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Microsoft Volume Snapshot API Readme File
February 2000
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(c) Microsoft Corporation, 2000. All rights reserved.
This document provides late-breaking or other information that
supplements the Microsoft Volume Snapshot API documentation.
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How to Use This Document
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CONTENTS
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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.
