Recovering and restoring your database

You can use several IBM i save and restore functions to recover your database after the system loses data.

Recovering data in a database file
The IBM i operating system uses journaling and commitment control to help you recover data in a database file.
Reducing time in access path recovery
The system ensures the integrity of an access path before you can use it. If the system determines that the access path is unusable, the system attempts to recover it. Access path recovery might take a long time; however, you can reduce the recovery time in several ways.
Database recovery process after an abnormal system end
After an abnormal system end, the system proceeds through several automatic recovery steps. The system rebuilds the directory and synchronizes the journal to the files being journaled. The system performs recovery operations during IPL and after IPL.
Reclaim database cross reference files
The database manager maintains information for all database files in a set of files called database cross reference files. The database cross reference files contain both file level attributes and field level attributes. If the database cross reference information becomes inconsistent with the actual file definitions, a reclaim can be performed to repopulate the information for all the database files on the system, all the database files in a library, or all the libraries that database cross reference has marked as inconsistent.
Database save and restore
You can save and restore database files and related objects with any supported device and media or a save file.
Database considerations for save and restore
Consider these tips when using the IBM i database save and restore functions.

Parent topic: Managing database files

Related concepts

Writing data and access paths to auxiliary storage
Backup and recovery