Volume Snapshot Backup Software: How Good Is That?

What is VSS for backup tool? Is it a good things when there is some VSS in a file backup utility?

Volume Snapshot Service is the technology that provides taking hand-run (or automatic which offers even more tricks; auto laws!) shadows of data at a point in time when the backup begins. The 'shadow' feature sound amusingly, but it is not romantic term which makes Volume Shadow Copy Service worth discussion. The best thing about the service is the feature: it saves locked data. To be able to develop and save shadow copies, Volume Snapshot Service expects for the file system to be NT.

Thus, with the Volume Snapshot Service functionality aboard, you have a chance to create safe backups of a volume as the content is not modified and no issues with files being blocked appear.

The data copying procedure may be arranged two major ways. The first one is to hand over VSS functionality to Windows OS. The other option is to use the stuff as a Windows service.

But let's pass the dull formalization and start to think of a portion of joyful experience. So, again, what do these yummy Volume Shadow Copy Service features exactly matter for file backup software?

Practically, the special Volume Shadow Copy Service functionality brings the joy of hot backup for files with multiple configuration to be safe and functioning. For example, while backing up databases, this service precisely performs all temporary operations regarding those databases and creates a snapshot of files, the working database version. So, here comes hi to on-the-fly backup versions of MS SQL Server (and here is goodbye to stopping the service in order to pass with the saving process).

Look at Microsoft Exchange Server. The Volume Snapshot Service thing inside backup solutions will do an advanced task here too. For example, it will back up actual databases instead of duplicating the entire volume they are hold to (a common Microsoft activity, unfortunately).

And when it comes to HDD imaging, the magic power of Volume Shadow Copy Service for hot backup runs on providing amazing features, like the full OS copying without logging off Windows, syncing of two hard disk images, and consequently convenient PC cloning.

So, if you still haven't tried VSS backup software, isn't now sounds like an excellent day to get them?