How to check that the database is "registered with the SQL Anywhere Volume Shadow Copy Service writer"?

[former_SQLA_member326303]

I need to verify using the SQL Anywhere 16/17 functions that the database is "registered with the SQL Anywhere Volume Shadow Copy Service module". I created and started the following Windows service:

dbsvc -as -s Automatic -t vss -w SAVSSWriter "C:\\Program Files\\SQL Anywhere 17\\Bin64\\dbvss17.exe"

To find out if the database is ready to interact with the VSS-service, I use "exotic" (from my point of view) functions:

select * from sa_server_messages() where msg_text like '%writer%'

and/or

select xp_cmdshell('NET START | find "SAVSSWriter"', 'no_output' )

Q1: Are there more "natural" functions?
And one more question.
Q2:How to find out the value of -vss database server option without analyzing the ASA-log message (like '24: -vss-')?

[VolkerBarth]

I don't know an answer for Q1, but for Q2:

select property('CommandLine')

lists the full command line option, no matter whether the database server was started normally or as a service. So parsing for -vss should be doable.

[VolkerBarth]

Besides that, on Windows, you may use service dependencies to assure that VSS is running with the SA server and vice versa. See dbsvc -rg resp. -rs

[former_SQLA_member326303]

Vielen Dank, Volker.

[former_SQLA_member326303]

Many clients start the database as a server without using service (for example via ODBC Data Source where Action = Start and connect to a database ...).
In my opinion, in this case we cannot synchronize the start of the VSS-service after starting the database. So I assumed that the VSS-service will be running 24/7.

[VolkerBarth]

Otherwise you might use a DatabaseStart event to check whether the VSS process is running and otherwise start that? (If the database engine is allowed to start dbvss, that is...)

[former_SQLA_member326303]

"Сheck whether the VSS process is running"-sentence brings us back to Q1.
Windows user rights and SA Windows services is a separate issue. For example, recently for SQLANYs...-service I was not able to change the local system account to the admin account in Central (not enough rights), but managed to do this in services.msc.

[VolkerBarth]

You might also check the output of "vssadmin list writers".

[former_SQLA_member326303]

select xp_cmdshell('vssadmin list writers | find "SQLAnywhere VSS Writer"', 'no_output' );

[VolkerBarth]

Nice solution, particularly as this is independent of the (individually different) DBVSS service name...