It is important to manage the size and number of snapshots (shadow copies). In general, the amount of disk space allocated for these snapshots depends on how frequently the data changes rather than how much data is being stored. If the frequency of changes to each file is greater than the amount of space allocated for storage of shadow copies, then no shadow copy is created.

You can configure the location and size of the storage to be used for snapshots by modifying Properties for the virtual disk. Volume Shadow Copy Service requires that the NTFS volume have at least 300 MB of free space (the default) available on the system to store the snapshots. For more information about modifying the maximum storage size, see Modifying the Configuration of a Virtual Disk.

Snapshots of virtual disks generally remain in the Microsoft iSCSI Software Target console and are available for use unless a specific action or condition causes them to be deleted:

Caution
If a snapshot is deleted, it cannot be recovered. You should take precautions to ensure that snapshots are not accidentally deleted.

Membership in the local Administrators group, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure. Review the details in "Additional considerations" in this topic.

To delete a snapshot

  1. In Microsoft iSCSI Software Target, in the console tree, double-click Snapshots, and then click Active Snapshots.

  2. In the results pane, right-click the snapshot you want to delete, and then click Delete Snapshot.

  3. When prompted to confirm the deletion, click Yes.

Additional considerations

  • You must be a member of the local Administrators group to perform these tasks.

  • To open iSCSI Software Target, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Microsoft iSCSI Software Target.

  • Another way to open iSCSI Software Target is to click Start, click Run, and then type iscsitarget.msc.

Additional references

  • Deleting a Snapshot Schedule
  • Providing Local Access to Data on Virtual Disks