virtual storage driver, from Microsoft External links Options

[bilou_gateux]

This is an example of a VSS hardware provider. Vsssampleprovider along with the virtual storage driver (virtualstorage.sys) and virtual storage controller (vstorcontrol.exe) located in the "C:\Program Files\Microsoft\VSSSDK72\TestApps\hwprovst\bin" directory can be used to emulate the functionality of a hardware provider.

You will first need to download the VSS SDK.

Install it and play with it.

I hope The Finder will love it.
if this post is placed in the wrong subforum, Jaclaz will move it where it's more appropriate.

[was_jaclaz]

I hope The Finder will love it.

I may, if I only could understand what it does or it is supposed to do.
Since you posted it in the IMDISK forum, I guess that it has something to do with Virtual Filesystem Driver.....

What the heck is a "VSS hardware provider"? , I know about "HSS hardware provider":
http://www.chinasuppliers.globalsources.co...s/Hss-Drill.htm

if this post is placed in the wrong subforum, Jaclaz will move it where it's more appropriate.

Well, since you asked for it...

Thanks for the link, I'll have a look at it, in the meantime, you can have a look at these:
Gizmo:
http://arainia.com/software/gizmo/overview.php?nID=4
Pismo:
http://www.pismotechnic.com/pfm/

Rhymes in "smo" appear to be going strong.....


jaclaz

P.S.:
Well now it's clear (from the linked page)

The Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) is a new service in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. It is essentially a framework facilitating communication between applications, storage subsystems, and storage management applications (including backup applications) in order to define, persist and exploit point-in-time copies of storage data.

Is there a reason WHY the good MS guys cannot speak English?

With my (limited) knowledge of English as an alien, translation is:

The Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) is a new service in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.
It is essentially bla-bla, storage bla-bla, more storage bla-bla (including backup applications) in order to bla-bla, bla-bla, bla-bla copies of bla-bla.

[bilou_gateux]

similar to:
Ken Kato VDK
Olof Lagerkvist ImDisk
and same as
'XP Embedded SDI virtual disk drive'
with more drive type supported: cd-rom cd-r cd-rw removabledisk fixeddisk

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?...amp;#entry32954

@strawtarget

FYI, VDK.EXE already creates a "PhysicalDrive" type of connection, though still not "good enough" to also work with device manager/disk manager.

virtual disk listed in Device Manager under Disk Drives and can be manipulated with 'Disk Management' snap-in (well not exactly, rather it communicates with the Logical Disk Manager service) & DiskPart.

Virtual drives can be created and deleted via the ‘vstorcontrol’ command:

CODE

Commands:
     install   - Installs the Virtual Storage Driver
     uninstall - Uninstalls Virtual Storage
     create    - Creates a drive
     remove    - Removes a drive
     insert    - Inserts a disk into the drive
     eject     - Ejects a disk from the drive
     resize    - Resizes a disk in the drive
     query     - Displays information about the drive
     list      - Lists all drives created on virtual storage
     help      - Displays detailed help for commands
vstorcontrol help <command> displays detailed help

Bin folder content:

Precompiled x86 versions of provider and kernel virtual storage driver as well as installation scripts

[edit]
removed broken RS download link
This file has been deleted.
Reason: No download for a longer period. Inactivity-timeout exceeded.
[/edit]

This post has been edited by bilou_gateux: May 20 2009, 09:26 AM

[bilou_gateux]

DOSDEV.EXE - Utility to capture Drive Letter to Device mappings (version 5.1.3604.0)

download here select MPSRPT_CLUSTER.EXE extract from exe with parameters: /C /T:<some_path_here> /Q

With this tool, you can list, assign or delete letter to partition created on Virtual disks (and Physical disks)

Some examples:

CODE

vstorcontrol create fixeddisk -size 256M -memory

You can also create a script for Diskpart with the commands needed:

CODE

diskpart> list disk
  Disk 3  Online  251 MB
diskpart> select disk 3
  Disk 3 is now the selected disk.
diskpart> list partition
  There are no partitions on this disk to show.
diskpart> create partition primary
  DiskPart succeeded in creating the specified partition.
diskpart> list partition
  * Partition 1  Primary  251 MB
diskpart> list volume
  * Volume 6  Partition  251 MB  Healthy
diskpart> exit

Harddisk number and HarddiskVolume may be different on your box, depending of the number of disks you have and Partitions on these disks.

CODE

dosdev -a|find "PhysicalDrive"
dosdev -a -r Z: \Device\Harddisk3\Partition1
rem or
dosdev -a|find "Volume{"
dosdev -a -r Z: \Device\HarddiskVolume6
rem format the new partition
echo VDISK|FORMAT /FS:NTFS /Q /V:VDISK /A:512 Z: /Y

CODE

dosdev -d -r Z:
vstorcontrol remove \\.\PhysicalDrive3

[JonF]

The Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) is a new service in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. It is essentially a framework facilitating communication between applications, storage subsystems, and storage management applications (including backup applications) in order to define, persist and exploit point-in-time copies of storage data.

I've bolded the part that's importtant to me. VSS allows you to "fork" a disk, allowing one "fork" to change and preventing the other "fork" from changing. It, or its equivalent, is how all backup programs and imaging programs work in modern multitasking operating systems. How do you make an image which requires finite time to create when the contents of the disk are constantly changing on time scales far smaller than the image creation? A shadow copy.

Nobody's gotten VSS running in VistaPE, so DriveImage XML can't back up NTFS partitions in VistaPE. Kind of limiting. Ghost implements its own equivalent and works in VistaPE.

[joakim]

Nobody's gotten VSS running in VistaPE, so DriveImage XML can't back up NTFS partitions in VistaPE. Kind of limiting. Ghost implements its own equivalent and works in VistaPE.

At least we have gotten vss running under 2k3 in a preinstallation environment. See my thread at http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=22533 about StorageCraft ShadowProtect Server edition that is dependant on vss. It could be possible here by adapting the procedure to fit vista. Remember vista has a more matured version of vss than xp and 2k3 had. Check it out.

Joakim

[JonF]

At least we have gotten vss running under 2k3 in a preinstallation environment. See my thread at http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=22533 about StorageCraft ShadowProtect Server edition that is dependant on vss. It could be possible here by adapting the procedure to fit vista. Remember vista has a more matured version of vss than xp and 2k3 had. Check it out.

Thanks. I'll check it out ... may take some time. Lots of more important stuff on my plate now.

[was_jaclaz]

Nothing much useful , just the usual bunch of simple batches.

1. vsmount.cmd <-mount an image file, installing the virtualstorage.sys if needed
2. vsUmount.cmd <-UNmount an image file, UNinstalling the virtualstorage.sys if there are NO other images mounted
3. mkhelptxt.cmd <-creates a vstorhelp.txt file with all the options of vstorcontrol help

they should be placed in the same directory where:

• vstorcontrol.exe
• virtualstorage.inf
• virtualstorage.sys

are.



jaclaz

Attached File(s)

 VSSbatches.zip ( 2.25K ) Number of downloads: 109

 

[bilou_gateux]

Nothing much useful , just the usual bunch of simple batches.

If Sherpya read this post, maybe could he write for us a nice shell extension like he has done in the past with filedisk

this driver is one of my favorite and i like command line tools but sometimes a right click is very handy.

[was_jaclaz]

this driver is one of my favorite and i like command line tools but sometimes a right click is very handy.

Yep, everyone has his ways, I find right click very nice, but often I have systems with already too many options with right-clicking.

I prefer a "multiple desktop", with a desktop with shortcuts to utilities for each "chore" I'm going to perform.

JFYI, though I have NOT tested this feature, the mount and umount should work allright with drag'n drop the image file over the batch (or a link to it), if you just add:

CODE

CD /D %~dp0

before the:

IF %1.==. GOTO :Usage

in both batches.

(modified files attached)



jaclaz

Attached File(s)

 VSSbatches_2.zip ( 2.26K ) Number of downloads: 107