Asigra How To: Recover the DS-Client Database

Summary

The DS-Client database contains the settings for backup sets, logs, and schedules. Asigra Cloud Backup™ has incorporated a DS-Client database recovery feature to speed up recovery if the DS-Client computer is destroyed, or if its database is corrupted/destroyed.

The Delta database contains delta information for all files. If this database is not recovered, the next backup will force DS-Client to send a new Master file (full file). This will add a considerable amount of backup time to the next backup. If you restore the Delta database as well as the DSClient database, this will add to the time required to Recover (especially if the databases are large).

To use this feature, your DS-Client should be configured to backup its own database (see: Setup > Configuration > Parameters tab - Database Options > DS-Client database backup). In other words, there must be a backed up DS-Client database on the DS-System to recover (this is the default setting).

The recovered database will show data until the time it was last backed up. Note it is quite possible that the recovered database is slightly out of synch with the actual up-to-the-last-minute backups, therefore you should immediately run a Weekly Admin. to synchronize the recovered database with the actual DS-System storage.

Recovery Steps

If the DS-Client computer was destroyed:

• Assemble the hardware required for the replacement DS-Client computer and install the Operating system.
• If you must replace the database software, make sure you install the same version.

Note: It is possible to recover the database from an MS SQL Server 2000 instance to an MS SQL
Server 2005 instance, but you cannot recover from 2005 to 2000. However, it is best to
recover to the same exact instance version to minimize the chance of problems.

• You must also recreate the user accounts (including the DS-Client account), and then:
  • Reinstall the DS-Client software to the computer.
  • Recover the DS-Client database(s).

To recover the DS-Client database(s):

1. Start the DS-Client Service and run DS-User.
2. From the Setup menu, select System Activities. The System Activities Administration dialog box appears.
3. Click Repair. The Repair DS-Client dialog box appears.
4. Select either DS-Client database or DS-Client & delta database.
5. Click OK. A recovery message appears, instructing you to restart the DS-Client service
6. Stop and Restart the DS-Client service. The recovered Database will become active upon restart. This may take some time for DS-User to be able to connect to the DS-Client
7. Run a Weekly Admin. process to ensure that the recovered DS-Client database data is not missing any backup sets. If it is, perform a backup set recovery.
8. Change The Ownership of each backup set:
   1. Right Click a backup set and select "change Owner"
   2. Select the >> next to "To:" and select a new administrative user for this server
   3. Select the radio button for "All Backup Sets"
   4. Click "Ok"

Notes:

1. If you have reinstalled the Windows operating system on the DS-Client computer
being recovered:

• The Security IDs (SIDs) of the users you create will be different from those in the recovered DS-Client database (even if they are the same name, the SIDs are unique for each instance a user is created).
• Change ownership of the backup sets to the new user
• In the Select User dialog, you will see two users of the same name (because the DS-Client searches by SID). Select the lower one - the current user is closest to the bottom of the list.

2. Do not create any new backup sets before you have recovered the DS-Client's
database.