Configure Windows Server 2012 R2 - MCSA Windows Server 2012 R2: Installation and Configuration Study Guide - page 215

VssAdmin Command
Another way to create, configure, and manage shadow copies is by using the vssadmin.exe
command-line utility. The vssadmin.exe command allows you to create, delete, list, and
resize shadow copies and shadow storage.
One area where the VSS is very important is during backups. When you back up
open files, the VSS copies the data and helps back up open files. For example, when you
are backing up a Microsoft Exchange server using a Unitrends backup server, the VSS
Exchange writer is used. To see if the VSS writers are functioning properly, you can open a
command prompt (with administrative privileges) and type in the following statement:

VSSAdmin list writers

This command will show you all the different VSS service writers and how those VSS
writers are functioning properly.
Table 4.1 describes the vssadmin.exe command and the different commands associated
with the vssadmin utility.

Table 4 .1 Vssadmin.exe commands

Command Description

Add ShadowStorage Adds a new volume shadow copy storage association

Create Shadow Creates a new volume shadow copy

Delete Shadows Deletes volume shadow copies

Delete ShadowStorage Deletes the volume shadow copy storage associations

List Providers Lists registered volume shadow copy providers

List Shadows Lists existing volume shadow copies

List ShadowStorage Lists volume shadow copy storage associations

List Volumes Lists volumes eligible for shadow copies

List Writers Lists subscribed volume shadow copy writers

Resize ShadowStorage Resizes a volume shadow copy storage association

Revert Shadow Reverts a volume to a shadow copy

Query Reverts Queries the progress of in-progress revert operations