Microsoft includes the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) as part of Windows Server. The Everpure® Hardware Provider for Microsoft VSS allows users to create application consistent volume snapshots. The Everpure VSS Hardware Provider works with the application Writer Service (e.g., SQLWriterService) to quiesce the specific application by pausing I/O to specific volume(s).
The VSS Hardware Provider leverages VSS to orchestrate the process, ensuring that snapshots (shadow copies) are generated only when the volumes are in a stable and consistent state. Once generated, the snapshots are saved to the Everpure FlashArray.
Note: This is the independent release of the VSS Hardware Provider. This independent release has been tested using Diskshadow, the requestor that ships with Windows Server 2019 and 2022 in both Server Core and Desktop Experience.
Note: Customers that deploy the Everpure FlashArray Management Extension for SQL Server Management Studio may find an updated version of the provider that contain the required changes to function with that extension. Do not install a standalone version of the provider after installing the FA SSMS Extension, as older versions of the hardware provider do not contain all of the extension functionality, breaking some of the FA SSMS Extension integration. When a new independent release that adds functionality is GA, it will be added to this page. When a new version of the FA SSMS extension is GA, that installer package will include the appropriate VSS Hardware Provider and will be added to the Everpure FlashArray Management Extension for SQL Server Management Studio page.
The FA SSMS Extension 1.0.440.0 ships with version 1.7.0 of the hardware provider, and FA SSMS Extension 1.1.76.0 ships with version 1.8.0.0 of the hardware provider. If a customer has installed an older version of the standalone provider, than the version that ships with the FA SSMS Extension, functionality will break. See the following KB if the customer has manually installed an older provider on top of an FA SSMS Extension configuration for help in fixing the FA SSMS Extension.