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Hard links

When you back up files that are hard-linked, the backup-archive client backs up each instance of the linked file.

For example, if you back up two files that are hard-linked, the client backs up the file data twice.

When you restore hard-linked files, the client attempts to reestablish the links. For example, if you had a hard-linked pair of files, and only one of the hard-linked files is on your workstation, when you restore both files, they are hard-linked. The files are also hard-linked even if neither of the files exists at the time of restore, if both of the files are restored together in a single command. The one exception to this procedure occurs if you back up two files that are hard-linked and then break the connection between them on your workstation. If you restore the two files from the server using the standard (or classic) restore process, the client respects the current file system and does not re-establish the hard link.

Important: If you do not back up and restore all files that are hard-linked at the same time, problems occur. To ensure that hard-linked files remain synchronized, back up all hard links at the same time and restore those same files together.