Knowledge Base

Instructions on how to enable Microsoft native VSS instead of the default Acronis VSS in Acronis Backup & Recovery 11

This article applies to:

• Acronis Backup & Recovery 11 Advanced Server
• Acronis Backup & Recovery 11 Server for Windows (Standalone)
• Acronis Backup & Recovery 11 Advanced Server SBS Edition
• Acronis Backup & Recovery 11 Advanced Workstation
• Acronis Backup & Recovery 11 Virtual Edition
• Acronis Backup & Recovery 11 Workstation

(!) If you are using Acronis Backup & Recovery 10, see Acronis Backup & Recovery 10: Using Microsoft VSS instead of Acronis VSS.

Introduction

By default, Acronis Backup & Recovery 11 uses Acronis VSS Provider which interacts with Microsoft VSS to create volume shadow copies of the data. However the actual VSS snapshot created by Microsoft VSS is not used: Acronis Backup & Recovery 11 uses its own snapshot.

Solution

1. To set Microsoft VSS usage for all backup jobs, go to Options -> Default backup and recovery options -> Default backup options.

   To set Microsoft VSS usage for a backup plan, create a new backup plan or open an existing backup plan for editing, then go to Plan parameters -> Backup options.

2. In Options window, go to Volume Shadow Copy Service section. Make sure that the option Use Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) is selected. In Snapshot provider menu select the option Software - System provider:

   

(!) If you are using Microsoft VSS, make sure that:

• Acronis Managed Machine Service is running under account with Administrator rights (hit Win-R and in the Run window type services.msc. In Services window, locate Acronis Managed Machine service and look in Log on as column: this account must be a member of Administrators group)
  Changing MMS user

  1. On the machine with the Acronis Agent for Windows, go to Start-Run -> services.msc -> and locate Acronis Managed Machine Service.
  2. Right-click on Acronis Managed Machine Service and and select Properties -> Log on tab;
  3. Select This account and specify an account that belongs to Administrators group in the domain;
  4. Restart MMS: right-click on Acronis Managed Machine Service and select Restart.

• Make sure the task is launched with Administrator credentials: in Create/edit backup plan window go to Plan parameters and press Show plan's credentials, comments, label. Look under Plan's credentials: the specified account needs to belong to Administrators group.

  

More information

See also Using Microsoft VSS instead of Acronis VSS. 

See also Microsoft TechNet Article: What Is Volume Shadow Copy Service?

(!) Backup with Microsoft VSS provider on Windows Small Business Server 2011 may not work correctly after Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2010 Service Pack 1 (SP1) installation.