Restore Data - FreeBSD File System iDataAgent - Full System Restore

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Overview

Perform a Full System Restore

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.

When the root file system is lost, a full system restore is required.

Perform a Full System Restore

Before You Begin

The full system restore operation for a FreeBSD system includes the following general steps. Detailed instructions are provided in the following section.

  1. Boot from the FreeBSD installation media and start a standard installation.
  2. Create the original installation disk slice and a secondary emergency full system restore disk slice using the disk slice editor.
  3. Create the original install disk labels on the original slice and mount them under /mnt.
  4. Install the FreeBSD operating system to the secondary slice using the default disk labels, and boot to this installation.
  5. Install the FreeBSD File System iDataAgent to the secondary slice.
  6. Set the kernel parameters for FreeBSD.
  7. Use the CommCell Console to restore the root file system out of place to /mnt.
  8. Restart the system.
  9. Use the CommCell Console to restore any remaining volumes.

Try to avoid the unconditional overwrite of the root directory on a live file system. This is a mechanism that allows an unconditional overwrite of open files in the root directory (/) on a live file system. Performing such a restore can result in an inconsistent system that may also fail to boot. Use this option AT YOUR OWN RISK.

To perform a full system restore:

This procedure will use one disk with two slices as an example  The original FreeBSD installation that is being restored has been installed on ad0s1.  The second disk, which is being used for the full system restore, will be ad0s2.
  1. Boot the system from the FreeBSD installation CD-ROM or boot floppies.
  2. Create two disk slices when the install reaches the disk slice editor.  Create the original installation slice (ad0s1) and a secondary emergency full system restore slice (ad0s2).  The secondary slice will host a minimal FreeBSD install, the File System iDataAgent software, and the /usr/src/sys data.
  3. Create the original installation partitions on the first slice (ad0s1) and mount them under /mnt.  For example:

    /dev/ad0s1a     /mnt
    /dev/ad0s1d     /mnt/var
    /dev/ad0s1e     /mnt/tmp
    /dev/ad0s1f      /mnt/usr
  4. Create default partitions on the second slice where FreeBSD will be installed (ad0s2).  The second slice can be partitioned with "auto defaults" in the disk label editor.
  5. Select a "minimal" distribution with no ports.
  6. Configure the network card with the original installed information (i.e., host, domain, gateway, name server, and IP address).
  7. Finish the install and boot to this secondary installation of FreeBSD (on ad0s2). 
  8. Run /stand/sysinstall.
  9. Select configure, distribution, src, sys, and OK.  (This step requires the FreeBSD installation media.)
  10. Configure the kernel parameters for FreeBSD (see Configure Kernel Parameters - Unix/Macintosh).
  11. Reboot and boot into this secondary FreeBSD installation again (ad0s2). 
  12. Install the FreeBSD File System iDataAgent to the same CommServe using the same client name that was used during the previous installation (see Deployment - Unix File System iDataAgents).  If you are using /mnt for the installation, be sure to unmount when the install is completed.
  13. From the CommCell Console, right-click the backup set that contains the backup data of the root file system, click All Tasks, and click Restore.  Then type / as the path to restore from and click OK.
    Do not select Unconditional Overwrite from the Restore Options dialog box.
  14. In the Restore Options dialog box, under Destination folder, type /mnt as the destination folder.
  15. Be sure to exclude any partitions that are not mounted under /mnt and to restore these partitions after the restore has completed.  From the Restore Options dialog box, click Advanced.  From the Advanced Restore Options dialog box, under Filter Paths (exclude), click Add.  Type the mount paths to any partitions that may need to be excluded.
  16. When restoring encrypted data, refer to Data Encryption.
  17. From the Restore Options dialog box, click OK to start the restore.  The restore job will begin, and you can monitor the status of the job in the Job Controller window.
  18. Restart the system when the restore has completed.  The system boots to the newly-restored root.
  19. Create any other partitions that were excluded, and restore them using a browse and recover operation.

This procedure is now complete.

 

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