Volume Shadow Copy Service Starting/Stopping

[humbletech99]

Does the Volume Shadow Copy Service that comes with Windows Server 2003 only start and come in to the running state in service control when it is actually taking a snapshot?

I have been googling and reading articles but they tend to all just tell me the basics of how to use it or the architecture of it, and I've been unable to find the answer to my question, so I was hoping that someone could share their wisdom on this with me.

Is has been my observation that both services "MS Software Shadow Copy Provider" and "Volume Shadow Copy" both come in the Manual Startup Type by default in services. This would seem to support that they do not run all the time to watch things, but only when taking a snapshot?

Can anyone shed more light on this?

[Irene]

If you've Googled, you may have come across this already, but I thought I'd post it anyway... :D

Look at item 2.2 on page 8

[humbletech99]

I have read about writers, providers and requesters, but my question is more about the services themselves.

Are the services mentioned in my first post only supposed to run when taking a snapshot or something? Perhaps I am missing the point. Does the architecture not need the service running, because changing blocks are continually copied off to the hidden area?

I don't fully understand the 2 services involved yet..

My question really originally stems from the view that I want to know if there is a way to monitor that shadow copies are working, via checking that their service is running, but this does not seem to be the way to do it if the services do not run all the time.

Hence I am trying to understand why the services don't run all the time.

[Irene]

Sounds like you need someone with more skills in that area than I have.

Hopefully, you will get a more useful response soon. :)