Isilon VSS Provider - Where is it available?

[John Williams]

Hello Isiloners - Looking all over for the Isilon VSS provider.

It is mentioned in multiple placed. Example - the iscsi for Windows best practices guide.

Microsoft Volume Shadow Service Support 

When the Isilon^® VSS Provider is installed on a Windows^® server, Microsoft^® Volume Shadow Service (VSS) infrastructure is supported. This allows the VSS infrastructure to create a snapshot on the cluster. 

This type of snapshot creation is a one way operation, meaning windows can request the Isilon IQ™ cluster to create a snapshot, but the Isilon IQ cluster cannot request windows prepare itself for a snapshot. This further explains why performing a backup from the client ensures that all applications have been properly quiesced and are ready to be backed up. VSS support on the Isilon IQ™ cluster is enabled by default. Please contact support services if you wish to disable this functionality. 

The Isilon VSS provider is available on the Isilon ftp site. 

Have looked on Powerlink and the old ftp site and support.isilon.com. Nowhere to be found, not even a document or a release note on it.

Does it really exist? How do we get it?

J

[Erik Weiman]

What version of OneFS are you running? I'll find a copy of it for you. (Vss May or may not depend on the onefs version used, I'll have to check)

--

Erik Weiman 

Sent from my iPhone 4

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Isilon Technical User Group" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to isilon-user-gr...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
 
 

[Jason Davis]

Hmm from my limited experience, "it just works". However that is coming from OneFS 6.5.x.x/7.0.x.

[John Williams]

Thanks Erik! I am testing it with 7.0.0 (should we upgrade to 7.0.1?)... Lots of experience in the past using the hardware providers for Clariion when I was at EMC. If you can tell me where it is on Powerlink I'll snarf a copy myself.

[John Williams]

It "just works" if you install the hardware provider component, right? Or, do you mean that somehow VSS snapshots also call the storage system's native snapshot facility without a VSS hardware provider installed?

[Jason Davis]

Well when you say VSS I am thinking about SnapshotIQ jobs running on the cluster for shared folders and having these snaps presented as "Pervious Versions" to end clients using Windows. 

If you are talking about leveraging VSS for backups from the Isilon via a backup software then I am missing something :) 

[Erik Weiman]

Here is the information I have about it; based on a quick look at the release notes it looks like its related to iSCSI LUNs.

Release notes:

http://doc.isilon.com/onefs/5.5.x/pdf/en-us/vss-provider-release-notes-1-1.pdf?sn=valid 

Download links:

ftp://ftp.isilon.com/outgoing/VSS_Provider/IsilonVssProviderSetup_v2.msi 

ftp://ftp.isilon.com/outgoing/VSS_Provider/IsilonVssProviderSetup64_v2.msi 

If you are looking for Previous versions to show up for regular files that should just work as far as I know.

You might have to look at the settings you have setup for your snapshots and their visibility for that to function.

Note: 32bit VSS installer may have issues on server 2003 only use 64bit if possible or a server newer than 2003. Alternatively update the iSCSI initiator on server 2003 if using 32bit. 

--

Erik Weiman 

Sent from my iPhone 4

[SCR512]

From my experience you will have to open up a service request to have the support folks unlock the 7.x.x releases on Powerlink.

[John Williams]

Things were a bit easier before lumping it all into Powerlink.

[John Williams]

Erik - This is great, thanks! Got a three day weekend now to dig in 8-)
J