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Files backed up with BACKUP.UNET can also be restored using BACKUP.UNET. By default, files are restored from the most recent backup, but can be restored from any other backup you specify. BACKUP.UNET can restore any number of selected files or an entire file system.
Restore options let you:
- Re name files at the time they are restored.
- Retain or update the file modification time.
- Restore file links.
- Delete files marked as deleted in the catalog at the time of restoration.
- Restore your own files, or files to which you had read access when the files were backed up. (You must have write permissions to all associated directories.)
You must have specific permission to restore files or you must be a BACKUP.UNET administrator. To restore a file, you must either own it or have had read access to it when it was backed up. You must also have write permission in the directory where you are restoring the files. If you are a BACKUP.UNET administrator, you can restore all or part of a system (configurable using message number 19 in the 'nbkMSGS' file), so long as you can write to the directory. For information about the 'nbkMSGS' file, refer to the BACKUP.UNET Customization and Reference Guide.
The following steps briefly describe the restore process:
- From the BACKUP.UNET main dialog, select the host in the Hosts list box from which you want to restore files.
Choose Backup Restore from the BACKUP.UNET main dialog to display the Restore dialog. By default, the most recent names of all files that have been backed up are displayed.
Click the Options button to display the Restore Options dialog. Examine the current settings; they will be used as the basis for the restore. Make any necessary modifications to the restore settings. (Refer to Setting Restore Options on page 5 6.)
- Build the list of files to be restored. In the Restore dialog, choose directories and files to be restored from the Most Recent Version of all Files list box. (Refer to Selecting Files to be Restored on page 5 8.) To restore files from a specific backup, click the Dumps button to display the Dump to Restore dialog. From this dialog, you can select a specific dump.
- Select a provider and a device to use for the restore job. This step is optional; if you skip this step, a provider and device are automatically selected. (Refer to Selecting a Provider and Device on page 5 12.)
- Start the restore job by clicking the Apply button. (Refer to Starting the Restore Job on page 5 14.)
- Check the status of the restore process, if desired. (Refer to Viewing the Status of a Restore Job on page 5 16.)
- From the BACKUP.UNET main dialog, select the host in the Hosts list box for which you want to restore files.
- Choose Backup Restore from the BACKUP.UNET main dialog to display the Restore dialog (Figure 5 1).
Graphic: Figure 5-1. Restore Dialog
The Restore dialog contains the following fields:
Most Recent Version of all Files
List box. By default, displays the names of all files and directories at the "/" level that have been backed up. This list can be restricted to a specific backup by choosing the name or date of a backup using the Dumps pushbutton (described below). If the list is restricted in this way, then the title of this field will change to reflect the associated backup. Directories are indicated by /... after the name. Links are indicated by an arrow after the name. The current directory is indicated in the small box above the list box. Press the SELECT mouse button on the directory box to move up and down in the directory tree.
Files to Restore
List box. Displays the files and directories selected from the Most Recent Version/Files from list box. Directories are indicated by /... after the name. Links are indicated by an arrow after the name. The current directory is indicated in the small box above the list box. Press the SELECT mouse button on the directory box to move up and down in the directory tree.
Open
Pushbuttons. Used to open a selected directory.
Copy
Pushbutton. Used to copy selected files or directories to the Files to Restore list box.
Exclude
Pushbutton. Used to delete selected files or directories from the Files to Restore list box. Excluded files and directories are not restored.
Reset
Pushbutton. Clears the Files to Restore list box.
Restore Files to Directory
Text field. Used to specify a directory into which the files and directories will be restored.
Options
Pushbutton. Displays the Restore Options dialog. Contains options used to determine how the dump information is displayed and restored.
Dumps
Pushbutton. Displays the Dump to Restore dialog. Contains options to restore from all dumps, a specific date, and a named full dump.
Devices
Pushbutton. Displays the Restore Device dialog. Use to select a pool provider and a device to be used for the restore. This pushbutton is active when at least one file or directory is displayed in the Files to Restore list box.
Use the Restore Options dialog to set the parameters that determine how the files are to be searched and then displayed in the files box on the Restore dialog. Once the file list is displayed you build a list of the files to be restored.
- From the Restore dialog, click the Options button. The Restore Options dialog is displayed (Figure 5 2).
Graphic: Figure 5-2. Restore Options Dialog
- Examine the current settings; BACKUP.UNET uses these settings as the basis for searches and restores. Make any necessary modifications to the settings:
Only Display Files Owned By You
Check box. The default setting is not selected. When not selected, you can restore only those files to which you have read access, and which you have write access to the target directory. When selected, you can restore only those files you own.
Don't Restore Directory Subtrees
Check box. The default setting is not selected. Files and directories are restored recursively; that is, the directories, its subdirectories, and files will be restored. When selected, only directory names are restored.
Reset File Dates
Check box. The default setting is not selected. Whenever a file is backed up, information about when that file was last modified is associated with the file. When a file is restored, this information is also restored. When selected, files are restored with the current date and time.
Restore Files Marked As Deleted
Check box. The default setting is not selected. When an incremental backup is run and a previously backed up file has been deleted, the backup file lists the file as deleted and keeps track of the file.
When not selected, if a new file has been created with the same name as the deleted file, and the directory containing the file is restored, the host ignores the deleted files in the restore process. This ensures that newly created files are not wiped out in the restore process. When selected, the restore replaces any new files created since the last backup that have the same names as deleted files.
- To save any changes, click the Apply button. (To cancel any changes, click the Dismiss button.) Continue to the next section, Selecting Files to be Restored.
Use the Restore dialog to build a list of the files to be restored. By default, the Restore dialog displays the files from the latest set of backups; that is, the last full backup and all the incremental backups since then. You can also restore files from a specific backup and a named full dump.
Since this is the default restore option, simply select the directories and files to restore from the list of files from the most recent version of all files. Build the list of files to restore as described in Building the File Restore List on page 5 9.
Use the Dump to Restore dialog to select a backup or a named full backup from which to restore files.
- From the Restore dialog, click the Dumps button. The Dump to Restore dialog is displayed.
- Click the Dump radio button to display a list of dumps (Figure 5 3).
Graphic: Figure 5-3. Dump to Restore Dialog Showing Dumps
- Select the dump from which you want to restore files.
- To save the selection, click the Apply button. The Dump to Restore dialog closes and you are returned to the Restore dialog.
- The files that were backed up on the named full dump you selected are displayed in the Files from list box on the left. To select the files and directories to restore, continue with the next section, Building the File Restore List.
Once you have selected the dump, you must select the files and directories to be restored, using the Restore dialog. Basically, you select files and directories from the Files from list box on the left and then click the Copy button. The files and directories you selected are displayed in the Files to Restore list box on the right. These are the files that will be restored.
- If you do not want to restore files from the latest dump (the default option) and you have not selected another dump, see Selecting Files to be Restored on page 5 8 and select a dump. Then continue with step 2.
- 2. The Restore dialog contains two list boxes. The left list box displays the contents of the dump selected from the Dump to Restore dialog. The right list box is titled Files to Restore and is used to display those files and directories that you select from the left list box (Figure 5 1).
- Build a list of files and directories to restore:
- Selecting files: select a file from the left list box and click the Copy button. To select multiple files, hold down the SHIFT key while selecting files OR drag the cursor down the file list and then click the Copy button. Each time you click the Copy button, the selected files are copied to the Files to Restore list box.
- Selecting directories: directories are displayed with an ellipsis (. . . ) after the directory name. To view the contents of a directory, select the directory and click the Open button. (You can also double click the directory name to open it.) To move around in the directory tree, point to the small box at the top left of the Files from list box. Press and hold the SELECT mouse button to display the directories. While still holding the button down, drag the pointer over the directories until the correct directory is highlighted. Then release the button. Select a file or a directory and click the Copy button to copy the selection to the Files to Restore list box. Figure 5 4 shows a sample Restore dialog with files and directories in the Files to Restore list box.
Graphic: Figure 5-4. Restore Dialog Showing Files and Directories to Restore
- To delete a file from the Files to Restore list box, select the file and click the Exclude button. The file is deleted from the list.
To delete all entries from the Files to Restore list box, click the Reset button.
- To restore the selected files to a different directory, position the cursor in the Restore Files to Directory field and enter its fully qualified name. You must have write permission in the directory into which the files are being restored.
- Before starting the restore job, you can optionally select a provider and device for the restore. See Selecting a Provider and Device for instructions. If you do not select a provider and a device, BACKUP.UNET selects them automatically. You can continue to Starting the Restore Job.
Use the Restore Device dialog to select a pool provider and associated device for the restore.
- From the Restore dialog, click the Devices button to display the Restore Device dialog (Figure 5-5 ).
Graphic: Figure 5-5. Restore Device Dialog
- Select the pool provider from the Pool Provider list box to be used for the restore. Any devices associated with the provider are displayed in the Device list box. If you do not select a provider, BACKUP.UNET automatically selects one.
- Optionally, select a device from the Device list box to be used for the restore. If you do not select a device, BACKUP.UNET automatically selects one.
- To save the selections, click the Apply button. The Restore Device dialog closes and you are returned to the Restore dialog.
- To start the restore job, follow the instructions in Starting the Restore Job.
Before you start the restore job be sure you have:
- Set the restore options (described on page 5-6)
- Selected files to be restored (described on page 5-8 )
- Optionally selected a provider and device to use for the restore job (described on page 5-12)
Once you have completed the steps above, you are ready to start the restore job:
- From the Restore dialog, click the Apply button to start the restore job.
Note: If another restore or backup request is running when you initiate your restore, your request is queued and will be processed when the related tables are no longer active.
- An information dialog is displayed, letting you know the restore job has been submitted. The operation key identifies the job number. Use this number when checking the status of your job. Click the OK button to dismiss the dialog.
- Once the file restore is started, you can:
- Close the Restore dialog and continue with other functions. OR
- Request the status of the restore job using the Status main dialog option. See Viewing the Status of a Restore Job for instructions.
Before restoring files you should be aware of the following conditions:
- During long operations, such as restoring a large file, the amount of time that a process needs to respond to a remote procedure call (RPC) may cause the RPC to timeout. To avoid this problem, you can use message number 15 in the 'nbkMSGS' file to set a larger RPC timeout value.
- When restoring unusually large files (especially during system recovery), check to make sure that the BACKUP.UNET ulimit is large enough to restore the largest file. A file whose size exceeds the ulimit is not restored and an entry is made in the log file indicating this condition:
WARNING file filename is too large, skipping...
You can restore the indicated files after the restore operation is complete. Use message number 13 in the 'nbkMSGS' file to set a larger ulimit value and then restore any files that were not restored.
Refer to the BACKUP.UNET Customization and Reference Guide for information about using the 'nbkMSGS' file.
If you are waiting to use a specific file or files to complete a project, you may want to see how your file restore is progressing.
- From the BACKUP.UNET main dialog, click Status on the menu bar to display the Status menu.
- Select Backups/Restores to display the Backup and Restore Jobs dialog.
- If your restore job is being processed, the key, type, status, process ID (PID), and the estimated completion time are displayed.
- If you want to check on the status again in a few minutes, click the Update button to get an updated status.
- When finished viewing the status, click the Dismiss button.
Once you have started a restore job, you can cancel it using the Backup and Restore Jobs dialog:
- From the main dialog select Status Backups/Restores to display the Backup and Restore Jobs dialog.
- Select the restore job you want to cancel and click the Cancel Job button.
- You will be prompted to confirm this action.To continue with the cancellation of the selected restore job, click the OK button. To abort this action, thus allowing the restore job to continue, click the Cancel button.