Both restore interfaces will select jobs to restore from, give the user the -opportunity to select files and directories and then run the restore job. - -
The first or Standard restore is intended as a high performance restore. It -is more of a server side interaction to perform the steps. The Opening interface -will allow the user to choose selection criterion to determine the job set used. -The second interface will allow the user to browse the file structure and choose -the files and directories to restore. The third will run the job. - -
The second restore option is the Version Browser. It is a chatty interface -which will perform many sql queries of the server. It is NOT intended to perfrom -major large sized restores. It is intended to allow the user to search for -specific files and see the different versions of those files that are available -in the catalog to restore. Selecting jobs is done with 3 drop downs in the -lower splitter pane. The top splitter pane has a vertical splitter with 4 -widgets. One for viewing and further subselecting of jobs, one for viewing the -directory tree, one for viewing the list of files in a selected directory and -one for viewing a list of different versions of the selected files that have -records in the catalog. The user can select a directory which will select all -the files and subdirectories. The user can unselect a file in a selected -directory and also select a file in an unselected directory. Lastly the user -can choose to restore a specific version of a file and override the default which -is to restore the most recent version. +
Both interfaces accomplish the same three steps. +The steps are to select jobs to restore from, give the user the +opportunity to select files/directories, then indicate details such as +the host and path to restore to and trigger the job to run. + +
Start the standard restore procedure by pressing the restore button +in the task bar. There are also two options in the joblist context sensitive +menu to start a restore. They are Restore From Time or Restore From Job. + +
This restore method is intended as a high performance option. +It is a server side process. These interfaces assist the user in utilizing the +text based restore capabilities of the standard console. It interprets the text +to display the information in a way that simplifies the restore procedure. + +
The Opening interface allows the user to choose selection criterion to +inform the server how to determine the set of backup job ids to use in the +restore. This best possible set is he most recent full backup, the most +recent differential backup done since the most recent full, and all the +incremental backups done since the most recent full or differential. Then the +server uses this set of jobs to create a file structure that is the +most recent version of each file found in this job list. + +
After the select box OK button has been pressed, a limitation in bat +occurs that will be resolved in the future. The restore process takes control +of the connection to the server and does not allow any other communication to +the server by any other interface. + +
The second interface allows the user to browse this file structure and +choose the files and directories to restore. This is done in an explorer +type interface with a directory tree on the left. In the right pane of a +splitter is a table showing a list of files and directories that are the +contents of the directory selected in the left pane. The user can mark and +unmark either with the buttons on the top or by double clicking on the check +mark icon to toggle whether an item is selected or not. Double clicking an +item which is a directory on a part of the table which is not the check icon +opens that directory. Clicking 'OK' completes the selection process. + +
The third step is the Restore Run interface. It's purpose is to allow the +user to inform the bacula server details of the host and path to restore to, the +replacement rules, when to restore and what priority to give the restore job. + +
The Version Browser restore option does not have the same connection +limitations as the standard restore during the file and directory selection +process. The user can have an unlimited number of selection windows open at a +time for viewing the cataloged jobs, directories, files and versions. + +
This restore interface is NOT intended to perform major restores of directory +structures with large numbers of directories and files. It should work, however +it is a chatty interface. This is due to the number of sql queries made of the server +which is proportional to the number of files and directories selected plus the number of +exceptions to defaults selected. It IS intended to allow the user to browse for +specific files and choose between the different versions of those files that +are available in the catalog to restore. + +
The interface contains a horizontal splitter. The bottom pane contains +some controls for the interface. +The top portion contains a vertical splitter with 4 panes for viewing the +cataloged information. The left pane is for viewing and further sub selecting +of jobs. The second pane is for viewing the directory tree. The third is for +viewing a list of files in a directory that has been selected. Then +lastly the fourth pane is for viewing a table of versions of a single file +that has been selected from the file table. + +
The version browser accomplishes the three restore steps differently. + +
To select jobs and populate the directory tree, press the refresh button. +The job table contains selected jobs. The selection criterion of the three +dropdowns and the two limits are used as the filtering criterion for +populating the job table the first time the refresh button is pushed. +After the refresh button has been pushed, the job table has check marks that +can selects and unselects jobs. Re-pressing the refresh button does one of two +things. What occurs is dependent on if the controls in the bottom pane +display the same data as the previous time the refresh button was pressed. If +changed the jobs table is repopulated from the selection criterion. If +unchanged any jobs that have been unchecked are excluded from the +process of selecting directories, files and versions. The directory tree does get +repopulated when the refresh button is pushed. There is a text label underneath the +refresh button to inform the user as to which occurs when refresh is pressed. + +
The user can browse the directory tree and click on a directory folder which +then populates the file table with the files that are contained in the +selected directory path. Selecting or unselecting a directory does also select or +unselect all files and all directories in the tree hierarchy beneath it. If +there are any exceptions already selected beneath that directory, those +exceptions do get deleted. + +
With the file table populated, the user can unselect a file in a selected +directory and also select a file in an unselected directory. + +
With a file selected the version table populates with all the instances +a file has been written to tape. The user can choose a specific version of a +file for restore and override the default which is to restore the most recent +version. + +
Pressing the restore button initiates a procedure preparing to +perform the restore of the requested files. The same Restore Run interface +that was the third step in the standard restore is then displayed. It +allows the user to instruct the bacula server of the details of what host +and what path to restore the files to. This part of the restore does take control +of the connection to the server and does not allow any other communication +to the server by the other interfaces. + +
There are two progress bars that appear when refreshing or after pressing +Restore. These indicate to the user the time it may take to complete any tasks +that could take a long time period. + +
If you have used the version browser with a large database, you may have +noticed that the performance can begin to be quite slow. A way to improve the +response time of the database server is to add indexes that will assist a +couple of the specific queries that are made. + +
For postgresql add 2 indexes with the following commands in psql:
+
CREATE INDEX file_filenameid_jobid ON file USING btree (filenameid,
+jobid);
+
CREATE INDEX file_pathid_idx ON file USING btree (pathid);
+
+
For mysql add 2 indexes with the following commands in mysql:
+
CREATE INDEX file_filenameid_jobid ON File (FilenameId, JobId);
+
CREATE INDEX file_pathid_idx ON File (PathId);
+
+
There is one way to make the first of those two indexes perform just a
+little better. It is to create a partial index. First, at least one backup
+must be in the database that has at least one directory. Then in psql or mysql
+perform the command:
+
SELECT FilenameId FROM Filename WHERE name='';
+
Use the results of this command and replace for XXX in the following command:
+
CREATE INDEX file_filenameid_jobid2 ON File (JobId) WHERE FilenameId=XXX;
+
This index will use less disk space and will perform better. Don't forget to
+remove the index it replaces, file_filenameid_jobid.
+
+
If you have sqlite and would be willing to test out the creation of these +indexes to see if they work, please let me know the commands.