Are shadow copies "read only" and un-usable?

[robertpri]

I have installed build 2008 on the Windows Server 2003 and configured the databases to be copied first to a second hard drive. This is set to run to daily folders: Monday, Tuesday, etc, so we’ll have a new copy every weekday. But I asked the question on another thread here if the shadow copy can be directly copied back into the source in a crisis. The answer was “yes” but the source would have to be inactive or off.

Fine, but in the meantime, I found this from MS”

“Note that shadow copies are read-only. If you want to convert a shadow copy to a read/write LUN, you can use a storage-management application (including some requestors) that is compatible with the Virtual Disk Service, in addition to the Volume Shadow Copy Service. Using this application, you can remove the shadow copy from Volume Shadow Copy Service management and convert it to a read/write LUN.

So, how does this affect the VV Pro 2 sVSS copy? Does VV Pro 2 build 2008 have this Virtual Disk Service?

[source:]

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windowsserver2003/library/TechRef/3cf204e6-709a-4eb8-8cbc-ad9655de91ba.mspx

[robertpri]

I thought this would be a quick reply. The MS site I quote above says shadow copies are 'read only'. So, does that mean they can be copied back to the source and used, or are they read only?

[TGRMN Software]

Hello
Read-only refers to the original volume snapshot that VV takes to copy the files. Not to the resulting files in Target.
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[Guest]

Many thanks!