VSS Configuration File

The VSS Hardware Provider has a configuration file that can be used to change some default settings for VSS. The configuration file is installed in the default DataCore Windows Integration Kit installation path C:\Program Files\DataCore\Host Integration Kit.

The Volume Shadow Copy service has to be restarted for any configuration file changes to take effect.

The configuration file, DataCore.VSSHardwareProvider.dll.config, allows these properties to be changed:

Property	Description	Values
WaitingUpToDateStatusTimeoutInMilliseconds	Virtual disks should be in an up-to-date state when snapshot operations are performed. VSS does not check for correct states prior to performing an operation on the snapshot. This property is used to decrease or increase the amount of time a VSS operation will allow for a snapshot operation to complete before timing out. If time-outs or failures are encountered due to source virtual disks not being in an up-to-date state, the administrator can increase the wait time. If shadow sets consist of numerous large virtual disks, the default setting may be an insufficient wait time.	The default value is 60000 milliseconds (60 seconds or one minute). DataCore highly recommends that administrators do not decrease the wait time or enter a wait time that exceeds one hour (3,600,000 milliseconds).
ServeSnapshotWithRedundancy	This property is used to configure the number of paths used to serve snapshots to hosts (with or without redundancy). To configure redundant paths, there must be a sufficient number of front-end ports available to support multipathing (MPIO) and the host must have multipathing software installed.	The default value is false and configures a single front-end path. The value true will configure redundant front-end paths.

Property

Description

Values

WaitingUpToDateStatusTimeoutInMilliseconds

Virtual disks should be in an up-to-date state when snapshot operations are performed. VSS does not check for correct states prior to performing an operation on the snapshot.

This property is used to decrease or increase the amount of time a VSS operation will allow for a snapshot operation to complete before timing out.

If time-outs or failures are encountered due to source virtual disks not being in an up-to-date state, the administrator can increase the wait time. If shadow sets consist of numerous large virtual disks, the default setting may be an insufficient wait time.

The default value is 60000 milliseconds (60 seconds or one minute).

DataCore highly recommends that administrators do not decrease the wait time or enter a wait time that exceeds one hour (3,600,000 milliseconds).

ServeSnapshotWithRedundancy

This property is used to configure the number of paths used to serve snapshots to hosts (with or without redundancy).

To configure redundant paths, there must be a sufficient number of front-end ports available to support multipathing (MPIO) and the host must have multipathing software installed.

The default value is false and configures a single front-end path.

The value true will configure redundant front-end paths.

To change properties:

Navigate to the installation folder and open the DataCore.VSSHardwareProvider.dll.config with a text editor such as Notepad.
In the appSettings section, edit the value for the appropriate property.
Save the file.
Restart the Volume Shadow Copy service in Windows Services for the changes to take effect.