Some info on VSS required

[sddchub]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to ask / clarify some points on VSS.

I have quiet a few VMs on ESXi and am backing them up via a backup software.

Do i need to have vss enabled for VMs only with SQL and Exchange installed?

or

Do i need to have vss enabled for all Windows VM?

I ask, because i receive vss snapshot failure alerts for VMs which don't have any databases or exchange installed. vss admin listwriters shows "no error" as well.

thanks 

[#2]

Don't know what kind of backup software you use, but can you choose if the backup for a certain VM or a group of VM's must be done using VSS or 'Application Aware"?

[#3]

@Harm_Veenstra thank you for the reply.

i think i did not phrase the question correctly.

My Question is : If there is no exchange / sql running on a windows server - do we "have" to have app consistent backup option checked in a backup job for that VM or we can simply take crash consistent snapshot of a vm ? I understand, that it will still take a healthy backup and VSS / app-consistent / app - aware option is only good when we have SQL / Exchange installed in a VM / Machine ? 

thanks

[#4]

Yes, you should only have it enabled for applications that actually benefit from it (Databases/Exchange etc.) But you will have to have a good insight in your applications of course, some have internal databases that could benefit from it. Don't know if your backup tool reseller has any best practices?

Can you see for your VM's what you can restore when selecting the VM in your backup tool? If you can select a SQL, Exchange or whatever next to files and system state backup.. Then you know that those need it ;)