VSS is an open file manager and a snapshot tool. Certain Microsoft apps (and 
new third-party ones also) can be written to be VSS aware. Newer Exchange and 
SQL server versions support VSS. What this allows Legato to do is to call VSS 
apis to allow a consistent snapshot backup of SQL or exchange without either 
using the native SQL or Exchange APIs nor shutting them down.

>From what I got out of that letter was that to use the VSS apis for SYSTEM 
>STATE, etc... no longer needs a VSS license but to use the VSS for SQL or 
>Exchange you would need the newer module license

----
Matthew Huff       | One Manhattanville Rd
OTA Management LLC | Purchase, NY 10577
www.otaotr.com     | Phone: 914-460-4039
aim: matthewbhuff  | Fax:   914-460-4139
-----Original Message-----
From: EMC NetWorker discussion [mailto:NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU] On 
Behalf Of Davina Treiber
Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 4:14 AM
To: NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU
Subject: Re: [Networker] VSS on Windows

James Pratt wrote:

> Sorry, I'm still fairly new to NW, so this may be a dumb question, but
> does anyone know if there are any additional licensing issues/things to
> be aware of moving forward on this VSS stuff with 2008 server? Does
> EMC/NW require any special license for VSS etc ?
> 
> So, I've found this thread kind of confusing and unclear - maybe it's
> just me as I don't know much of windoze VSS yet, I don't know.. 

I am not sure either exactly what VSS is or how it works, again because 
I am a Unix bod and am a bit reluctant to get into Windows concepts such 
as VSS and AD.

However there is a new NetWorker module called something like NetWorker 
module for Microsoft applications - and this does require a licence. 
This is touted as a replacement for all the other Microsoft modules such 
as SQL and Exchange, although if VSS is basically an Open File Manager 
then I don't see how it can make a consistent backup of a database.

If it is just an OFM, then it looks to be a solution to a long standing 
problem that other OSes don't have. (Has anyone got a copy of QEMM for 
Vista BTW?  ;-)  )

Or is it more than an OFM and more of a snapshot tool? Even if it 
provides snapshotting it would still require a way of properly 
quiesceing any databases before backing them up.

So - I am still as confused as I was at the start of this thread. 
Perhaps it is because I have an underlying unwillingness to understand 
Windows. I have been hoping for many years that Windows would just go 
away but I suspect I may be a little optimistic about this.

> 
> This is a really fantastic mailing list - I just want to say thanks to
> all, as just by "lurking" here the past few months I have learned a
> great deal of stuff, and I'm *VERY* happy to see no bickering, fighting,
> or flaming whatsoever, which makes things much more comfortable and
> easier to ask questions. (Let's face it google often makes stuff more
> confusing , especially when it comes to this networker beast! ;)

Strangely Google seems to know virtually nothing about NetWorker. This 
list and its archives are by far the best resource on NetWorker. There 
is also a Tek-Tips group for NetWorker but I find that to be more of a 
newbie resource, whereas this list is suited to all levels from newbie 
to expert.

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