NAME

frecover − selectively recover files

SYNOPSIS

/etc/frecover −r [ −hosvyFOX ] [ −c config ] [ −f device ] [ −S skip ]

/etc/frecover −R path [ −f device ]

/etc/frecover −x [ −hosvyFOX ] [ −c config ] [ −e path ] [ −f device ] [ −g graph ] [ −i path ] [ −S skip ]

/etc/frecover −I path [ −vy ] [ −f device ] [ −c config ]

DESCRIPTION

Frecover reads media written by the fbackup(1M) command.  Its actions are controlled by the selected function −r, −R, −x, or −I. 

The function performed by frecover is specified by one of the following letters:

−r The backup media is read and the contents are loaded into the directories from which they were backed up.  This option should only be used to recover a complete backup onto a clear directory or to recover an incremental backup after a full level zero recovery (see fbackup (1M)).  This is the default behavior. 

−x The files identified by the −i, −e and −g options (see below) are extracted/not-extracted from the backup media.  If a file to be extracted matches a directory whose contents have been written to the backup media, and the −h option is not specified, the directory is recursively extracted.  The owner, modification time, and mode are recovered (if possible).  If no file argument is given, all files on the backup media are extracted, unless the −h option is specified. 

−I path The index on the current volume is extracted from the backup media and is written to path.

−R path An interrupted recovery can be continued using this option.  Frecover uses the information in file path to continue the recovery from where it was interrupted. The only command line option used by frecover with this option is −f.  The values in path override all other options to frecover. 

The following characters may be used in addition to the letter that selects the desired function:

−c config Config specifies the name of a configuration file to be used to alter the behavior of frecover.  The configuration file allows the user to specify the action to be taken on all errors, the maximum number of attempts at resynchronizing on media errors (−S option), and changing media volumes.  Each entry of a configuration file consists of an action identifier followed by a separator followed by the specified action.  Valid action identifiers are error, chgvol, and sync.  Separators can be either tabs or spaces.  In the following sample configuration file, each time an error is encountered, the script /usr/adm/fbackupfiles/frecovererror is executed.  Each time the backup media is to be changed, the script /usr/adm/fbackupfiles/frecoverchgvol is executed.  The maximum number of resynchronization attempts is five. 

error  /usr/adm/fbackupfiles/frecovererror
chgvol /usr/adm/fbackupfiles/frecoverchgvol
sync 5

−e path Path is interpreted as a graph to be excluded from the recovery.  There is no limit on the number of times that the −e option may be specified. 

−f device Device identifies the backup device instead of /dev/rmt/0m, which is the default.  If device is "-", frecover reads from standard input.  Thus fbackup(1M) and frecover can be used in a pipeline backup and recover a file system with the command:

fbackup 0i /usr -f - | (cd /mnt; frecover Xrf -)

−g graph Graph defines a graph file.  Graph files are text files and contain the list of file names (graphs) to be recovered or skipped.  Files are recovered using the −i option; thus if the user wants to recover all of /usr, the graph file contains one record:

i /usr

It is also possible to skip files by using the −e option. For instance, if a user wants to recover all of /usr except for the subgraph /usr/lib, the graph file contains two records:

i /usr

e /usr/lib

−h Extract the actual directory, rather than the files that it references.  This prevents hierarchical restoration of complete subtrees from the backup media. 

−i path Path is interpreted as a graph to be included in the recovery.  There is no limit on the number of times that the −i option may be specified. 

−o Recover the file from the backup media irrespective of age.  Normally frecover does not overwrite an existing file with an older version of the file. 

−s Attempt to optimize disk usage by not writing null blocks of data to sparse files. 

−v Normally frecover works silently.  The −v (verbose) option causes it to display the file type and the name of each file it treats. 

−y Automatically answer yes to any inquiries. 

−F Recover files without recovering leading directories.  For example, this option would be used if a user wants to recover /usr/bin/vi, /bin/sh, and /etc/passwd to a local directory without creating each of the graph structures. 

−O Do not attempt to change the ownership of the recovered files. 

−S skip Frecover does not ask whether it should abort the recovery if it gets a media error.  It tries to skip the bad block(s) and continue.  Residual or lost data is written to the file named by skip. The user can then edit this file and recover otherwise irretrievable data.

−X Recover files relative to the current working directory.  Normally frecover recovers files to their absolute path name. 

WARNINGS

The user of frecover need not be the super-user.  However, if a user does not have access to a given file, the file will not be recovered. 

AUTHOR

Frecover was developed by HP. 

FILES

/dev/rmt/0m Default backup device. 

SEE ALSO

cpio(1M), dump(1M), fbackup(1M), restore(1M), tcio(1M), cdf(4). 

Hewlett-Packard Company  —  May 11, 2021