How to configure NetBackup to choose a specific VSS Provider for System State backups when more than one provider is present on the OS

Problem

By default Windows 2003 and Windows 2008 come with a single VSS Provider.  When more than one Provider exists, one of them should be flagged as the "Default". When NetBackup starts a snapshot based backup, NetBackup asks the OS to use the currently configured "Default Provider".  

Example on Windows 2008:

Error Message

We have frequently observed that using the native Microsoft technique to modify which VSS Provider is listed as Default, does not work.

Microsoft Article: Microsoft KB Archive/919596 - BetaArchive Wiki

Solution

Starting in NetBackup 7.1, Veritas Engineering has improved the NetBackup Client Agent by creating adding additional functionality to the w2koption command which allows the user to specify which VSS Provider to use.  The original setting of "use the default provider" remains the same.  If you have multiple VSS Providers and this setting causes NetBackup to use your VSS Provider of choice, then no action needs to be taken.

However, if you'd rather have NetBackup use a provider which is not flagged as default, use the new functionality in the client-side 'w2koption' command to specify which VSS Provider to use.   

New Syntax:
w2koption -backup -snapshotprovidertype <0, 1 2, 3>

Example to force NetBackup to use the System provider:
     w2koption -backup -snapshotprovidertype 1