AlphaVSS - Bringing Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) to .NET

New Post: Getting Started

kraijenp — Sun, 19 May 2013 10:55:56 GMT

Hi abhishekagrwl25,

WriterMetadata can be retrieved from the Alphaleonis.Win32.Vss.IVssBackupComponents.WriterMetadata property.

With regards,

Peter Kraijenbrink

New Post: Getting Started

abhishekagrwl25 — Sun, 19 May 2013 02:03:50 GMT

Hey kraijenp,

I have read the above documentation but i have problem in CreateVssExamineWriterMetadata that how to getwriterdata while i dont have any functio named getwritermetadata...??

New Post: Getting Started

kraijenp — Sat, 18 May 2013 11:21:36 GMT

Hi abhishekagrwl25,

Glad to hear it’s working ok now..

Did you read http://msdn.microsoft.com/nl-nl/library/windows/desktop/aa384590(v=vs.85).aspx about restoring under VSS?

I don’t know about any demo appl. However several classes and example appl, like AlphaShadow, do contain restore methods or references.

With regards,

Peter Kraijenbrink

FixHet - Systeembeheer

Geestdorp 22-II

3444 BD Woerden

Tel: 0348-410220

Gsm: 06 – 27231926

Web: www.fixhet.nl

Mail: [email removed]

New Post: Getting Started

abhishekagrwl25 — Fri, 17 May 2013 01:20:13 GMT

Hi Peter,

First of all thanks for the solution, now its working...:)
but i can do the backup operation with it but i also need for restore for the backed-up data...

how to do it....i have also googled for it but didnt find any solution or demo application like fungusware's demo for backup...??

With Regards,
Abhishek Agrawal

New Post: Slow copy speeds when using Persistent shadow copies

WizardICT — Thu, 16 May 2013 00:23:59 GMT

It appears this problem is cause by the SymSnapService (part of Norton Ghost and other Symantec backup/Imaging utilities). As soon as the snapshot is exposed it decides it wants to access the snapshot and locks it until it's finished!

Is there any way to set which applications/services have access to the snapshot or set a priority? It appears SymSnapService has priority over my application, so there must be something that gives it that priority. Maybe a service has priority over an application?

New Post: Slow copy speeds when using Persistent shadow copies

WizardICT — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:24:53 GMT

I'm having a strange issue when testing AlphaVSS for use in my project. I'm also using AlphaFS, but I believe the problem relates more to VSS.

I'm creating a shadow copy of my C drive, no problem there, and I can copy the Windows folder to another drive in about 20 mins when accessing it directly via the copy.

The problem is I need to make the files available to another application, so I'm using a persistent snapshot and ExposeSnapshot to make it available via a drive letter. When I do this the same copy process takes several hours (it's about 30GB). Even if I access it via the snapshot exactly as I was doing before and not the drive lettter it still takes hours, so it appears to be related to either making the snapshot persistent or exposing it.

I'm using AlphaFS to test the copy currently, has anyone else had this problem? 20 mins to copy 30GB is ok, several hours just isn't realistic.

New Post: Getting Started

kraijenp — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:32:32 GMT

Hi abhishekagrwl25,

Have you tried running the VS solution as an administrator? (Right click on VS 2012 icon choose “run as administrator”).

With regards,
Peter Kraijenbrink

FixHet - Systeembeheer
Geestdorp 22-II
3444 BD Woerden
Tel: 0348-410220
Gsm: 06 - 27231926
Web: www.fixhet.nl<http://www.fixhet.nl/>
Mail: [email removed]>

New Post: Getting Started

abhishekagrwl25 — Wed, 15 May 2013 02:59:29 GMT

hey vikela,

when i attempt to run the project i have downloaded for fungusware/alphavssdemo, it throws an exception "Attempted to perform an unauthorized operation."

i dont have any idea to resolve this issue..

i have to use vss in my project in whcih i have to do following task...

1). to make backup of fiels and folders on a scheduked timely basis

2). to backup also for lock files

so anyone please help me to solve this issue....so i can use it in my project ASAP.

Thanks

New Post: Issue - Cannot expose as mounted folder

mcgyver60 — Mon, 13 May 2013 23:49:03 GMT

Hi Decaf,

Don’t know if you remind me… I’m the cause of the revision .3 !

This time, I’ve posted an issue about exposing as a mounted folder :

https://alphavss.codeplex.com/workitem/19698

I don’t know if this is the best place to post this problem…

Maybe you prefer me to post it in the « Discussions » section ?

Moreover, do you need a minimal code sample to reproduce the problem ?

Best regards,

McGyver

Created Issue: Cannot expose as mounted folder [19698]

mcgyver60 — Fri, 10 May 2013 20:56:59 GMT

Hello,

I think that the AlphaVSS library doesn't allow to expose as a __mounted folder__.
I can successfully expose a shadow as a network share, or as a drive letter.
However, impossible to expose, for example, as "C:\shadow".

Problem observed with VB.NET.

Shoud be possible to expose as a mounted folder:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa381608(v=vs.85).aspx

Can you confirm this issue? Or any workaround?

Thank you

New Post: Unable to use AlphaVSS from powershell

abhishekagrwl25 — Fri, 10 May 2013 01:29:17 GMT

having this error....dont know what to do.... Method 'DoSnapshotSet' in type 'Alphaleonis.Win32.Vss.VssBackupComponents' from assembly 'AlphaVSS.60.x86, Version=1.2.4000.3, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=959d3993561034e3' does not have an implementation.

Commented Issue: Sample application namespace names don't exist [19603]

musicisair — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:55:48 GMT

When building VssBackup.cs I get the following errors:

* The type or namespace name 'Snapshot' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?)
* The type or namespace name 'IVssAsync' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?)
* The type or namespace name 'Snapshot' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?)
* The type or namespace name 'VssWMFileDescription' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?)
* The type or namespace name 'IVssAsync' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?)
* The type or namespace name 'IVssAsync' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?)
* The type or namespace name 'VssWMFileDescription' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?)
Comments: ** Comment from web user: musicisair **

Nevermind, I'm an idiot.

When I read the following line from the README.txt I assumed that each class was intended to be used on its own:

> This directory contains two classes that might be useful to anyone looking to use the AlphaVSS libraries to manage shadow copies.

:-)

Created Issue: Sample application namespace names don't exist [19603]

musicisair — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:50:31 GMT

Commented Issue: .CHM files doesn't work [19602]

musicisair — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:30:59 GMT

I can view the Table of Contents of the CHM but the actual contents will not appear on Windows 7 Professional.
Comments: ** Comment from web user: musicisair **

Found a fix:

1. Right click on the CHM
2. Select "Properties"
3. At the bottom of the Properties dialog there will be an "Unblock" button. Click it.
4. Close the Properties dialog.
5. Open the .CHM

Created Issue: .CHM files doesn't work [19602]

musicisair — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:27:45 GMT

I can view the Table of Contents of the CHM but the actual contents will not appear on Windows 7 Professional.

New Post: IVssAsync instance now has become synchronous

mcchin — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 15:30:46 GMT

       Using async As IVssAsyncResult = oVSS.BeginGatherWriterMetadata(Nothing, Nothing)
            async.AsyncWaitHandle.WaitOne()
            oVSS.EndGatherWriterMetadata(async)
            async.AsyncWaitHandle.Close()
        End Using

New Post: Getting Started

vikela — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 22:32:26 GMT

                oVSSImpl = VssUtils.LoadImplementation();
                oVSS = oVSSImpl.CreateVssBackupComponents();
                oVSS.InitializeForBackup(null);
                oVSS.SetBackupState(false, true, VssBackupType.Full, false);
                oVSS.GatherWriterMetadata();
                Guid gSnapshotSet = oVSS.StartSnapshotSet();
                String sVolume = "C:\\";
                Guid gSnapshot = oVSS.AddToSnapshotSet(sVolume, Guid.Empty);
                oVSS.PrepareForBackup();
                oVSS.DoSnapshotSet();
                oProps = oVSS.GetSnapshotProperties(gSnapshot);

New Post: Compile error

vikela — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 22:30:13 GMT

What works for me is to not make use of these sample applications but rather just include the code lines to create the snapshot:

        IVssImplementation oVSSImpl = null;
        IVssBackupComponents oVSS = null;
        VssSnapshotProperties oProps = null;
        oVSSImpl = VssUtils.LoadImplementation();
        oVSS = oVSSImpl.CreateVssBackupComponents();
        oVSS.InitializeForBackup(null);
        oVSS.SetBackupState(false, true, VssBackupType.Full, false);
        oVSS.GatherWriterMetadata();
        Guid gSnapshotSet = oVSS.StartSnapshotSet();
        String sVolume = "C:\\";
        Guid gSnapshot = oVSS.AddToSnapshotSet(sVolume, Guid.Empty);
        oVSS.PrepareForBackup();
        oVSS.DoSnapshotSet();
        oProps = oVSS.GetSnapshotProperties(gSnapshot);

New Post: Unexpected error querying for the IVssWriterCallback interface. hr = 0x80070005, Access is denied.

vikela — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 22:24:47 GMT

I've been using AlphaVSS with success in a WPF app which requires administration access. When I moved the same code into a Windows Service which runs as LocalSystem account, I get the following error:

Volume Shadow Copy Service error: Unexpected error querying for the IVssWriterCallback interface. hr = 0x80070005, Access is denied.
. This is often caused by incorrect security settings in either the writer or requestor process.

Operation:
Gathering Writer Data

Context:
Writer Class Id: {e8132975-6f93-4464-a53e-1050253ae220}
Writer Name: System Writer
Writer Instance ID: {3adc436f-3306-4d4f-8d23-60ed5f05d5a6}

Any idea why?

New Comment on "Documentation"

Boinst — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 00:19:56 GMT

There are some samples here in the source tree: https://alphavss.svn.codeplex.com/svn/Development/Source/Samples/