To create SFW snapshots with VSS

1. Use the Prepare command through the VEA GUI to attach a snapshot mirror to a volume on the working server.

   The vxassist prepare command can also be used.

   Creating the snapshot mirror of the volume and resynchronizing it to the volume takes considerable time, but it only has to be done once for the initial setup.

   The Prepare command replaces the Snap Start command in the GUI.

   Both prepare and start keywords are available in the CLI, however prepare is the recommended keyword.

2. Request a snapshot through a backup program (such as Backup Exec) or through SFW. In SFW, initiate a VSS snapshot through the GUI with the Snap Shot command. Be sure to enable the VSS snapshot method in the Systems Settings.

   You can also use the vxsnap CLI command to take the snapshot.

   If you plan to use these snapshots to recover a VSS-aware application's database, use the VSS Snapshot wizard.

   You can also use the vxsnap command.

   The vxsnap command lets you snapshot multiple volumes simultaneously; thus, you can snapshot all the volumes in a VSS-aware application's storage group at one time. The VSS Snapshot wizard can also snapshot a storage group one at a time.

3. VSS interacts with a writer utility for the application to make sure that the application is momentarily quiesced for the snapshot.
4. VSS determines the appropriate provider for the snapshot. The Microsoft default provider is used only if another provider is not present. If an SFW dynamic volume is involved, then SFW is selected as the provider.
5. After the snapshot is taken, the writer utility makes sure that the application is restarted.
6. Once the snapshot takes place successfully, VSS communicates the successful result to the program with the requestor software.