Legato Networker and VSS provider

[cjeff]

Hi there,

IHAC is using is running SAP/Windows on filer, the Windows is SAN  booted and with SnapDrive installed. They are using Legato Networker to backup OS and Application files.

During the backup, we find that Networker will use VSS for the backup, but it  is using ‘Data ONTAP VSS Hardware Provider’, but not use ‘Microsoft Software Shadow Copy provider 1.0’, which caused to create snapshots on filer, we have tried this solution https://now.netapp.com/Knowledgebase/solutionarea.asp?id=kb37896 but not work.

Does anyone know how to disable Networker to use ONTAP VSS Hardware Provider and to use Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider?

Thanks & Best Regards,

Jeff

[lwei]

Jeff,

Can you stop the Data ONTAP VSS Hardware Provider service from control panel? Then Networker will probably look for another provider. I think the Microsoft VSS specifies the order of providers is first harsware then software.   -Wei

[cjeff]

Wei,

Thanks. I asked customer to check whether they can stop the ONTAP VSS hardware provider before the backup and restart it after the backup.

Jeff

[cjeff]

If set the ONTAP VSS service to manully start, during the backup, the ONTAP VSS service would be started.

If disable the ONTAP VSS service, the backup would be failed.

[lwei]

After disabling the ONTAP VSS Hardware provider service, was the server restarted? If not, maybe try that. BTW, what's the version of Windows? How about Networker?   -Wei

[barve]

As long as the Data ONTAP VSS hardware provider is installed and registered (which is done as part of SnapDrive Windows installation), it will be used to create snapshot of NetApp LUNs - this is the default behavior. To avoid this, the VSS requester (Legato Networker in this case) needs to choose the software system provider explicitly while creating the snapshot set.

Thanks,

Anagha

[cjeff]

We use the command to unregister the ONTAP VSS provider.

navssprv.exe -r service /u

[aborzenkov]

As  per EMC knowledge base article esg106853:

A RFE has been filed LGTsc31666 for NMM configuration to have client 
attributes that will allow the selection of the VSS hardware provider. 
Currently this feature is not available.

[cjeff]

Thanks, our partner found it on powerlink.

[jaymistry]

Hi Jeff,

We had this problem as well and simplest way to avoid it is not to use VSS on this client. To do this, add "VSS:*=off" to the "Save operations:" field of the "Apps & Modules" tab on the clients properties page.

Jay

[cjeff]

Hi Jay,

This is what we used to solve the problem.

Jeff

[RUSSBBASSYA]

We are running into this same issue, buit "VSS.*=off" is not resolving the issue.

Any other thoughts?