Backup Applications aka Requestors

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The Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) feature in Windows Server 2003 can be used to create applications that back up and restore Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007. The VSS provides an infrastructure that enables third-party storage management programs, business programs, and hardware providers to cooperate in creating and managing shadow copies. Solutions based on this infrastructure can use the shadow copies (or mirrored copies) to back up and restore one or more Office SharePoint Server 2007 databases.

The VSS coordinates communication among Requestors (backup applications), Writers (Windows applications such as Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Microsoft SQL Server 2000), and Providers (system, software, or hardware components that create the shadow copies). To use the VSS feature to back up Office SharePoint Server 2007, the backup program must include a VSS Requestor that is aware of Office SharePoint Server 2007. Because the backup program that is provided with Windows Server has no such Requestor, organizations must use third-party backup applications.

To be compliant with SharePoint Server 2007, backup applications that are based on VSS must follow two basic requirements to ensure the integrity and recoverability of shadow copy backups. Customers should verify with their backup vendors that the backup application fulfills the compliance requirements for Office SharePoint Server 2007 listed in this topic.

Following are the Office SharePoint Server 2007 requirements that a shadow copy backup application must follow to ensure the integrity and recoverability of SharePoint databases:

  • SharePoint databases and search index files must be backed up exclusively through the SharePoint Writer.

  • The backup application must validate the integrity of the shadow copy backup set. Restore operations to original location must be done exclusively with the SharePoint Writer.