--------------------------------------------- Microsoft Volume Snapshot API Readme File February 2000 --------------------------------------------- (c) Microsoft Corporation, 2000. All rights reserved. This document provides late-breaking or other information that supplements the Microsoft Volume Snapshot API documentation. ------------------------- How to Use This Document ------------------------- To view the Readme file on-screen in Windows Notepad, maximize the Notepad window. On the Format menu, click Word Wrap. To print the Readme file, open it in Notepad or another word processor, and then use the Print command on the File menu. --------- CONTENTS --------- Installing the SDK binaries To install the SDK binaries, run the install.cmd script in the bin\i386 directory. To un-install the SDK run uninst.cmd in the same directory. Creating a snapshot using the command-line utility Using this SDK you can create snapshots only on FAT volumes. Before creating the snapshot on a volume you must first configure the diff area for that volume. See the "Moving a Diff Area... " section below for details. After configuring the diff area you can create a snapshot on that volume by running vss_demo.exe. You should choose the default values for vss_demo prompts excepting maybe for the Volume Name prompt where you must put the mount point path (terminated with backslash) for that volume, for example "F:\". Beware that the created snapshots are lost after a reboot. Example: Z:\nt\drivers\storage\volsnap\vss\bin\i386>vss_demo Snapshot Set creation succeeded. GUID = {932ae8c4-1b97-4032-8062-0ab93fce92fc} Add a volume to the snapshot set? [Y/n] Attributes [0]: Initial allocated size (Mb): [10]: Volume name: ["G:\"]: F:\ Snapshot details: [""]: A Volume Snapshot was succesfully added to the snapshot set. The Volume Snapshot was succesfully configured. Add a volume to the snapshot set? [Y/n] n Commiting the snapshot(s).. Allow partial commit? [Y/n] Allow writers cancel? [y/N] Ignore writer vetoes? [Y/n] The snapshot(s) were succesfully created. The properties of the snapshot #0 : Id = {00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}, SnapshotSetId = {00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000} Volume = (null), DevObj = (null) OriginalVolumeId = {00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000} OriginalVolumeName = (null) ProviderId = {00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000} Details = NULL Attributes = 0x00000000 Timestamp = 0x0000000000000000 Status = 0,0,0, Inc. No = 0x0000000000000000 Data Length = 0x00000000, Opaque Data = NULL The name of snapshot #0 : \Device\HarddiskVolumeSnapshot3 Moving a Diff Area from the Default Location To move a diff area from the default location to another drive, execute the following commands from the command line after each boot. Note that "F:" is the name of the target drive for the snapshot and "G:" is the name of the drive the diff area will be moved to. Also, the "F:" drive must be FAT and the "G:" drive must be NTFS. Beware that the diff area settings are lost after a reboot. Example: vsclrda F: vsda F: G: Using the sample writers A writer is by definition an ordinary application that can listen for snapshot-related events. For running the command-line sample writer in this SDK you need only to run tsub.exe in a command window. Then, in a separate command window you must create a snapshot using vss_demo. You will notice that the running tsub.exe gets notified before and after a snapshot gets created.