VMware tools for windows 2008 VM VSS - advice needed

[big_vern]

Ok - there's lots of stuff on installing tools but not much info on what each part does.

I'm building a windows 2008VM gold image, going through the custom install reveals "Volume Shadow Copy Services Support'" is not enabled by default.

There is a Volume Shadow Copy Service as part of windows 2008.

Are they then one and the same thing ? should I leave it off or install itand reasons why or why not??

Sorry if it's a stupid question

As always - thanks for help

[timparkinsonShe]

The VSS provider in the VMTools allows you to quiesce the Windows OS and supported applications (SQL, etc) at the time you take a snapshot. Otherwise your snapshots would be crash-consistent. Basically let's you perform 'better' backups. I use a set of custom scripts to do a VMware quiesced snapshot on our Windows VMs before a Filer level snapshot.

[big_vern]

cheers,

but I really need to know why it's not installed by default and if VCB can use the inbuilt VSS driver in windows. Thats why I'm questioning the value of installing it

[timparkinsonShe]

If I recall correctly -the driver does install by default on completely new installations of the tools, but not on upgrades. Certainly that's the behaviour I see at the moment on our current ESX patch level.

I believe you will need the VMware VSS provider for VCB.