too unreliable to support, and as such disabled it.  As an OEM who is 100% responsible for all support, they are 100% within their right to do so.

     

    Just conjecture, but like I said, I bet it's not far off the mark.

     

    Ryan

    Friday, January 25, 2008 3:03 AM
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    VSS= Volume Shadow Services, not Visual Source Safe. Volume Shadow Services is reliable, and has been available in Microsoft server operating systems for years.
    Friday, January 25, 2008 12:59 PM
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    Ah duh, yeah I should have realized that.  Funny how both acronyms have something to do with versioning.

     

    /breathes sigh of relief....source safe...shudder...twitch.


    Ryan

     

    Friday, January 25, 2008 3:45 PM
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    Has there been any update for Volume Shadow Copy support with the HP Mediasmart?

     

    Wednesday, February 20, 2008 8:33 PM
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     R. Garner wrote:
    Has there been any update for Volume Shadow Copy support with the HP Mediasmart?

     

     

    3 weeks later....has there been an update to this?  I think I've been patient.

    Sunday, March 9, 2008 9:44 PM
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     TotalDistinction wrote:
     R. Garner wrote:
    Has there been any update for Volume Shadow Copy support with the HP Mediasmart?

     

     

    3 weeks later....has there been an update to this?  I think I've been patient.

     

    It's almost now the end of March - nearly 3 months since clarification was sought from Microsofts partner HP - I have searched the main WHS forums - all asking the same question - do I sense an isssue (to do with the corruption bug perhaps) has been identifyed by HP??

     

    My nature tells me "No News is Bad News" - can someone please prove me wrong

    Wednesday, March 26, 2008 11:32 PM
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    Derrick, have you read this FAQ post, which was published a week and a half ago?
    Wednesday, March 26, 2008 11:40 PM
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    Got it - Thanks Ken

     

    Wednesday, March 26, 2008 11:46 PM
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    Anyone know if this has been fixed yet?
    Friday, September 12, 2008 11:56 AM
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    It has not, as yet, been fixed.
    I'm not on the WHS team, I just post a lot. :)
    Friday, September 12, 2008 3:02 PM
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