Restore Data - Sybase iDataAgent - Full System Restore

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Overview

Perform a Full System Restore

Resolve a Failed Restore Because of Defective Devices and Suspected Databases

Overview

The difference between a normal restore and a full system restore is the severity of the problem. Normally, if data is lost or removed, it is recovered from the archives using the normal restore procedures. However, when a normal restore operation cannot correct a software and/or hardware corruption problem, some additional changes may be required.

The level of system restore required may be different as described below.

• When the database is corrupted and a restore is required, both the application software and database must be restored. This can be achieved by performing the following steps:
  • Restoring the application by using the file system iDataAgent restore options.
  • Restoring the database files using the restore options in the iDataAgent.
• When the client system (operating system, hardware, hard drives, etc.) is damaged or destroyed, a full system restore may be required.

Perform a Full System Restore

The following procedure demonstrates how to perform a full system restore when the client system is damaged or destroyed. The procedure assumes the following:

• Latest file system and Sybase backups are available.
• File system backup does not include the Sybase databases.
• Originating host and destination host have the same Sybase version.

To perform a full system restore:

1. If necessary, rebuild the hardware as it existed before.
2. Using the appropriate instructions, perform a full system restore of your file system to rebuild your operating system.  In addition to restoring to your operating system, this operation will restore the Sybase application files and all of the iDataAgent software.
3. Reboot the machine.

   If there are any problems with the Sybase iDataAgent software, we recommend that you un-install and re-install the software in the same drive where it was previously installed. Use the same installation parameters, passwords, and backup type settings as were previously used.

4. Use the directives in Create an Instance to create a simple instance on the destination host. Ensure that you are including the parameters that were used for the instance before the system failure. 
5. On the destination host, start up the instance and then shut down the instance.
6. Try to restore the whole system by using the directives in Browse and Restore.

Resolve a Failed Restore Because of Defective Devices and Suspected Databases

A full Sybase restore may fail if one or more of the database devices are defective or have been physically deleted and the corresponding databases have therefore been marked as "suspected."  In such a case, all the databases marked as "suspected" and the corresponding devices whose files have been lost must be dropped and re-created.

Use the following procedure only if one or more files belonging to a device (of a database) are defective or have been deleted and the corresponding database has been marked as "suspected."

To resolve a failed full Sybase restore because of defective devices and suspected databases:

1. Issue the following command to determine whether the database is "suspected":

   sp_marksuspect (<database name>)

2. Drop the suspected database using the following command:

   dbcc dbrepair (<database name>, dropdb)

3. If the database to be recovered is "sybsystemprocs", use the following command to drop the corresponding device (since stored procedures are not available at this point):

   disk release name = <device name>

4. If any of the data device files do not exist but the device entry exists in sysdevices, drop those devices using the following command:

   sp_dropdevice <device name>

5. Repeat this procedure for each suspected database.
6. Resume the restore starting with the first database that was deemed suspected.

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