Implementing custom application and file system restore scenarios

You can use a VSS instant restore operation to restore a local VSS backup and overwrite the entire volume data. You can use a VSS fast restore operation to restore a local VSS backup that copies the files on the volume at the time of the backup.

1. If the custom application is running, stop or suspend it. For a file system, close any open handles to that file system.
2. Restore from a VSS backup by specifying the fcmcli restore command with the /INSTANTRestore=yes parameter (VSS instant restore) or /instantrestore=no parameter (VSS fast restore).

   When you restore a VSS backup from an IBM Storage Protect server, if the INSTANTRESTORE parameter is set to FALSE or FASTRESTORE parameter is set to NO, the setting is ignored. The restore operation completes with an image-level restore.

   Examples:

   Task

   By using a VSS instant restore operation, restore the local VSS backup and overwrite the entire volume data without a prompt.

   Command:

   fcmcli.exe restore G:
                                    /INSTANTRestore=Yes /NOPROMPT

   Task

   By using a VSS fast restore operation, restore the local VSS backup that copies the files on the volume at the time of the backup.

   Command:

   fcmcli.exe restore G:
                                    /INSTANTRestore=No

3. Complete any actions that are required to achieve a correct state of the custom application and file system files.
4. Restart or resume the custom application.

You can restore files from a VSS backup of custom applications and file system data. The backup is stored on a local shadow volume.

1. Mount the VSS backup.

   Task

   Mount the local VSS backup from drive letter G: to drive letter M:

   Command:

   fcmcli.exe mount backup
                                    G:=M:

2. If the custom application is running, stop or suspend it.
3. Issue the Windows COPY or XCOPY command or use a tool, for example, Windows Explorer, to copy the files from the VSS backup to your preferred location.

   Task

   Issue the Windows COPY command to copy the config.txt file from drive letter M: to drive letter G::

   Command:

   copy M:\config.txt
                                    G:\config.txt /y

4. Complete any actions that are required to achieve a correct state of the custom application.
5. Restart or resume the custom application.
6. Unmount the VSS backup.

You can restore files from a VSS backup of custom applications and file system data. The backup is stored on anIBM Storage Protect server.

1. If the custom application is running, stop or suspend it.
2. Restore from an IBM Storage Protect backup that was created on an IBM Storage Protect server by specifying the fcmcli restore command with the /backupdestination=TSM.

   Task

   Restore the backup from drive letter G: volume that was created on an IBM Storage Protect server

   Command:

   fcmcli.exe restore G:
                                    /backupdestination=TSM

3. Restart or resume the custom application.

You can restore a volume from a VSS image that is stored on IBM Storage Protect server pools. During backup operations, data is sent as an image backup of the VSS snapshot. The restore operation is a volume-level restore.

• You cannot restore an image-level backup to the volume where the IBM Storage Protect backup-archive client is running. To avoid an error, install the IBM Storage Protect backup-archive client on the system drive. The same type of failure can occur if you create an application database, for example, a SQL database, under the volume that is being restored.
• For Microsoft VSS operations to succeed, ensure that the file system is of type NTFS or ReFS. You cannot use file systems of type FAT, FAT32, and RAW.

1. If the custom application is running, stop or suspend it.
2. If you plan to restore data from a file system, close open handles to the file system.
3. To restore from a VSS backup that is sent to IBM Storage Protect, enter the fcmcli restore command with the /BACKUPDESTination=TSM parameter.