Chapter 5 - Backup, Archive, and Recover
This chapter shows you in detail how to back up, archive, verify, and recover files using EBR.
You should already know how to view the directories on your system and be able to mark and unmark files. If you do not know how to do this, see Chapter 4.
Note: Your administrator may have configured the EBR service to allow access to some or all of the features described in this chapter. For example, at some sites, you can use EBR only for marking files and directories to be saved, and for recovering data from backups. At such sites, actual backups of workstation data will be handled by the Scheduled Backup program on a schedule determined by your administrator. If a feature described here does not appear to operate correctly, ask your administrator about the local configuration of the EBR service.
Use the Backup command when you want to back up a set of directories or files to the EBR server right away, instead of waiting for the scheduled nightly backup. For example, if you just finished writing a document and would like to back it up, you may do so with the Backup window.
When you use Backup, EBR sends to the server a copy of the disk volumes, directories, and files you marked so data can be copied to a backup volume (for example, magnetic tape).
To request a manual backup, follow these steps:
1. Choose Backup from the Operation menu.
Tip: Or click the Backup button on the speedbar.
2. Select (highlight) the directories and files you want to back up, then mark them by clicking the Mark speedbar button or by choosing Mark from the File menu.
3. Activate the backup operation by selecting Start Backup from the File menu, or by clicking the Start speedbar button.
The Backup Status window appears, to keep you informed about the progress of the operation.
If it is taking too long to back up your system, there may be no backup volume mounted on the server. You should check with your administrator. You can cancel the backup by choosing End Backup from the File menu, or by pressing the [Esc] key.
If you plan to password-protect your files during a backup, you must first set up your password by selecting Password from the Options menu. This procedure is described in "Setting Your Password" in Chapter 3.
After you have set up your system, use the Special Handling dialog box or the Protect and Encrypt speedbar keys to designate files for password protection.
The Special Handling choice can be found in the File menu when a Backup, Archive, or Local Directives operation is active. Special Handling is not available during Recover or Verify operations.
Once you have set a password using the Password dialog box, there are two ways you can password-protect your files:
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During a scheduled backup ![]()
During a manual backup
If you password-protect any disk volumes, directories, or files for a scheduled backup using the Local Directives browse window, the password protection also applies to the same disk volumes, directories, or files during a manual backup.
If you protect something for a scheduled backup, EBR retains the protection and applies it during a manual backup. For example, if you password-protect a directory in the Local Directives window and later initiate a Backup operation, that directory is displayed as password-protected in the Backup window. However, you can temporarily remove password protection from files in the Backup window, if you wish, just before a manual backup.
If you protect a disk volume, directory, or file for a manual backup, the protection is not automatically be applied during a scheduled backup. The manual backup password protection is per-backup protection; the local directives password protection is a permanent, global password protection.
There are two levels of password-protection: Password Protect and Password Protect and Encrypt. If you back up your system using either protection level, you will have to provide your password to recover lost files.
Password Protect protection means you must provide your password to recover a lost file. If you forget your password, the system administrator can still recover your lost file.
Password Protect and Encrypt protection means your file is encrypted on the backup volume. You will need your password to recover and de-encrypt a lost file. If you forget your password, you will never be able to recover a lost file protected by password encryption. Even a system administrator cannot recover a lost file that was encrypted.
Important: Check with your system administrator for your company policy on encrypting files. There is no practical way to ever recover an encrypted file if you forget your password.
Any item (disk volume, directory, or file) protected by a password is displayed with a padlock to the left of its name in the browse window.
Any item that is both password-protected and also encrypted is displayed with a bird alongside it in the browse window. The bird represents an Egyptian hieroglyphic.
If you password-protect (or encrypt) a disk volume or a directory, all its subdirectories servers and their files inherit the same password protection (or encryption). To password-protect or encrypt an item, follow these steps:
1. In the browse window (Backup or Archive or Local Directives), mark the items you want to back up.
2. Highlight the items you want to password-protect or encrypt.
3. Choose Special Handling from the File menu.The Special Handling dialog box appears:
4. Select Password Protect or Password Protect and Encrypt, depending on whether you want password protection, or password protection plus encryption. Then click OK.
Tip: Or click the Protect or Encrypt buttons on the speedbar, instead of completing steps 3 and 4.
To remove password protection from a highlighted item, bring up the Special Handling dialog box again, select None, then click OK. Or click the Clear button on the speedbar.
Important: If you change your password using the Password dialog box, (accessible under the Options menu) it does not change the passwords for files previously backed up with a different password. Therefore, you should be very conservative about changing your password.
If you try to back up or archive password-protected or encrypted items without first setting a password, this error message appears:
You must first set up your password before you can
mark files for protection or encryption.
Choose Password from the Options menu to set your password before trying to password-protect or encrypt any files.
Note: You cannot both password-protect and compress a file or directory.
Compressing data for a backup generates less network traffic and uses less backup media, but takes extra time. Some hardware performs compression itself, which makes software compression unnecessary. Ask your system administrator if you need to be compressing your data during backups.
Any item (disk volume, directory, or file) that is marked for compression is displayed with a C-clamp to the left of its name in the browse window.
If you compress a disk volume or a directory, all its subdirectories and their files inherit the compression.
To compress a disk volume, directory, or file, follow these steps:
1. In the browse window (Backup or Archive or Local Directives), mark the items you want to back up.
2. Highlight the items you want to compress.
3. Choose Special Handling from the File menu. The Special Handling dialog box appears.
4. Select Compress and click OK.
Tip: Or click the Compress button on the speedbar, instead of completing steps 3 and 4.
To remove compression from a highlighted item, bring up the Special Handling dialog box again, select None, then click OK. Or click the Clear key on the speedbar.
Note: You cannot both compress and password-protect a file or directory.
To activate a manual backup of the disk volumes, directories, and files you have marked, select Start Backup from the File menu.
Tip: Or click the Start button on the speedbar.
You can monitor the progress of your backup. EBR backs up all the connecting directories using the Backup Status display window, where the directory names appear. The total number of files that appear may be greater than the actual number of files you marked.
To cancel a backup in progress, choose End Backup from the File menu, or press the [Esc] key.
When EBR is finished backing up your system, a message similar to this one appears:
Backup completion time: 11-09-93 7:01p
EBR keeps track of everything it backs up, but only for a specified retention period, under control of the administrator. Files you do not access or modify, but which you may need in the future, are candidates for archiving. Archiving involves moving files onto special media designated and labeled as "archive volumes" for long term storage.
Once files are safely stored on archive media, they can be removed from your local disk, thus freeing up space on your system. If you ever need to recover an archived file, you may still do so by doing a normal recover.
To see which disk volumes, directories, or files have not been modified for 90 days, select Archive from the Operation menu, or click the Archive button on the speedbar. Make sure Name and Details is selected in the View menu. An Archive browse window appears:
The asterisks on the right indicate files that are candidates for archiving. You may want to archive these, or you may want to choose others.
The default Archive Time appears on the status line, showing the date 90 days prior to the current date. (90 days is the age at which unmodified files are suggested as candidates for archiving.)
EBR automatically indicates candidates for archiving with an asterisk (*). On your local hard disk, these are files or directories containing files that have not been modified since the Archive Time displayed in the status window. On a network file service, these are files or directories containing files that have not been read or modified since the Archive Time date.
Files marked with an asterisk are all candidates for storing onto a backup volume and removing from your disk.
Note: EBR marks a directory as a candidate for archiving only if all its subdirectories and files are candidates for archiving. However, if you expand a directory that is not marked with an asterisk, you may find subdirectories and files marked with an asterisk within that directory.
The asterisks (on the far right) function as an aid to help you decide which files may be good candidates for archiving. Files with asterisks are not automatically marked - you still have to mark ones you want to archive by choosing Mark. (See Chapter 4, "Marking a File," for information on how to mark files.) Also, you can mark any files for archiving in the Archive window, not just the ones that display the asterisk.
Important: Executable programs that run frequently, but are not regularly modified (such as EBR) are not usually displayed as candidates for archiving. Make sure you do not archive such important files - you will need them later. Here is a list of file extensions that are never displayed as candidates for archiving:
.exe .com .ovl .sys .drv .dll .ini .grp
.pif .hlp .bmp .ico .fon .ttf .fot .vbx
If you want to change the default archive period of 90 days, you may do so with Change Archive Time.
To change the archive time, complete the following steps:
1. Select Change Archive Time from the View menu.The Change Archive Time dialog box appears:
2. Enter a new date by clicking a day within the calendar.
To change this calendar to the last month, click Previous Month. To move to the following month, click Next Month.
3. To change time, type an hour 12 or under, a minute under 60, and either "a" for AM or "p" for PM.
4. Click OK, or press the [Enter] key.
When you change the archive time, the Archive window displays the candidates for archiving that have not been modified as of the time displayed in the Archive Time field on the status line. Archive Time returns to its default for your next Archive operation.
After browsing candidates for archiving, you are ready to mark the ones you would like EBR to archive.
Mark the candidates for archiving that you would like to store on an archive volume, and then optionally remove from your disk. A check mark (_) appears next to the name(s) of the items you mark for archiving. To start the archive, choose Start Archive from the File menu.
Tip: Or click the Start button on the speedbar.
EBR displays the Archive Status display window, where you can monitor the progress of your archives:
EBR saves the directories and files you mark for archiving onto an archive volume (such as a tape).
Important: If an archive volume is not available, cancel the archive operation and contact your system administrator. EBR tracks backup volumes used for archives separately from those used for backups. You cannot archive files to a backup volume, or back up files to an archive volume. This restriction allows your system administrator to separate backups from archives. The system administrator can probably mount an archive volume for you.
When EBR is finished archiving your files, a message similar to this one appears:
Archive completion time: 11-10-93 11:47a
Once the archive is complete, a message box appears to ask if you would like to remove the files you just archived from your system to free up disk space. This message box does not appear if there were any errors during archiving:
Click Yes or press [Enter] to confirm that you want EBR to remove the archived files from your disk.
Click No to keep the archived files on your disk.
If you choose to remove the files, EBR displays a message asking you to decide whether to be prompted during the file deletion.
At this point you can still change your mind. If you click Cancel, EBR will not remove archived files.
If you click No, EBR displays the warning shown in the following sample, asking you to confirm that you want your archived files removed from your disk.
If you click Yes in the Do you want to be prompted before each file is removed message box, EBR displays the dialog box shown in the sample that follows for each file before it is removed from your disk, thus giving you the opportunity to delete or not delete on a file-by-file basis.
You may click Suppress Further Prompting if you want EBR to proceed removing files without any further prompting.
Your archived files are stored on special backup media labeled as an archive volume for long term storage. If you chose to remove the old files from your disk, you will have more space on it. You may use the Recover command to retrieve old files from the archive volume in the future, if you ever need them.
Use the Verify command when you want to make sure the files EBR saved on storage media match the ones actually on your local disk. Verify does not change the contents of your hard disk, or the contents of backup or archive volumes.
This EBR feature compares the data on the backup volume with the data on your local disk - byte for byte, attribute for attribute - and lets you know if there are any discrepancies.
You will know if any change has occurred to any file since the backup, or whether a hardware failure kept EBR from completing a successful backup. The Verify command provides an easy way to test your ability to recover your data.
To verify your files, follow these steps:
1. Choose Verify Files from the Operation menu.
Tip: Or click the Verify button on the speedbar.
EBR displays the Verify Files browse window:
2. Mark volumes, directories, or files you would like to verify.
3. Choose Start Verify from the File menu.
Tip: Or click the Start button on the speedbar.
EBR displays the Verify Files Status window so you can monitor the file verification progress:
If the files you are trying to verify are password protected, EBR asks you to supply the password.
When files on the backup volume are different length than the ones on your disk, a message similar to this one appears:
C:\FILENAME: different sizes
When files on the backup volume are the same length, but differ in content, a message similar to this one appears:
C:\FILENAME: file does not compare!
Tip: The EBR logfile (normally C:\EBR\EBR.LOG) contains a record of various EBR transactions. It is particularly helpful to scan this file after a complicated Verify operation, looking for files that did not match.
This section shows you how to use EBR to recover lost files. Every time EBR backs up a file to storage media (for example, magnetic tape), it creates an entry for that file in an index. EBR uses this index to locate the backed-up files within their backup volumes.
The entries in the index are organized exactly like the directories and files on your system, making it easy for you to recognize everything.
Your system administrator decides how long to keep the entries for old backups in the index. For example, if your site keeps backups for three months, you will see index entries for your backups dating back in time for three months. You may also request recovery of an old file that does not appear in the index, but you must ask your administrator for help if you want to do this.
To perform a recover, choose Recover from the Operation menu.
Tip: Or click the Recover button on the speedbar.
The Recover browse window appears:
In the browse window, any disk volumes, directories, or files that were marked for file password protection during a backup appear with either a lock or a bird next to their names, depending on the level of password protection. Any directories or files marked for compression appear with a C-clamp next to their names.
The columns of numbers list relevant file details, if Name and Details is selected in the View menu. The size column indicates file size, in bytes (directories have no size). Two mod time columns display the last modification date and time for files, and the creation date and time for directories (disk volumes have no mod time). The DOS attributes column lists an a for archive, h for hidden, r for read-only, and s for system files.
On the far right, two backup time columns display the date and time when directories and files were last backed up.
The Browse Time appears on the right of the status line, displaying the time you initiated this recover. You can change the browse time with the Change Browse Time choice, described in the next section, "Changing the Browse Time."
Important: Before using Recover for the first time, you must have backed up your system to the EBR server, otherwise there will be no entries for your system in the index. If your system has not been backed up yet, you will see an error message when you try to use the Recover command.
Highlight each volume, directory, or file that you want to recover, then choose Mark from the File menu, or click the Mark button on the speedbar.
Tip: If you have a two-button mouse, you can click the secondary mouse button (usually on the right) to alternately mark and unmark items in the browse window.
Items you mark will appear with a check mark (_) next to their names.
While you are in the Recover window, you can browse the on-line index as of any time in the past. The Change Browse Time command allows you to view the entries for your backed-up files from a specific point in time. You may want to do this if you would like to look for a file that you know you had some time in the past, but is now gone. The Change Browse Time command is in the View menu during a recover operation.
Check with your system administrator to find out how long backups are kept on-line. For example, if you would like to recover a lost file that you backed up six months ago, you may do so only if backup volumes are retained for at least six months.
To change browse time in the Recover window, follow these steps:
1. Choose Change Browse Time from the View menu. The Change Browse Time dialog box appears:
2. Enter a new date by clicking a day within the calendar.
To change this calendar to the last month, click Previous Month.To move to the following month, click Next Month.
3. To change time, type an hour 12 or under, a minute under 60, and either "a" for AM or "p" for PM.
4. Click OK, or press the [Enter] key.
If you enter a time format that EBR does not understand, an error message appears. EBR does not allow you to change time to a period before any files were backed up.
In the Recover window, EBR displays the entries for your files from the time in the past you specified in the Change Browse Time dialog box. Any files you mark for recovery will be a version of the file from that time. You may mark files from different browse times and recover all of them in a single session.
When you first bring up the Recover window, you are looking at the most recent entries for files backed up by EBR. You can also browse all the past versions of a file that were backed up for the period of time your administrator maintains the backups. For example, if your backups are maintained on-line for a year, you may see entries for files that were backed up a year ago.
This feature is useful if you want to see the backup history of a file or directory. For each version of the file or directory, EBR displays its size, the time it was modified, the time it was backed up, and the name of the backup volume and device location containing the file. You can use the modification time and size of the file to tell the difference between two versions of the same file.
The Versions choice appears in the View menu during a recovery.
To see the versions of a file or directory, follow these steps:
1. In the Recover browse window, highlight the file or directory on which you want to find information. If you highlight multiple items, the last item selected is the one that Versions will report on.
2. Choose Versions from the View menu.
A message box appears, telling you to wait while versions are gathered. If the process takes too long, you may cancel it by clicking the Cancel button or by pressing the [Esc] key. The Versions dialog box appears:
The Versions dialog box displays the history of the currently selected disk volume, directory, or file, including all the times it was modified and backed up. Versions are sorted according to backup time (most recent first). The highlighted version matches the one currently highlighted in the Recover window.
If a file was backed up with password protection or encryption, it appears with a lock or bird next to its name. If a file was backed up with compression, it appears with a C-clamp next to its name.
You can mark and unmark files for recovery in the Versions dialog box, but not directories or disk volumes. Items you mark display a check mark (_) next to their names, just as in browse windows.
The Versions dialog box also displays in the Location field the name of the backup volume that holds the directory or file. If the backup volume containing the file is currently available in a server device, "at device_name" appears next to the volume name.
Notice the Change Browse Time button in the Versions dialog box. You can change the browse time of the Recover window by highlighting a disk volume, directory, or file in the Versions dialog box and then clicking the Change Browse Time button. When you change this time, the Recover window displays file entries for your system as of that backup time. This feature is a useful short cut if you find the version of the item you are looking for and want to browse the rest of the disk volume as of that time in the past.
In summary, the Versions command shows you all instances when a particular disk volume, directory, or file was backed. The Change Browse Time command allows you to view all the entries for your disk volumes, directories, and files at a specific time in the past.
After you mark the files you want to recover, you can find out which backup volumes contain the files you need by using the Required Volumes command. Follow these steps:
1. In the Recover window, Mark the file or directory in question.
2. Choose Required Volumes from the View menu.
EBR displays a list of the backup volumes needed for the recovery in the Required Volumes dialog box.
This feature is useful because you can see whether or not the backup volume you need is mounted in the EBR server's tape drive. If the volume is not mounted, you can find the name of the volume and ask your administrator to mount it for you.
For example, the following figure indicates you will need two backup volumes in order to recover your files: venus.053 and venus.054. The second backup volume is already available in the server's device - indicated by the "at /dev/rct4" message.
If the backup volume you need is not mounted on the server device, you can cancel your recovery and try again later, or contact the system administrator and ask if you may proceed with the recovery. EBR will prompt your system administrator to mount the appropriate backup volume in the server's storage device.
When you recover files, EBR copies the files from the backup volume to a location on your system. Unless you relocate the recovered files, EBR tries to place them in their original directory. If an existing file has the same name as one being recovered, EBR prompts you for instructions on how to deal with the name conflict (rename, overwrite, or discard). If you know that such conflicts will arise, you may want to use the Recover Options command specify a new location for recovered files before starting the recovery.
For example, if you want to recover an entire directory, you can relocate it using Recover Options. If you relocate to a directory that does not already exist, EBR will create the directory before recovering any files. The Recover Options command is available in the Options menu only when the Recover browse window is active.
To relocate files you are about to recover, follow these steps:
1. Choose Recover Options from the Options menu. The Recover Options dialog box appears:
Duplicate File Resolution choices are discussed later in this chapter.
2. Enter the new directory location in the Relocate recovered data to field, then click OK or press the [Enter] key. You must provide the full pathname, including disk volume, of the recovery directory. For example, C:\PUBS\DOC1.
The files you recover will automatically be placed in the new directory location that you just typed in.
Tip: Relocating recovered data to a special directory is often the best way to compare files on your disk (some of which may have become corrupted) to files saved in a recent backup.
To initiate a recovery, choose Start Recover from the File menu, or click the Start button on the speedbar.
EBR recognizes the backup volumes containing the files you want to recover, and prompts the administrator. The system administrator then loads the backup volume into the EBR server device. It could take time for the system administrator to fill your request, so you might not be able to recover your files immediately. Here are some reasons for the delay:
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The server may be busy fulfilling a backup request. ![]()
Somebody else may be recovering files. ![]()
The volume needed for your request is still on the shelf.
If it takes too long to recover your files, you may cancel the recovery by choosing End Recover from the File menu, or by pressing the [Esc] key.
After you start a recovery, the Recover Status display window appears so you can monitor the progress of the recovery:
The Recover Status display window shows the time you started the recovery. The full path of each file you are recovering appears in the window. You may scroll this window backwards if you want to see entries that have gone by.
Password-protected files display a "pw1" next to their names, password-encrypted files display a "pw2" next to their names, and compressed files display a "compression" next to their names. EBR prompts you to provide a password for files that are password-protected or encrypted. See "Providing a Password," later in this chapter, for details.
By default, EBR prompts you each time a naming conflict occurs during a recovery, using the Naming Conflict dialog box. You can turn off prompting and set EBR to resolve all naming conflicts automatically during the recovery. You may use the Recover Options dialog box described earlier to control duplicate file name resolution.
To set EBR to automatically resolve naming conflicts during a recovery, follow these steps:
1. Choose Recover Options from the Options menu. The Recover Options dialog box appears.
2. In the Duplicate File Resolution section, select one of the following automatic methods for resolving naming conflicts:
Rename Recovered File instructs EBR to rename a recovered file by inventing a unique name that closely resembles its original name. Typically, the new name is the original name prefaced with a tilde (~) and truncated if necessary.
Discard Recovered File tells EBR not to recover a file from the backup volume if there is one with the same name already on your local disk.
Overwrite Existing File causes EBR to replace the file on your disk with the one from a backup volume, by overwriting the copy on your disk.
3. After making your choice, click OK or press the [Enter] key.
If you leave Always Prompt selected under Duplicate File Resolution in the Recover Options dialog box, EBR prompts you each time a naming conflict occurs during recovery. Leave the default Always Prompt selected if you want to resolve naming conflicts on a file-by-file basis rather than globally.
During a recovery, EBR normally displays the Naming Conflict dialog box each time it tries to recover a file that already exists on your system. A sample Naming Conflict dialog box follows:
The Filename box displays the name of the file involved in the naming conflict. Conflict Resolution offers you choices to resolve the naming conflict. You may rename the recovered file, discard it when there is a naming conflict, or overwrite the existing file with the recovered one. Notice that these choices are similar to those presented under Duplicate File Resolution in the Recover Options dialog box.
If you click the box Suppress Further Prompting, EBR no longer prompts you on a file-by-file basis. This has the same effect as using Recover Options to select one of the three Duplicate File Resolution choices.
After making your choices, click OK or press [Enter]. To cancel the entire recover operation, click Cancel Recover.
If you select Rename the Recover File (this is the default), EBR displays the Rename dialog box:
In this example, EBR has truncated the last character of the filename prefix and has inserted a tilde (~) at the beginning. If this name is acceptable to you, click OK or press [Enter]. If it is not acceptable, type a new filename into the New field. Clicking Cancel returns you to the Naming Conflict dialog box, where you may cancel the entire recover, or make a different conflict resolution choice.
If the disk volume, directory, or file you are recovering was protected by a password when it was backed up, then you cannot recover it without your EBR file protection password. The exception is if you are the system administrator and the file is password-protected (as indicated by a lock or pw1), but not encrypted (as indicated by a bird or pw2).
When EBR encounters a password-protected file during recovery, it displays the Password Protection dialog box:
To recover the file, click Recover or press the [Enter] key. EBR then prompts you for the password:
To recover the file, enter the password in the Password field, then press the [Enter] key or click OK. EBR displays asterisks as you type the password.
Once you have provided the password, EBR recovers subsequent files protected by the same password without again displaying the Password Protection dialog box. If EBR later encounters a file that was protected by a different password, you are prompted to provide the different password.
If you do not know the password, you will have to discard the file from the recovery by clicking Discard, or cancel the entire recovery by clicking Cancel Recover.
If you enter an incorrect password, EBR displays this error message:
You have entered an incorrect password for file...
Remember, you must provide the password you used at the time you backed up or archived the file. We recommend that you do not change your file protection password frequently. If you are in the habit of changing your password often, you will have to remember all of them in order to find the one used to protect a particular file at the time it was backed up.
Remember that the system administrator can help you recover password-protected files, but not encrypted files. This is the principal reason to be very conservative about changing your EBR file protection password.