Backup Exec Shadow Copy Components file system

The Backup Exec Shadow Copy Components file system uses Microsoft's Volume Shadow Copy Service to protect critical operating system and application service data, and third-party application and user data on Windows Server 2008 computers.

Volume Shadow Copy Service allows a computer to be backed up while applications and services are running by providing a copy of a volume when a backup is initiated. Applications do not need to be shut down to ensure a successful volume backup. Volume Shadow Copy Service enables third-party vendors to create snapshot plug-ins, or Writers, for use with this shadow copy technology.

A Writer is specific code within an application that participates in the Volume Shadow Copy Service framework to provide point-in-time, recovery-consistent operating system and application data. Writers appear as Shadow Copy Components, which are listed as data in backup and restore selections.

Only Writers that have been tested for use with Backup Exec are available for selection in the backup selections. Other Writers may be displayed in the selections, but they cannot be selected for backup.

If you select a volume that contains Shadow Copy data for backup, Backup Exec determines which Shadow Copy files should not be included in a volume-level backup. These files will be automatically excluded for backup by a feature called Active File Exclusion. If this exclusion did not happen during a non-snapshot backup, these files would appear as "in use - skipped." If this exclusion did not happen during a snapshot backup, the files would be backed up in a possible inconsistent state, which could create restore issues.

The Windows SharePoint Services feature pack utilizes a SQL (MSDE) instance called SHAREPOINT as a repository for shared information and collaboration data. On Windows Server 2008, in the absence of a SQL Agent installation, the SQL SHAREPOINT instance can be protected by the Shadow Copy Components file system. If the SQL Agent is installed, then the SQL SHAREPOINT instance can be protected by the SQL Agent.