Introduction

The Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) can provide a point-in-time (shadow) copy of a Windows host volume while the volume is mounted and files are in use. The Microsoft Virtual Disk Service (VDS) provides a single vendor and technology-neutral interface for managing block storage virtualization, whether done by operating system software, RAID storage hardware, or other storage virtualization engines.

The IBM® System Storage® Support for Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service and Virtual Disk Service for DS8000® and SAN Volume Controller is a software module that runs as a service on Microsoft Windows Server and automatically creates snapshots of Windows-based applications. The module uses the Windows Server VSS framework for its management interface, and the DS8000 and SAN Volume Controller as the storage system on which snapshot data is stored and maintained.