Enable VSS Hardware Snapshots

This procedures describes the correct method to use when taking VSS hardware snapshots using third-party backup applications such as Symantec Backup Exec or Microsoft Data Protection Manager.

  1. Install the toolkit on the host machine on which the backup agent is installed and the volumes requiring backup are connected.
    IMPORTANT: Starting with toolkit 7.0.0, you must set login credentials on the array or you will not be able to use VSS. You can set these credentials when you install HPE Storage Toolkit for Windows using the installer file dialog or by running the PowerShell cmdlet Set-Configuration.
  2. Determine which volumes are part of the same VSS backup.
    For File servers, each volume is backed up independently.
    For Microsoft Exchange, the log and database volumes must be backed up and grouped together when taking VSS snapshots.
  3. Create non-synchronized Volume Collections for each volume group.
    The volume group should contain only:
    • Volumes that are logically grouped
    • Volumes that are snapped together by VSS backup with a single placeholder schedule

    The backup software should now be able to take hardware snapshots and mount them.

    Continue to the Set Up Off-Host Backup Using Third-Party Backup Applications procedure if you want to perform off-host backups using your third-party application.