Notes for restoring individual files from an Instant Recovery snapshot
The following items pertain to restoring individual files from an Instant Recovery snapshot:
When you restore files from a snapshot that is made for an Instant Recovery off-host alternate client backup:
NetBackup consults the exclude list on the alternate client even when it restores files to the primary client. If the exclude list on the alternate client is different from the exclude list on the primary client, any files that are listed in the exclude list on the alternate client are not restored to the primary client.
For example, if the alternate client's exclude list has the entry *.jpg, and some .jpg files were included in the primary client backup, the .jpg files can be selected for the restore but are not in fact restored. To restore the files, you must change the exclude list on the alternate client.
When you restore files from a snapshot that is made for an Instant Recovery backup (local or off-host alternate client):
If the exclude list is changed after the backup occurred, NetBackup honors the latest version of the exclude list during the restore. Any of the files that are listed in the current exclude list are not restored. Also, as noted in the previous item, the exclude list on the alternate client takes precedence over the exclude list on the primary client.
For example: If the current version of the exclude list has the entry *.jpg, and some .jpg files were included in the backup, the .jpg files can be selected for the restore but are not in fact restored. To restore the files, you must change the exclude list on the primary (or alternate) client.
Note:
For ordinary backups (not based on snapshots), any files that were included in the exclude list are not backed up. For snapshot-based backups, however, all files are included in the snapshot. The exclude list is consulted only when a storage unit backup is created from the snapshot. If the snapshot is retained after the backup (for the Instant Recovery feature) and the snapshot is available at the time of the restore, NetBackup restores files from the snapshot. Since all files are available in the snapshot (including those that would be excluded from a storage unit backup), NetBackup incorrectly consults the current exclude list on the client or alternate client. Any files in the exclude list are skipped during the restore.
This issue will be addressed in a future release of NetBackup.