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.
Mac OS X operating systemsWindows operating systemsOracle Solaris operating systemsLinux operating systemsAIX operating systems

Supported Clients

This command is valid for all clients.

Syntax

Read syntax diagramSkip visual syntax diagramDelete ARchive options filespec {filespacename}filespec

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 systemsYou can specify a UNC name; drive label names are only used for removable media.

Windows operating systemsYou 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

Mac OS X operating systemsOracle Solaris operating systemsLinux operating systemsAIX operating systemsTask
Mac OS X operating systemsOracle Solaris operating systemsLinux operating systemsAIX operating systemsDelete a file that is named budget.

dsmc delete archive /user/home/proj1/budget

Mac OS X operating systemsOracle Solaris operating systemsLinux operating systemsAIX operating systemsTask
Mac OS X operating systemsOracle Solaris operating systemsLinux operating systemsAIX operating systemsDelete all files that are archived from the /user/home/proj1 directory with a file extension of .txt.

dsmc del arch "/user/home/proj1/*.txt"

Mac OS X operating systemsOracle Solaris operating systemsLinux operating systemsAIX operating systemsTask
Mac OS X operating systemsOracle Solaris operating systemsLinux operating systemsAIX operating systemsDelete 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

Mac OS X operating systemsOracle Solaris operating systemsLinux operating systemsAIX operating systemsTask
Mac OS X operating systemsOracle Solaris operating systemsLinux operating systemsAIX operating systemsDelete 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

Windows operating systemsTask
Windows operating systemsDelete files from file space abc in the proj directory.

dsmc delete archive {"abc"}\proj\*

Windows operating systemsTask
Windows operating systemsDelete a file that is named budget.

dsmc delete archive c:\plan\proj1\budget.jan

Windows operating systemsTask
Windows operating systemsDelete all files that are archived from the c:\plan\proj1 directory with a file extension of .txt.

delete archive c:\plan\proj1\*.txt

Windows operating systemsTask
Windows operating systemsDelete 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

Windows operating systemsTask
Windows operating systemsDelete 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