Recovering files

About this task

Administrators can use FastBack Mount for efficient file-level recovery and to minimize downtime by mounting snapshots to virtual volumes. On supported Windows operating systems, file-level recovery is supported on NTFS volumes.
Note: File-level recovery is not supported for FastBack Server repository data on Tivoli® Storage Manager tape media. For more information, see Volume and file recovery.

(Linux only) To run a file-level recovery for a Linux system, see File-level restore and instant restore (Linux).

(Windows only) To run a file-level recovery for a Windows system, complete the following steps:
  1. Use administrator credentials to log on to the FastBack Client system where you want to restore files. FastBack Mount is installed on the FastBack Client system.
  2. (32-bit operating systems only) Start FastBack Mount by going to the Microsoft Windows taskbar area and clicking the FastBack Mount icon. The taskbar area is also called the system tray.
  3. (64-bit operating systems only) Start FastBack Mount by selecting Programs > Tivoli Storage Manager > FastBack > FastBack Mount.
  4. In the FastBack Mount window, select the repository to use as the source. By default the local repository is selected. You can select a network-shared source.

    If you do not see the repository in the list, select Browse for folder to go to and select a volume.

    When you connect to a shared folder with the repository volume, use the following format when you enter credentials:
    • For non-domains, systemname\username, then type the corresponding Microsoft Windows password.
    • For domains, domainname\username, then type the corresponding Microsoft Windows password.
    If you want to unload an open repository, click Remove.
  5. To refresh data that is displayed according to the repository that is selected, click Refresh.
  6. (Optional) To change the caching options, click Settings. You can select the following options:
    Enable
    Caching is enabled. Caching is not required for local, SAN, and shared repositories.
    Access Auto-check
    Select Access autocheck to gray out all the snapshots where the current user does not have permissions.
  7. Select a policy. The list includes all policies that apply to the repository that you selected.
  8. Select a server. The list includes servers that are backed up per the selected policy.
  9. Select a volume. The list includes volumes that are backed up on the selected server. Choose the volume that has the copy of the file that you want to restore.
  10. Select a date. The list includes snapshots that ran for a selected volume. You can select a specific snapshot or, at the end of the list, select the Last Snapshot option. The Last Snapshot option mounts the snapshot that is last on the list when the volume is mounted. If you mount the last snapshot, if a new snapshot completes on the same volume, the mounted volume is not automatically updated.
  11. Click Mount.
  12. In the Choose mount destination window, select a drive where you want the data to be mounted and click OK.
  13. Open Windows Explorer. The volume mounted to the drive you selected is displayed.
  14. Open a second Windows Explorer window. Go to the drive where you want to restore the files.
  15. From the Windows Explorer window with the mounted volume, select the files to restore. Drag-and-drop the files to the second Windows Explorer window, to the drive where to restore the files. Verify that the size of the target is equal to, or greater than the size of the files to be restored. Otherwise, the file recovery process does not complete.
Parent topic: Volume and file recovery