About Direct Access Recovery (DAR)
NetBackup uses Direct Access Recovery (DAR) to restore a directory or individual files from a backup image. DAR can greatly reduce the time it takes to restore files and directories. DAR is enabled by default. No configuration is required.
DAR enables the NDMP host to position the tape to the exact location of the requested files. It reads only the data that is needed for those files. For individual file restore, NetBackup automatically determines whether DAR shortens the duration of the restore. It activates DAR only when it results in a faster restore.
The following prerequisites are necessary for using DAR with NetBackup for NDMP:
The NDMP host must support DAR where the NDMP server application resides.
NetBackup 4.5 GA or later, with the catalog in binary format (binary format is the default).
Further details are available as to when DAR is used and how to disable it.