Media Explorer for Unix - How To

Topics | How To

Recover Unix-Based Archive Files Using Media Explorer

Be sure to consider the following.

Offsite recovery of data directly from product media: Media Explorer can be used at offsite locations that may or may not be part of the CommCell to recover data secured by data protection operations. For example, recovering a job that was backed up by the product on a remote computer that is not a client of a CommCell.
Recovering partially secured data: It is possible that a data protection operation containing multiple objects fails before completion. While the CommServe considers this a failed operation and will not recover the objects, Media Explorer can be used to recover those objects that were successfully secured.

Before You Begin

Have Media Information reports at hand to help you identify media archive files.
Ensure that no other applications or services are attempting to access the library.
Stop CommServe services if they are running. Use command ps -ef|grep gal to check this.

To recover Unix-based archive files using Media Explorer

Go to the directory containing the Media Explorer executable script (me) and run the script. For example:

/opt/galaxy/MediaExplorer/me

Select the backup media type and then select Next.
If you want to create a log file, select Yes, enter the log file path or name, and then select Next to continue. Otherwise, de-select Yes using the spacebar and select Next to continue.
If necessary, create an archive file database by scanning the backup media.

To scan backup tapes, select Next and go to Step 5.

To scan magnetic/optical volumes, select Next and go to Step 8.

Otherwise, load the existing database and go to Step 12 to start the restore.

Enter the name of the SCSI tape device and select Next. If you are unsure of this, first select Autodetect to review the list of SCSI tape drives that are detected on your system, select the appropriate tape drive for the restore, and then select OK. Then enter the appropriate device name on the original screen and select Next.
If the media label for the selected volume is correct, select Next and go to the next step. Otherwise, select Previous and go to the previous step to select a new media.
Determine whether you want to scan the entire tape or just a portion of the tape in order to produce the list of jobs and archive files on media. Select your option, select Next, and go to Step 10.
Enter the full path to the magnetic/optical volume directory and then select Next.
If the media label for the selected volume is correct, select Next and go to the next step. Otherwise, select Previous and go to the previous step to select a new media.
Select OK to acknowledge the successful scan and continue with the restore.
If you would like to scan another volume, select Yes.

If you will be scanning another magnetic/optical volume, go to Step 8.

If you will be scanning another tape, go to Step 5.

Otherwise, select No and go to Step 12.

From the list of completed jobs presented, select one or more jobs to restore. Then select Next to continue.
You can filter for the file types that you want to recover. Wildcards are supported. Enter the pattern in the extended regular expression format, and select Next to continue.
Type in the name of the directory to which the files should be recovered. For an in-place restore, type just a forward slash ( / ). Select Next to continue.

If there are no directories already created, the appropriate message appears and allows you to create a directory.
A screen announces that you are ready to recover. Depending on the volume being recovered and the media being used, this process can take a long time. Disabling terminal logging prior to running the recovery can enhance the recovery performance.
Select OK when you are ready to begin. As the recovery operation executes, you are presented status messages and a list of processed files. If data was encrypted using a pass-phrase, you are prompted to enter the pass-phrase used at the time of the data protection operation.

A file space shortage will cause the data recovery operation to fail. For information on the failure, you can go to the log file that you created in Step 3. After fixing your space problem, you can simply start over. You do not have to clear the environment.

This concludes the data recovery operation of Unix files from media using Media Explorer.