Tivoli Storage Manager for Windows Using the Backup-Archive Client


Chapter 4. Archiving and Retrieving Files

Archiving and retrieving files is similar to backing up and restoring files. Many of the windows and concepts are similar. This chapter discusses the primary archive and retrieve tasks. See Do You Want to Back Up or Archive Files? for a discussion of the difference between backups and archives.

An Estimate function is provided on the Archive and Retrieve windows, which are accessible from the main Tivoli Storage Manager window. Use this function if you want to estimate the amount of time it takes to process your files and directories. The estimated transfer is a rough calculation of the time it takes Tivoli Storage Manager to transfer your data. It is based on previous transfers of data between your workstation and the current server. The actual transfer time could be longer or shorter than the estimate due to factors such as network traffic, system load on your workstation, or system load on the server.

Unless otherwise specified, references to Windows 98 also include Windows Me. References to Windows NT also include Windows 2000.

All client archive and retrieve procedures in this chapter also apply to the Web client, except those procedures listed in "Using the Web Backup-Archive Client".

See "Starting a Web Client Session" for information on starting the Web client.

See Table 6 for a list of tasks.

Table 6. Archiving and Retrieving Files

Task Page
Performing a GUI Archive "Performing a GUI Archive"
Performing a Command Line Archive "Performing a Command Line Archive"
Deleting Archive Data "Deleting Archive Data"
Retrieving Archives Using the GUI "Retrieving Archives Using the GUI"
Retrieving Archives Using Commands "Retrieving Archives Using Commands"

Archiving Files

To archive files, select the files you want to archive. You can select the files by name or description, or select them from a directory tree. Your administrator might have set up schedules to automatically archive certain files on your workstation. See Chapter 5, "Automating Tasks" for information about checking and running the schedules available to you. The following sections discuss how to archive files without using a schedule.

Tivoli Storage Manager requires that you assign an archive description for all archived files. An archive description identifies data through a meaningful description that you can use later to identify files and directories. You can enter as many as 255 characters to describe your archived data. If you do not enter a description, Tivoli Storage Manager assigns the following default archive description:

   Archive Date: mm/dd/yyyy
 
where mm/dd/yyyy is the current date. 

When you select the archive function from the backup-archive GUI, Tivoli Storage Manager displays a list of all previously used archive descriptions. You can assign these archive descriptions to future archives.

Performing a GUI Archive

You can archive specific files or entire directories from a directory tree. You can also assign a unique description for each group of files you archive (archive package). To archive your files:

  1. Click the Archive button in the GUI main window. The Archive window appears.
  2. Expand the directory tree by clicking the plus sign (+) or the folder icon next to an object in the tree. To search or filter files, click the Search icon from the tool bar.

      To search:

    1. Enter your search criteria in the Find Files (Archive) window.
    2. Click the Search button. The Matching Files (Archive) window appears.
    3. Click the selection boxes next to the files you want to archive and close the Matching Files (Archive) window.

      To filter:

      1. Enter your filter criteria in the Find Files (Archive) window.
      2. Click the Filter button. The Archive window displays the filtered files.
      3. Click the selection boxes next to the filtered files or directories you want to archive.
  3. Enter a description, accept the default description, or select an existing description for your archive package in the Description pull down box.
  4. To modify specific archive options, click the Override Archive Options button located to the right of the Estimate button. Any options you change are effective during the current session only. To estimate the transfer time for your archive selections click the Estimate button.
  5. Click the Archive button. The Archive Status window displays the progress of the archive.

Performing a Command Line Archive

Use the archive command to archive files. Use wildcards to archive more than one file at a time. If you archive a directory of files, use the subdir=yes option to include all the subdirectories under that directory in the archive. For example, to archive the files in the d:\proj directory and the files in its subdirectories, you would enter:

   dsmc archive d:\proj\ -subdir=yes

You can enter up to 20 file names on the archive command. For example, to archive the a:\h2.doc and a:\test.doc files, you would enter:

   dsmc archive a:\h2.doc a:\test.doc

If you want to specify more than 20 file names, you can use the filelist option to specify a file containing a list of files for processing. See Filelist for more information.

Use the description option to assign a description to the archive:

   dsmc archive a:\h2.doc -description="Chapter 2, first version"

For more information about the archive command, see Archive.

Deleting Archive Data

You can delete archive data if your administrator has given you authority to do so. See the Delete Archive Files field in the Connection Information window.

To delete archive copies:

  1. Select Delete Archive Data from the Utilities menu. The Archive Delete window appears.
  2. Expand the Directory tree by clicking the plus sign (+) or folder icon next to the object you want to expand. Objects on the tree are grouped by archive package description.
  3. Click the selection boxes next to objects that you want to delete. If you want to estimate the amount of time it takes to process your files and directories, click the Estimate button.
  4. Click the Delete button. Tivoli Storage Manager prompts you for confirmation before deleting achive selections.The Archive Delete Task List window displays the progress of the delete.

Retrieving Archives

Select the retrieve function to recover an archive copy of a file or a directory. You can also retrieve archive copies from the directory tree, filter the directory tree, and retrieve archive copies of files owned by someone else. To do any of these, click the Retrieve button on the Tivoli Storage Manager main window and follow the directions provided in the task help of the GUI.

For information about how to resolve conflicts between duplicate file names, see "Duplicate File Names".

Retrieving Archives Using the GUI

To retrieve archives using the Tivoli Storage Manager GUI, perform the following steps:

  1. Click the Retrieve button on the GUI main window. The Retrieve window appears.
  2. Expand the directory tree by clicking the plus sign (+) or the folder icon next to an object you want to expand. To search or filter files, click the Search icon from the tool bar.

      To search:

    1. Enter your search criteria in the Find Files (Retrieve) window.
    2. Click the Search button. The Matching Files (Retrieve) window appears.
    3. Click the selection boxes next to the files you want to retrieve and close the Matching Files (Retrieve) window.

      To filter:

      1. Enter your filter criteria in the Find Files (Retrieve) window.
      2. Click the Filter button. The Retrieve window displays the filtered files.
      3. Click the selection boxes next to the filtered files or directories you want to retrieve.
  3. Click Retrieve. The Retrieve Destination window appears. Enter the appropriate information in the Retrieve Destination window.
  4. Click Retrieve. The Retrieve Status window displays the processing status.

Retrieving Archives Using Commands

Use the retrieve command to retrieve files. Specify the file you want retrieve along with a destination. If you do not indicate a destination, the files are retrieved to their original location. For example, to retrieve the c:\doc\h2.doc file to its original directory, you would enter:

   dsmc retrieve c:\doc\h2.doc

To retrieve the file under a new name, you would enter:

   dsmc retrieve c:\doc\h2.doc c:\doc\h3.doc

You can use the pick option to obtain a list of archive copies from which you can pick files. See Pick.

If you are retrieving a file to a disk that has a different label other than the disk from which the file was archived, use the file space name (label) of the archive disk rather than the drive letter. For example, if you archived a file from the diskette, workathome on the a: drive, and you are retrieving it to a diskette in the a: drive labeled extra, you would enter:

   dsmc retrieve {workathome}\doc\h2.doc a:\doc\h2.doc

For information about how to retrieve files when the machine name is part of the file name, see "Performing a Command Line Restore". The information is presented in the context of the restore command but applies equally to the retrieve command.


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