SQL Restore Options (General)

Use this dialog box to control how the specified data is to be restored.

Note that restore options vary for single and multiple database restore jobs. The differences are noted below:

Destination Server

Displays the name of the instance to which the selected data will be restored. To change the destination, click one from the list.

The list includes SQL Servers in the CommCell which have the SQL Server iDataAgent installed. Note the following:

• SQL Server 2000 databases can be restored to servers with SQL Server 2000 or SQL Server 2005.
• SQL Server 2005 databases can be restored to servers with SQL Server 2005.

Source Server

Displays the name of the source server or database, depending on whether an instance or database was selected for restore.

Database List

Displays the names of the databases for restore if there is more than one such database.

Server State (or Database State)

Displays the current state of the server or database, depending on whether an instance or database was selected for restore.

Restore Types

Specifies the type of restore job.

• Database Restore

  Specifies that the restore operation must restore the selected databases beginning with the most recent full backup and then applying differential and/or transaction log backups up to the selected restore time.

• Step Restore

  Specifies that the restore operation must perform a step restore by applying the selected transaction log.

  Note that when you have a Quick Recovery Agent, transaction logs for a QR Volume that contains SQL data can also be restored using this option.

  Whether the logs are applied to a recovered Quick Recovery Agent volume or to a SQL step restore operation, this option is available only under the following conditions:

  • Single database restores
  • The restore destination is the source computer
  • The database backup and restore histories have not been removed from the SQL server's history tables
  • The selected database was previously restored to:
    - STANDBY state for SQL step restore
    - NORECOVER state for QR Agent log application

  This option is not available for:

  • Instance restores
  • Multiple database restores
  • File/File Group restores
  • When restoring data protection operations that used VSS to create the snapshot
• Recover Only

  Specifies that the restore operation must recover the databases to an available online state. No data is actually written. All other options are disabled when this option is selected.

• Point in time

  Specifies that the restore operation must restore single or multiple databases to the selected date and time.

  Note the following when this option is selected:

  • In order to restore a database to a point in time, a transaction log backup must exist.
  • If a single database is restored, then the Restore Time selection changes from a list of available backups to selection boxes for date and time
  • If multiple databases are restored, then the Restore Time selection is already in the date/time selection format and clicking Point-in-Time accepts the selected date and time exactly as selected. If the restore time falls within the time span of a transaction log backup, the database is restored to the exact time indicated. Otherwise, the database is restored to the latest available backup prior to the selected time.

  If the selected point in time is before any database backup was performed, a time selection out of range message will be displayed.

• Transaction Log Marks

  Specifies that the restore operation must restore transaction marks in the transaction log. This option is enabled only when the database(s) selected for restore have transaction marks in the transaction log. The Restore Time list displays a list of transaction marks that exist in the selected database(s) for the given restore time. When multiple databases are being restored, this list shows only those marks that are common in name and time stamp to all selected databases in order to effect an in-sync restore.

• Partial Restore

  Partial restores, known as "Piecemeal Restore" in SQL Server 2005, allow databases that contain multiple filegroups to be restored and recovered in stages. The process starts with a restore of the primary filegroup, then a restore or recovery of one or more secondary filegroups.

• Latest Backup Data

  Allows restores of the latest backup data on one or more non system secured database in the SQL Server. You can use this feature to create a spare copy of the primary SQL server database (hot standby server) within the same domain, a different domain, or across a Wide Area Network (WAN).

• Apply Log backups only

  Only  available when the Latest Backup Data option is selected. Select this option if you wish to include only the transaction log backups completed since the last restore operation. The restore operation will then skip any full backup jobs completed since the last restore operation.

  If you do NOT select the Apply Log Backups Only option and the database already exists, all backup jobs completed since the last restore operation will automatically be restored. If you do NOT select the Apply Log Backups Only option and the database does not already exist, the software will automatically perform a full restore of the database.

• Skip Full Backup

  Select this option to NOT restore the last full backup since the specified date and time, but to instead restore only the transaction log backups. This option can be useful if the latest full backup has already been restored by third-party software and thus a restore of the SQL iDataAgent full backup is not necessary. Note that in such a case, this option only needs to be selected if a SQL iDataAgent full backup exists which is later than the full backup currently restored on the client by a third-party software.

Restore Time and Time Zone

Specifies the restore time depending on the selected options:

• For a multiple database or a full instance restore, this option indicates the time to which you want to restore all selected databases.
• For a single database restore, this option appears as a list of available backups from which you can select to restore.
• For a SQL Step Restore, this option appears as a list of available transaction log backups from which you can select a single log for restore.

  For a QR Volume Step Restore, this option appears as a list of available transaction log backups from which you select a log for restore.

  While the SQL Server iDataAgent functionality applies one log only, for the QR Volume the step restore applies the selected log and all logs that occurred prior to the selected log.

• Restore Time

  Provides a space for you to enter the date and time. Click the arrow to display a calendar.

• Time Zone

  Lists the time zones. To change the time zone, select one from the list.

• Stop at mark

  Specifies that the restore operation must restore to the point of the marked transaction. This option is displayed when Transaction Marks are restored.

• Stop before mark

  Specifies that the restore operation must restore to the point when the marked transaction is committed. This option is displayed when Transaction Marks are restored.

Recovery Type and Undo Path

Specifies the type of recovery that must be performed. This is the state of the database after the restore.

• Recovery

  Specifies that the database will be fully operational.

• Norecovery

  Specifies that the database will be offline.

• Stand By

  Specifies that the database will be in the read-only state (transaction logs may be applied)

• Undo File Path

  Displays the path in which the undo file is stored, when the Recovery Type is Stand By. Use the space to modify the default path.

  Once the restore is complete, the SQL Server iDataAgent will use the data from the undo file and the transaction log to continue restoring the incomplete transactions. Hence, once the restore completes, the undo file will be re-written with any transactions that are incomplete at that point.

• Browse - Click to select a path for the Undo File Path.

Restore Options

• Unconditionally overwrite existing databases or files

  When this option is checked, data being restored is unconditionally written to the specified location and will overwrite the files of any database that is currently using the database name specified by you. This implements the T-SQL REPLACE command.

  When the option is unchecked, restore prevents the accidental data files overwrite by failing the job.

• Leave database in DBO use only state

  Specifies whether the restore operation leaves database in the DBO_ONLY state where only the owner of the database can access the database.

• Preserve Replication Settings

  Specifies to restore backups of replicated databases. A published database can be restored to a server other than the server where the database was created. This is relevant only to full backups and if the database database was part of a replication implementation. This option is available only when the Recovery type option is selected.

• Keep Change Data Capture

  Specifies to restore SQL 2008 databases if they were backed up with the Change Data Capture property enabled. This property provides the ability to query a database for changed data. This is a useful SQL feature in that all change activity (insert, update, and delete) is captured and applied to SQL tables. The details of the changes are available in an easily consumed relational format. This option does not apply to backups that were VSS-enabled or to SnapProtect backups.

Advanced

Click to select additional restore options.

Save As Script

Click to open the Save As Script dialog, which allows you to save this operation and the selected options as a script file (in XML format). The script can later be executed from the Command Line Interface using qoperation execute command.

When you save an operation as a script, each option in the dialog will have a corresponding xml parameter in the script file. When executing the script, you can modify the value for any of these XML parameters as per need.

To view the XML values for each of the options in the dialog, see the following:

Command Line XML Options

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