Managing Shadow Copies in Computer Management
by William R. Stanek
Microsoft® Windows Server™ 2003 Inside Out
- Microsoft® Windows Server™ 2003 Inside Out
- SPECIAL OFFER: Upgrade this ebook with O’Reilly
- A Note Regarding Supplemental Files
- Acknowledgments
- We'd Like to Hear from You!
- About the CD
- Conventions and Features Used in this Book
- About the Author
- 1. Windows Server 2003 Overview and Planning
- 1. Introducing Windows Server 2003
- What's New in Windows Server 2003
- 64-Bit Computing
- .NET Technologies
- Windows XP and Windows Server 2003
- Windows XP Editions
- Increased Support for Standards
- Interface and Tool Improvements
- Active Directory Improvements
- Domains Can Be Renamed
- Active Directory Can Replicate Selectively
- Active Directory–Integrated DNS Zones Can Forward Conditionally
- Active Directory Schema Objects Can Be Deleted
- Active Directory and Global Catalog Are Optimized
- Active Directory Can Compress and Route Selectively
- Forest-to-Forest Trusts
- Active Directory Migration Made Easier
- Group Policy Improvements
- Management and Administration Extras
- Security Advances
- Reliability and Maintenance Enhancements
- 2. Planning for Windows Server 2003
- Overview of Planning
- Identifying Your Organizational Teams
- Assessing Project Goals
- Analyzing the Existing Network
- Defining Objectives and Scope
- Defining the New Network Environment
- Selecting a Software Licensing Program
- Final Considerations for Planning and Deployment
- 1. Introducing Windows Server 2003
- 2. Windows Server 2003 Installation
- 3. Preparing for the Installation and Getting Started
- 4. Managing Interactive Installations
- 5. Managing Unattended Installations
- 6. Using Remote Installation Services
- Introduction to RIS
- Installing RIS
- Configuring RIS Clients
- Preparing RIS-Based Installations
- Using RIS for Automated Installations
- Working with Sysprep
- 3. Windows Server 2003 Upgrades and Migrations
- 7. Preparing for Upgrades and Migration
- 8. Upgrading to Windows Server 2003
- General Considerations for Upgrades
- Upgrading from Windows 2000
- Upgrading from Windows NT 4
- 9. Migrating to Windows Server 2003
- Selecting the Migration Tools
- ADMT
- General Considerations for Migrations
- Determining the Approach to Migration
- Preparing for Migration
- Migrating Security Principals
- Performing the Migration: An Overview
- Migrating Group Accounts
- Migrating User Accounts
- Migrating Passwords
- Migrating the Computers
- Merging Groups during Migration
- Migrating Domain Trusts
- Migrating Service Accounts
- Security Translation
- Generating Migration Reports
- 4. Managing Windows Server 2003 Systems
- 10. Configuring Windows Server 2003
- 11. Windows Server 2003 MMC Administration
- 12. Managing Windows Server 2003
- Using the Administration Tools
- Using the Control Panel Utilities
- Using the Add Hardware Utility
- Using the Add or Remove Programs Utility
- Using the Date and Time Utility
- Using the Display Utility
- Using the Folder Options Utility
- Using the Licensing Utility
- Using the Network Connections Utility
- Using the Regional and Language Options Utility
- Using the Scheduled Tasks Utility
- Using the System Utility
- Using Support Tools
- Using Resource Kit Tools
- Using the Secondary Logon
- 13. Managing and Troubleshooting Hardware
- 14. Managing the Registry
- 15. Performance Monitoring and Tuning
- 16. Comprehensive Performance Analysis and Logging
- 5. Managing Windows Server 2003 Storage and File Systems
- 17. Planning for High Availability
- 18. Preparing and Deploying Server Clusters
- 19. Storage Management
- Essential Storage Technologies
- Configuring Storage
- Managing MBR Disk Partitions on Basic Disks
- Managing GPT Disk Partitions on Basic Disks
- Managing Volumes on Dynamic Disks
- Creating a Simple or Spanned Volume
- Extending a Simple or Spanned Volume
- Recovering a Failed Simple or Spanned Disk
- Moving Dynamic Disks
- Configuring RAID 1: Disk Mirroring
- Mirroring Boot and System Volumes
- Configuring RAID 5: Disk Striping with Parity
- Breaking or Removing a Mirrored Set
- Resolving Problems with Mirrored Sets
- Repairing a Mirrored System Volume to Enable Boot
- Resolving Problems with RAID-5 Sets
- 20. Managing Windows Server 2003 File Systems
- 21. File Sharing and Security
- File Sharing Essentials
- Creating and Publishing Shared Folders
- Managing Share Permissions
- Managing File and Folder Permissions
- Managing File Shares After Configuration
- Sharing Files on the Web
- Auditing File and Folder Access
- 22. Using Volume Shadow Copy
- 23. Using Removable Media
- Introducing Removable Media
- Managing Media Libraries and Media
- Inserting Media into a Library
- Ejecting Media from a Library
- Mounting and Dismounting Media in Libraries
- Enabling and Disabling Media
- Enabling and Disabling Drives
- Cleaning Drives
- Working with Library Doors and Ports
- Configuring Library Inventory
- Starting Library Inventory
- Changing Library Media Types
- Enabling and Disabling Libraries
- Managing Media Pools
- Managing Work Queues, Requests, and Security
- Using the Work Queue
- Troubleshooting Waiting Operations
- Changing Mount Operations
- Controlling When Operations Are Deleted
- Using the Operator Requests Queue
- Notifying Operators of Requests
- Completing or Refusing Requests
- Controlling When Requests Are Deleted
- Setting Access Permissions for Removable Storage
- 6. Managing Windows Server 2003 Networking and Print Services
- 24. Managing TCP/IP Networking
- Understanding IP Addressing
- Special IP Addressing Rules
- Using Subnets and Subnet Masks
- Getting and Using IP Addresses
- Understanding Name Resolution
- Configuring TCP/IP Networking
- 25. Managing DHCP
- DHCP Essentials
- DHCP Security Considerations
- Planning DHCP Implementations
- Setting Up DHCP Servers
- Configuring TCP/IP Options
- Levels of Options and Their Uses
- Options Used by Windows Clients
- Using Userand Vendor-Specific TCP/IP Options
- Settings Options for All Clients
- Settings Options for Routing and Remote Access Clients Only
- Setting Add-On Options for Directly Connected Clients
- Defining Classes to Get Different Option Sets
- Advanced DHCP Configuration and Maintenance
- Setting Up DHCP Relay Agents
- 26. Architecting DNS Infrastructure
- 27. Implementing and Managing DNS
- 28. Implementing and Maintaining WINS
- 29. Installing and Maintaining Print Services
- Understanding Windows Server 2003 Print Services
- Print Services Changes for Windows Server 2003
- Upgrading Windows NT 4 Print Servers to Windows Server 2003
- Migrating Print Servers from One System to Another
- Planning for Printer Deployments and Consolidation
- Setting Up Printers
- Managing Printer Permissions
- Managing Print Server Properties
- Managing Printer Properties
- Setting General Properties, Printing Preferences, and Document Defaults
- Setting Overlays and Watermarks for Documents
- Installing and Updating Print Drivers on Clients
- Configuring Printer Sharing and Publishing
- Optimizing Printing Through Queues and Pooling
- Configuring Print Spooling
- Viewing the Print Processor and Default Data Type
- Configuring Separator Pages
- Configuring Color Profiles
- Managing Print Jobs
- Printer Maintenance and Troubleshooting
- 30. Using Remote Desktop for Administration
- 31. Deploying Terminal Services
- Using Terminal Services
- Designing the Terminal Services Infrastructure
- Setting Up Terminal Services
- Using the Terminal Services Configuration Tool
- Using the Terminal Services Manager
- Managing Terminal Services from the Command Line
- Other Useful Terminal Services Commands
- Configuring Terminal Services Per-User Settings
- 24. Managing TCP/IP Networking
- 7. Managing Active Directory and Security
- 32. Active Directory Architecture
- 33. Designing and Managing the Domain Environment
- Design Considerations for Active Directory Replication
- Design Considerations for Active Directory Search and Global Catalogs
- Design Considerations for Compatibility
- Design Considerations for Active Directory Authentication and Trusts
- Universal Groups and Authentication
- NTLM and Kerberos Authentication
- Authentication and Trusts Across Domain Boundaries
- Authentication and Trusts Across Forest Boundaries
- Examining Domain and Forest Trusts
- Establishing External, Shortcut, Realm, and Cross-Forest Trusts
- Verifying and Troubleshooting Trusts
- Delegating Authentication
- Design Considerations for Active Directory Operations Masters
- Operations Master Roles
- Using, Locating, and Transferring the Schema Master Role
- Using, Locating, and Transferring the Domain Naming Master Role
- Using, Locating, and Transferring the Relative ID Master Role
- Using, Locating, and Transferring the PDC Emulator Role
- Using, Locating, and Transferring the Infrastructure Master Role
- 34. Organizing Active Directory
- 35. Configuring Active Directory Sites and Replication
- 36. Implementing Active Directory
- Preinstallation Considerations for Active Directory
- Installing Active Directory
- Uninstalling Active Directory
- Creating and Managing Organizational Units (OUs)
- Delegating Administration of Domains and OUs
- 37. Managing Users, Groups, and Computers
- Managing Domain User Accounts
- Managing User Profiles
- Managing User Data
- Maintaining User Accounts
- Managing Groups
- Managing Computer Accounts
- 38. Managing Group Policy
- Understanding Group Policy
- Implementing Group Policy
- Working with Local Group Policy
- Working with the Group Policy Object Editor
- Working with the Group Policy Management Console
- Installing and Running the Group Policy Management Console
- Using the Group Policy Management Console
- Accessing Forests, Domains, and Sites in Group Policy Management Console
- Creating and Linking a New GPO in Group Policy Management Console
- Editing an Existing GPO in the Group Policy Management Console
- Linking to an Existing GPO in the Group Policy Management Console
- Deleting an Existing GPO in the Group Policy Management Console
- Managing Group Policy Inheritance and Processing
- Using Scripts in Group Policy
- Applying Group Policy Through Security Templates
- Maintaining and Troubleshooting Group Policy
- 39. Active Directory Site Administration
- 8. Windows Server 2003 Disaster Planning and Recovery
- Index to Troubleshooting Topics
- Index
- SPECIAL OFFER: Upgrade this ebook with O’Reilly
Shadow copies are configured on a per-volume basis. Each volume on a server that has shared folders must be configured separately for shadow copying.
Tip
Defragment volumes before enabling shadow copies
Shadow copies can become corrupted on volumes that are heavily fragmented. It is recommended that you defragment volumes before enabling shadow copies.
Troubleshooting: Be careful when defragmenting
If you defragment a volume while shadow copies are enabled, the oldest shadow copies can be lost. Shadow copy loss can occur because the shadow copy provider uses a copy-on-write approach that uses a 16-kilobyte (KB) block level. If the volume's cluster size is smaller than 16 KB, the shadow copy provider cannot distinguish disk defragmentation I/O and normal write I/O operations and as a result can create an extra shadow copy. If there are already 64 copies of a file, the oldest file is then deleted, which is how the oldest shadow copy gets deleted accidentally. To prevent this, it is recommended that cluster size of volumes that use shadow copies be set to 16 KB or larger.
You can use Computer Management to configure shadow copying by following these steps:
Start Computer Management, expand Storage, and select Disk Management. Right-click a volume in the Disk Management Volume List or Graphical View, and select Properties.
In the Properties dialog box, select the Shadow Copies tab, as shown in Figure 22-1.
Select the volume for which you want to configure shadow copies, and then click Settings. This displays the Settings dialog box shown in Figure 22-2.
Tip
Configure mount points separately
There's a limitation for volumes that have mount points. With a mount point, a volume is attached to an empty folder on an NTFS volume and made to appear as part of that volume. If you enable shadow copies on a volume with mounted drives, the mounted drives are not included and users will not be able to access previous versions of files on the mounted volume. The workaround is to share the mounted volume and enable shadow copies for this share. Users then must access the share path to the mounted volume to view previous versions. For example, if you have a folder F:EngData, and the Data folder is a mount point for G, you enable shadow copies on both drives F and G. You share F:Eng as \CorpSvr01Eng, and you share F:EngData as \CorpSvr01Data. In this example, users can access previous versions of \CorpSvr01Eng and \CorpSvr01 Data, but not \CorpSvr01EngData.
Use the Located On This Volume selection list to specify where the shadow copies should be created. Shadow copies can be created on the volume you are configuring or any other volume available on the computer.
Click Details to see the free space and total available disk space on the selected volume, and then click OK.
Use the Maximum Size options to set the maximum size that shadow copies for this volume can use.
Click Schedule to display the dialog box shown in Figure 22-3. Two run schedules are set automatically. Use the selection list to view these schedules. If you don't want to use a scheduled run time, select it, and then click Delete. To add a run schedule, configure the run times using the Schedule Task, Start Time, and Schedule Task Weekly options, then click New. When you are finished configuring run times, click OK twice to return to the volume's Properties dialog box.
Tip
Check cluster configuration to ensure scheduling can work after failover
To ensure the VolumeShadowCopy task runs after failover on a clustered file server, the %SystemRoot% should be the same on the cluster to which the service is failed over. If it isn't in the same location and failover occurs, the VolumeShadowCopy task might not run. For example, if the %SystemRoot% on node 1 is C:Windows and then %SystemRoot% on node 2 is C:Winnt, the task might not run when the service fails over from node 1 to node 2. This is because the task runs in the %SystemRoot%System32 folder and the Start In property setting for the task changes the environment variable to the actual folder location rather than using the environment variable once the task is set. See Chapter 18, for more information about clustering.
Select the volume on which you want to enable shadow copies and click Enable. When prompted, click Yes to confirm the action. Windows will then create a snapshot of the volume.
Configure any additional volumes for shadow copying by repeating steps 3 through 8. Click OK when you are finished.
Troubleshooting: Shadow copy relies on the Task Scheduler
The schedule you set for shadow copies is set as a scheduled task on the server. Scheduled tasks are run by the Task Scheduler service and can be viewed in the Scheduled Tasks folder as discussed in Chapter 12. The Task Scheduler service must be running and properly configured for shadow copying to work correctly. In addition, you should not modify ShadowCopyVolume tasks using the Scheduled Tasks folder. Instead, only configure the run schedule using a volume's Properties dialog box.
Once you configure shadow copying, snapshots are made according to the schedule you've set. Keep the following in mind:
Individual snapshots taken of a volume can be deleted. Start Computer Management, expand Storage, and select Disk Management. Right-click a volume in the Disk Management Volume List or Graphical View, and select Properties. In the Properties dialog box, select the Shadow Copies tab. Click the volume you want to work with. Its snap-shots are listed in the Shadow Copies Of Selected Volume list. To delete a specific snap-shot, select it in the list and then click Delete Now.
If you ever want to make a snapshot manually, you can do this by clicking Create Now in the Shadow Copies tab.
You can change the settings and run schedule at a later date as well. Access the Shadow Copies tab, select the volume you want to change, and then click Settings. Make the necessary changes, and then click OK.
To delete a shadow copy of a volume, select the shadow copy in bottom list box of the Shadow Copies tab, and then click Delete Now. When prompted to confirm the action, click Yes.
To disable Shadow Copies for a volume, select the volume in top list box of the Shadow Copies tab, and then click Disable. When prompted to confirm the action, click Yes.
Caution
Disabling shadow copies deletes all previously saved snapshot images. Because of this, only disable snapshots when you are sure previously saved snapshot images are no longer needed.
Tip
Disable shadow copies before removing the associated volume
If you want to remove a volume on which shadow copies have been enabled, you should first disable shadow copies or delete all scheduled tasks that create the shadow copies for the volume. This will ensure error events aren't written to the system logs when the Scheduled Task service can't create the snapshot images.
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