Shadow Copies on Windows 2008 R2 NFS

[R2B]

I am using a Windows 2008 R2 server to host an NFS datastore for an ESX host. I am just storing ISOs, templates and the like. I have Windows Shadow Copies enabled on the Windows volume because there are other folder that I need to have shadow copies available for.

When I browse the datastore in VCenter, I see the shadow copies as folders named .@GMT followed by the date and time. I know these are Windows shadow copies because they appear and disappear if I create or delete a shadow copy from the Windows server. My question - is there a way to suppress that in the VCenter view? It's not a huge detail but may be confusing to other admins.

Thanks.

[RParker]

My question - is there a way to suppress that in the VCenter view?

If the folder is visible in NFS and File share in Windows, then the folders are visible in vCenter. You would have to suppress them from Windows side. vCenter just sees whats already there, so technically this would be a Windows problem, since I am sure this would be the same if you mounted an NFS from another windows machine also.

[R2B]

That is the confusing part. Those folders are not visible in Windows. Shadow copies are contained in an entirely different folder on the Windows side and not by that name.

In fact, I have selected the option to show all hidden files and folders in Windows and done a search for anything with that name and nothing is there.

[BizCON_Alex]

Dear R2B,

How do you turn on the shadow copies VM?

thx.

alexli

[rickardnobel]

BizCON Alex wrote:

How do you turn on the shadow copies VM?

There is no feature called shadow copies VM, but an ordinary Windows feature called Shadow Copy, where you have the possibility to easy restore earlier versions of files and folders. That could be configured through properties of a drive in Explorer.

[BizCON_Alex]

In ESX4, I can link the vmdk to the nfs path from read-only snapshot, and then I can boot up the vm with independent disk. However, after upgrade to ESX5, I got NBD_ERR_NOT_IMPLEMENTED error. system can't startup

very bad! if you are using ESX4 as me, don't use ESX5.

AlexLi

[durakovicduro83]

Hi just look MS services for VSS services or lock for cmd command to show you writer or delet vss.

Cheers,

Denis

[BizCON_Alex]

i can turn on now. the magic is: copy the vmdk and modify the content and redirect to the read-only disk!

thanks.

alexli

[Sreejesh_D]

we have faced the same issue, NFS datastore shows only the shadow copy folders while browsing. It can be resolved by disabling "shadow copies" from  'Shadow Copies' tab of volume properties.  (Right click the volume (Example c:\) -> Properties -> Shadow Copies).

Note: all existing shadow copies will be deleted once we disable Shadow Copy feature.