Delete Archive

The delete archive command deletes archived files from IBM Spectrum® Protect server storage. Your administrator must give you the authority to delete archived files.

Important: When you delete archived files, you cannot retrieve them. Verify that the files are obsolete before you delete them.

Supported Clients

This command is valid for all clients.

Syntax

Parameters

filespec

Specifies the path and file name that you want to delete from storage. Use wildcard characters to specify a group of files or all files in a directory. You can also use the filelist option to process a list of files. The backup-archive client opens the file that you specify with this option and processes the list of files within according to the specific command.

Note: If you indicate filespacename, do not include a drive letter in the file specification.

{filespacename}

Specifies the file space (enclosed in braces) on the server that contains the file you want to delete. This is the name on the workstation drive from which the file was archived.

Use the filespacename if the name was changed, or if you are deleting files that are archived from another node with drive labels that are different from yours.

Windows operating systems You can specify a UNC name; drive label names are only used for removable media.

Windows operating systems You must specify a mixed or lowercase NTFS or ReFS file space name that is enclosed in quotation marks and braces. For example, {"NTFSDrive"}. Single quotation marks are valid in loop mode. For example, {"NTFSDrive"} and {'NTFSDrive'} are both valid. In batch mode, only single quotation marks are valid. The single quotation mark requirement is a restriction of the operating system.

Table 1. Delete Archive command: Related options
Option	Where to use
dateformat	Client options file (dsm.opt) or command line.
description	Command line only.
filelist	Command line only.
noprompt	Command line only.
numberformat	Client options file (dsm.opt) or command line.
pick	Command line only.
subdir	Client options file (dsm.opt) or command line.
tapeprompt	Client options file (dsm.opt) or command line.
timeformat	Client options file (dsm.opt) or command line.

Examples

Task: Delete a file that is named budget.
dsmc delete archive /user/home/proj1/budget
Task: Delete all files that are archived from the /user/home/proj1 directory with a file extension of .txt.
dsmc del arch "/user/home/proj1/*.txt"
Task: Delete files that are archived from the /user/project directory by using the pick option to display a list of archive copies that match the file specification. From the list, you can select the versions to process.
dsmc delete archive "/user/project/*" -pick
Task: Delete selected files from the group of files that are archived with the description Monthly Budgets 2010 located in /user/projects and its subdirectories.
dsmc delete ar "/user/projects/*" -description="Monthly Budgets 2010" -pick -subdir=yes
Task: Delete files from file space abc in the proj directory.
dsmc delete archive {"abc"}\proj\*
Task: Delete a file that is named budget.
dsmc delete archive c:\plan\proj1\budget.jan
Task: Delete all files that are archived from the c:\plan\proj1 directory with a file extension of .txt.
delete archive c:\plan\proj1\*.txt
Task: Delete files that are archived from the c:\project directory by using the pick option to display a list of archive copies that match the file specification. From the list, you can select the versions to process.
dsmc delete archive c:\project\* -pick
Task: Delete selected files from the group of files that are archived with the description Monthly Budgets 2013 located in c:\projects and its subdirectories.
dsmc delete ar c:\projects\* -description="Monthly Budgets 2013" -pick -subdir=yes