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A company is implementing Azure Site Recovery (ASR) for an on-premises application server running Windows Server. The server hosts several critical applications and requires application-consistent recovery points to ensure data integrity during failover. Which component is responsible for creating application-consistent snapshots for Windows machines protected by ASR?
- AAzure Recovery Services Vault
- BAzure Site Recovery Process Server
- CVolume Shadow Copy Service (VSS)
- DAzure Site Recovery Configuration Server
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS)
For Windows machines, the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) is leveraged by Azure Site Recovery's Mobility Service to create application-consistent snapshots, ensuring that in-flight data is committed to disk before the snapshot is taken.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. The Recovery Services Vault is the orchestration hub in Azure, storing replication metadata and recovery points, but it's not involved in creating snapshots on the source VM.
- B. The Process Server handles data caching, compression, and encryption, and sends data to Azure, but it relies on VSS on the source VM for application consistency.
- D. The Configuration Server manages communications and replication policies but doesn't directly create snapshots.
VSS (Volume Shadow Copy Service)
A technology included in Microsoft Windows that allows backup applications to create consistent snapshots of computer files or volumes, even while they are in use, typically used for application-consistent backups and replication.
- Ensures data integrity for applications by coordinating with them.
- Used by Azure Site Recovery and Azure Backup for Windows VMs.
- Creates a 'point-in-time' copy of data, including open files and in-memory data.
Memory trick: VSS on Windows, a consistent snapshot it sends, applications' data defends.