A Guide to Creating VSS-Enabled EBS Snapshots

When enabled, Skeddly can create VSS-enabled EBS snapshots. The following action types support VSS-enabled EBS snapshots:

• Backup Multiple EC2 Instances

• Backup EC2 Instance

• Create Multiple EBS Snapshots

• Create EBS Snapshot

VSS-enabled EBS snapshots are also available when using Skeddly's Managed Instances.

To enable VSS-enabled EBS snapshots, select one of the "VSS-Enabled via SSM" choices in the "Consistency Method" field:

Since VSS is not supported on all EC2 instances, a fallback method is selected as well. When snapshots are being created, if Skeddly determines that VSS-enabled snapshots cannot be created, the fallback method will be used instead.

Requirements

In order to create VSS-enabled EBS snapshots, the following is required:

• The EC2 instance must be running Windows Server 2008 R2 or later.

• The EC2 instance must be running SSM Agent version 2.2.58.0 or later.

• AWS Tools for Windows PowerShell version 4.0.5.0 or later.

• The EC2 instance must be running an IAM role which gives it permissions to receive and execute SSM commands (EC2 Run Commands).

• The EC2 instance must have outbound access to the internet via port 443.

• Skeddly will create an SSM document called Skeddly-VssCreateSnapshots in each region where EBS snapshots are to be created.

• Skeddly will install the AWS VSS Components on the EC2 instances as part of the backup process.

Additional Notes

• The IAM role which the EC2 instance is using does not need to have any of the snapshot permissions. Those are supplied by the Skeddly IAM role/user.

• Ensure you use Skeddly's IAM Policy Generator to include all necessary commands in your IAM role's/user's permission document.