Tidy up old Windows Server Backup snapshots
- by dty
Hi,
I'm running wbadmin from a scheduled job, backing up my C: and D: drives to my E: and (I believe!) including the system state:
wbadmin start backup -backuptarget:e: -include:c:,d: -allCritical -noVerify -quiet
I'd like to delete old backups, but I'm concerned that all the information I can find says to use wbadmin to delete old system state backups, and vssadmin to delete other backups. As far as I know, my backups ARE system state backups, but are using VSS on E: for storage, so I'm worried about trying either of these techniques for fear of losing all my backups.
This is a home network, so I don't have a spare server to test this on.
I'm also happy to simply restrict the space used on E:, but I can't make sense of the difference between the /for and /on parameters of the relevant vssadmin command.
For reference, here's the output of vssadmin show shadows:
Contents of shadow copy set ID: {xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}
Contained 1 shadow copies at creation time: 07/01/2011 08:12:05
Shadow Copy ID: {xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}
Original Volume: (E:)\\?\Volume{xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}\
Shadow Copy Volume: \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy83
Originating Machine: x.y.com
Service Machine: x.y.com
Provider: 'Microsoft Software Shadow Copy provider 1.0'
Type: DataVolumeRollback
Attributes: Persistent, No auto release, No writers, Differential
[... repeated a lot...]
vssadmin show shadowstorage:
Shadow Copy Storage association
For volume: (C:)\\?\Volume{xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}\
Shadow Copy Storage volume: (C:)\\?\Volume{xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}\
Used Shadow Copy Storage space: 0 B
Allocated Shadow Copy Storage space: 0 B
Maximum Shadow Copy Storage space: 5.859 GB
Shadow Copy Storage association
For volume: (D:)\\?\Volume{xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}\
Shadow Copy Storage volume: (D:)\\?\Volume{xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}\
Used Shadow Copy Storage space: 0 B
Allocated Shadow Copy Storage space: 0 B
Maximum Shadow Copy Storage space: 40.317 GB
Shadow Copy Storage association
For volume: (E:)\\?\Volume{xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}\
Shadow Copy Storage volume: (E:)\\?\Volume{xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}\
Used Shadow Copy Storage space: 168.284 GB
Allocated Shadow Copy Storage space: 171.15 GB
Maximum Shadow Copy Storage space: UNBOUNDED
wbadmin get versions:
Backup time: 07/01/2011 03:00
Backup target: 1394/USB Disk labeled xxxxxxxxx(E:)
Version identifier: 01/07/2011-03:00
Can Recover: Volume(s), File(s), Application(s), Bare Metal Recovery, System State
[... repeated a lot...]
