Shadow Copies of Shared Folders
Windows Server 2003 introduces a new feature called shadow copies of shared folders. Shadow copies, when configured, automatically create backup copies of the data stored in shared folders on specific drive volumes at scheduled times. The drive volumes must be formatted as NTFS. Shadow copies are set up per individual drive volume, and the copies are created at scheduled times by the new Volume Shadow Copy service (VSS) in conjunction with the Task Scheduler service.
By default, shadow copies are stored on the same drive volume of the shared folders being backed up. Shadow copies allow users to retrieve previous versions of files and folders on their own, without requiring IT personnel to restore files or folders from backup. This feature reduces IT staffing overhead and allows users to almost instantly restore deleted or damaged data files by themselves.
You should place the shadow copies on a separate physical disk, if possible, as an extra fault-tolerant measure. At least 100MB of free space must be available on a drive volume where shadow copies are to be stored. Obviously, you might need more disk space depending on the size of the data in the shared folders that are being shadowed.
Next: Setting Up Shadow Copies
