Volume Shadow Copy Services

Volume Shadow Copy is a service within Microsoft Windows Server 2003 that lets you take "version snapshots" of particular "volumes" on a scheduled basis. When used in conjunction with the backup process, Volume Shadow Copy Services enable finer granularity of file versions for near-term backup while maintaining a regular off-site tape repository.

How it works:

1. We identify a share (not a file) and indicate inclusion in the Volume Shadow Copy Services.
2. Based on a configurable schedule, Windows Server 2003 examines the file and determines if it should create a version snapshot.
   • The snapshot is taken if the "modified date" is newer than the last snapshot date.
   • If the modified date is older than the last snapshot date, then no snapshot is taken.
   • Example: the last snapshot was Monday at 7AM. It is now Tuesday at 3PM. A file with a Last Modified Date of Monday at 5PM will get copied, and a file with Last Modified Date of Sunday will not be copied.
3. If a user, or systemm, corrupts, deletes, or otherwise loses a file, an administrator can go to the Volume Shadow Copy database and identify the appropriate snapshot and either "restore" or "make a copy" of that file and return to that version. This restoration can occur directly from Windows Server 2003 without determining where the file is within the Backup / Archival tapes.

Find more VSCS information here.