Restore Methods

You can use any of the following methods from the Restore Manager to restore files backed up using a VSS Writer:

• Restore by Tree: Writer backups are visible in the tree of the Restore Manager at the same level as volume and system state backups. Click the marker next to the Writer's name to restore all of its Components. To restore an individual Component, expand the Writer in the tree and click the marker next to the Component's name.

• Note: Not all Components can be restored individually. The Writer decides whether a Component can be restored individually. When an SQL Server instance is stopped, restoring only one individual custom database is not supported, even though the restore job is successful.

• Use this method if you do not know which media contains the data you need, but you know which computer it came from.
• Note: The Restore by Tree method is not supported for restoring transportable VSS backups. You can only use the Restore by Session method.
• Restore by Session: Writer backups are listed as separate sessions. Click the marker next to the session's name to restore all of the Components included in the session. To restore an individual Component, expand the session and click the marker next to the Component's name.

• Note: Not all Components can be restored individually. The Writer decides whether a Component can be restored individually. When an SQL Server instance is stopped, restoring only one individual custom database is not supported, even though the restore job is successful.

• Use this method if you know the media name, but are not certain about the session you want to restore.
• Restore by Backup Media: Writer backups are listed as separate sessions. You must restore the entire session. Components cannot be restored individually using this method even though they may be selectable.
• Use this method if media was created by a different version of Arcserve Backup or if the database does not recognize it.
• Restore by Query: Files that were backed up as part of a Writer can be restored individually using this method.
• Use this method if you know the name of the file or directory you want to restore, but do not know the machine it was backed up from or the media it was backed up to.

Important! While this option does allow a single file to be restored, the Writer is not notified of the restore operation and cannot properly prepare the application. By restoring a single file, you can create inconsistencies in your data. You should only use the Restore by Query method if you have in-depth knowledge about the files you are restoring.