Is It OK To Change System Volume Information (VSS) Size

[Fazza]

I've got several servers that keep running out of space on the C: drive when there is actually very little data on there but it's the System Volume Information folder (VSS) taking up all the space and causing the drive to be dangerously low on space as the OS needs some breathing space and 99% full is not good!

 

For example I have one server with a 799GB C: drive but it's over 80% full despite only having 155GB of actual data/files on the drive C: as the System Volume Information folder is taking up all the space - specifically the VSS as per this:

 

 

As you can see it has automatically allocated (UNBOUNDED) 525GB of the 799GB for volume shadow copy services (I assume DPM is using this for backups) - you can change the allocated space by running vssadmin resize shadowstorage /for=C: /on=C: /maxsize=50GB or you can actually create another volume for VSS so I could create another VHDX file and use that purely for the VSS.

 

 

So, should I restrict the size of the VSS to say 250GB (rather than the 525GB it currently is) or should I create another volume and redirect the CSS to that and if so what size do I set it at?!

[strawberry]

I would try a reboot and a reinstall of the DPM client first.

[Fazza]

I would try a reboot and a reinstall of the DPM client first.

 

Has made no difference. There are still 128 shadow copies on the system.

 

I have run the vssadmin delete shadows /all command (after ensuring there are no pending Windows Updates waiting to be installed) and it's now deleting all the Shadow Copies and freeing up loads of space.

 

 

Should DPM have automatically pruned the shadow copies or does it just leave them on there and simply use whatever space has been allocated for shadow copies?

Edited January 7, 2020 by Fazza