Restore maintenance rule

Purpose:

• To recover a database from a backup.

Why It’s Important:

• Database restore is essential for recovering from data loss, corruption, or system failures.
• It ensures business continuity by restoring the database to its previous state.
• Regularly testing restores validates your backup strategy and ensures backups are functional when needed.

Restore rule wizard step 1 – Destination

Restore Source Selection

1. Restore from Backup History
   1. Retrieve a mapping of backup history for the selected server and database.
   2. Change the source database by using the Choose button (described in 4).
2. Search by File Names
   Search from a list of available backup file names for quick selection.
3. Apply Filters
   Use predefined filters to narrow down the list and pinpoint the backup file you are searching for.
4. Choose Button
   a. Switch to another server and database to search their backup history.
   b. Only retrieves backup files that still exist in their original locations.
5. Existing Backup Files List
   Displays the list of located backup files. Files are verified to exist in their original locations as recorded in msdb.

Restore rule wizard step 2 – Restore from backup files source

Restore from Manually Selected Backup Files

1. Manual Backup File Selection

Opt to restore the database using manually selected backup files instead of relying on backup history.

2. Add Files Button

1. Click to open a remote directory browsing control that allows you to navigate and select files from the directories on the destination server.
2. Note: The backup files must reside on the destination Multiple files may be used. Experda will sort out the correct logical order for the files to be restored.

3. List of Added Files

1. Displays the files you have selected for the restore operation.
2. Important: If the selected backup files contain multiple databases, you will be prompted to choose which database to restore.

Restore rule wizard step 2 – Restore to point in time source

Point-in-Time Recovery Configuration

1. Point-in-Time Recovery Option

Select this option to perform a point-in-time recovery using the backup history stored in the msdb database of the selected source server and database.

2. Change Source Server/Database

Modify the source server or database. The backup history from the newly selected source server’s msdb database will be scanned and used for recovery.

3. Select Date and Time

1. Choose the desired recovery date and time from the timeline interface.
2. Use timeline interval options (e.g., hourly, daily) to refine the view and easily locate the preferred recovery point.

4.  Timeline Control

1. Visualize the available backups on the timeline.
2. See the corresponding recovery points and determine the point-in- time restore availability based on the selected backups.

Restore rule wizard step 3 – Additional options

Post-Restore Options and Advanced Settings

1. Keep Database Open After Restore

Specify whether the database should remain open and accessible immediately after the restore operation completes.

2. Fix All Database Users

Automatically resolve mismatched database users by mapping them to the correct server logins.

3. Database Data File Location

Define the target location for the restored database’s data files.

4. Database Log File Location

Specify the destination for the restored database’s log files.

5. Buffer Count

Configure the number of I/O buffers to use during the restore process for optimal performance.

6. Max Transfer Size

Set the maximum size (in bytes) for each I/O operation during the restore process.

7. Block Size

Define the block size used for the restore operation.

8. Full Database Backup Before Restoration

1. Perform a full backup of the existing database before initiating the restore operation.
2. Note: This option is available only when the restore operation overwrites an existing database.

9. Full Database Backup Options

Configure the full backup options before the restore, similar to the backup command settings:

• Choose a custom location for the backup file.
• Enable backup file compression.
• Set an expiration period for the backup file to be automatically purged.

Restore rule wizard – summary