Backup Disk : Vss Hardware Provider using Disk Shadow

VSS hardware provider can be initiate and test using DiskShadow Commands

Open the Powershell and Enter Diskshadow

PS C:\Users\Administrator> diskshadow
Microsoft DiskShadow version 1.0
Copyright (C) 2013 Microsoft Corporation
On computer: WIN-VigneshDev, 5/22/2015 12:06:35 AM

DISKSHADOW>

List the Hardware Providers

DISKSHADOW> list providers

* ProviderID: {74600e39-7dc5-4567-a03b-f091d6c7b092}
Type: [2] VSS_PROV_SOFTWARE
Name: Hyper-V IC Software Shadow Copy Provider
Version: 1.0.0.0
CLSID: {3e02620c-e180-44f3-b154-2473646e4cb8}

* ProviderID: {89300202-3cec-4981-9171-19f59559e0f2}
Type: [4] VSS_PROV_FILESHARE
Name: Microsoft File Share Shadow Copy provider
Version: 1.0.0.1
CLSID: {fce59da7-7bac-40da-8d21-3e7311ba51cd}

* ProviderID: {b57190af-4567-4dd0-ad8d51abd60b20d5
Type: [3] VSS_PROV_HARDWARE
Name: Vignesh Test Provider
Version: 6.2.9200.16384

* ProviderID: {b5946137-7b9f-4925-af80-51abd60b20d5}
Type: [1] VSS_PROV_SYSTEM
Name: Microsoft Software Shadow Copy provider 1.0
Version: 1.0.0.7
CLSID: {65ee1dba-8ff4-4a58-ac1c-3470ee2f376a}

* ProviderID: {f782463b-33bb-4043-ad8d-60b728d26a6c}
Type: [2] VSS_PROV_SOFTWARE
Name: Acronis VSS SW Provider
Version: 1.0
CLSID: {79079d5c-ef20-4952-b9fc-cfd443b38641}

Number of providers registered: 5

Create a Backup

DISKSHADOW> reset

DISKSHADOW> begin backup

DISKSHADOW> set context persistent

DISKSHADOW> set metadata c:\mybackup.cab

DISKSHADOW> add volume e: provider {b57190af-4567-4dd0-ad8d51abd60b20d5

DISKSHADOW> create

Alias VSS_SHADOW_1 for shadow ID {dd6b24e7-dc42-4957-98c7-40c8ec45c74a} set as environment variable.
Alias VSS_SHADOW_SET for shadow set ID {61543fac-53b3-4435-acc9-5e86344e61a4} set as environment variable.

Querying all shadow copies with the shadow copy set ID {61543fac-53b3-4435-acc9-5e86344e61a4}

* Shadow copy ID = {dd6b24e7-dc42-4957-98c7-40c8ec45c74a} %VSS_SHADOW_1%
– Shadow copy set: {61543fac-53b3-4435-acc9-5e86344e61a4} %VSS_SHADOW_SET%
– Original count of shadow copies = 1
– Original volume name: \\?\Volume{ac7b6cbf-fd72-11e4-80c0-00155d007080}\ [E:\]
– Creation time: 5/22/2015 1:07:29 AM
– Shadow copy device name: \\?\Volume{ac7b6cdc-fd72-11e4-80c0-00155d007080}
– Originating machine: WIN-VigneshDev
– Service machine: WIN-VigneshDev
– Not exposed
– Provider ID: {b57190af-4567-4dd0-ad8d51abd60b20d5
– Attributes: No_Auto_Release Persistent Hardware

Number of shadow copies listed: 1

DISKSHADOW> end backup

Expose and Unexpose the Shadow Copy

DISKSHADOW> expose %VSS_SHADOW_1% h:
-> %VSS_SHADOW_1% = {dd6b24e7-dc42-4957-98c7-40c8ec45c74a}
The shadow copy was successfully exposed as h:\.

DISKSHADOW> unexpose %VSS_SHADOW_1%
-> %VSS_SHADOW_1% = {dd6b24e7-dc42-4957-98c7-40c8ec45c74a}
Shadow copy ID {dd6b24e7-dc42-4957-98c7-40c8ec45c74a} is no longer exposed.

Reset

It is a good to start the operation of the DishShadow commands with the reset command

Verbose

Admin can Log the results to a text file for further analysis using dishshadow command with l parameter, l is the short form of log

diskshadow -l c:\diskshadowlog.txt

This diskshadow log would contain all the context commands executed and the result displayed on the screen

VSSTrace

The VSStrace is the tracing utility a logman tool, which is available in the Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit
Note: it requires admin privilege

cd C:\Program Files (x86)\Windosetws Kits\8.0\bin\x64
vsstrace.exe -o c:/trace.txt

Create a Transportable Backup

PS C:\Users\Administrator> diskshadow -l c:\diskshadowlog.txt
Microsoft DiskShadow version 1.0
Copyright (C) 2013 Microsoft Corporation
On computer: WIN-VigneshDev, 5/22/2015 1:17:26 AM

DISKSHADOW> set context persistent

DISKSHADOW> set option transportable

DISKSHADOW> begin backup

DISKSHADOW> set metadata c:\myTrasnportableBackup.cab

DISKSHADOW> add volume e: provider {b57190af-4567-4dd0-ad8d51abd60b20d5

DISKSHADOW> create
Alias VSS_SHADOW_1 for shadow ID {9ea76fc8-92d7-4695-be32-408dd56be5dd} set as environment variable.
Alias VSS_SHADOW_SET for shadow set ID {1c6f7d42-8a43-4717-abb6-fc9e598b53e4} set as environment variable.

DISKSHADOW> end backup

More explanation and description will be update in the same post