SQL Server 2005 Tidbit 020

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SQL Server 2005 Tidbit 020

Data Storage

“Hey Kevin… Exchange 2003 sort of takes advantage of Volume Shadow Copy service (VSS). Other things (like the file system) can use it to make quick snapshots of data. Does SQL Server 2005 have any such capability?”

There is indeed an interface definition for something called the SQL Writer.  This guide (for backup application vendors) describes how you can write to this SQL Writer in order to support using the VSS framework.  

So… there is hope that soon after (or maybe even, dare I say, right away when) SQL Server 2005 ships, you should be able to purchase backup applications that take advantage of VSS.

“What about good ol’ Windows Backup?”

I really don’t know about that one.  Windows Backup can use VSS for the file system, and there were limitations on how it could (or couldn’t) be used for Exchange 2003.   

That’s a really good question.  I’ll tackle that one in a later tidbit.

Do you know the answer?  Share it here, or add a comment with a link to the solution in your own blog.

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