Restore files from the TSM backup using the Command Line Interface

How to restore files from the TSM backup using the Command Line 

Interface

You can restore files from the backup yourself using the Command Line Interface in Terminal.app. This is slightly more tricky than using the GUI: primarily, you more or less need to know the name of the file you are looking for. Two sources of information

that can help is the daily logs in /CS/Backup (user readable) or the “master log” located in /Library/Logs/tivoli/tsm/dsmsched.log (readable by root only).  

NOTE: You need to know the name and password of an administrative user!!

Managing dsmc (the backup program):

1. Become ”root”:

$ su adminusername

Enter admin user password

$ sudo -i

^{Enter admin user password again}

^{2. Launch dsmc:}

$ dsmc

3. When you are done, leave dsmc:

tsm> quit

Useful commands from the command line:

See when the computer was last backed up:

query filespace (or the short form: q fi)

Restore a single file, using the most recent backup, placing it in the original location:

^{restore "/Users/peter/Documents/My Thesis.rtf"}

^{• if the file name contains spaces, it must be surrounded by quotes!}

Same as above, but placing it in the directory /Restored instead:

^{restore "/Users/peter/Documents/My Thesis.rtf" /Restored/}

^{• you must have a trailing slash in the name of the restore-directory}

• if the restore-directory doesn't exist, it will be created

If the file you are restoring no longer resides on your workstation, and you have run an incremental backup since deleting the file, there is no active backup of the file on the server. In this case, use the latest option to restore the most recent backup version. restore /Users/peter/h1.doc -latest

Restore an entire directory to the location /Users/tomas/Restoredfiles/, using the most recent backup:

restore -subdir=yes /Users/peter/Documents/* /Users/peter/ Restored/

Look for files from a specific date (pitd=“Point In Time Date”) and pick among those:

restore -pitd=2012-06-15 -subdir=yes "/Users/peter/*dmg" -pick

^/Restored/

^{You will get a listing such as this that you can choose from}

IBM Tivoli Storage Manager

Command Line Backup-Archive Client Interface

Client Version 6, Release 1, Level 4.0

Client date/time: 2012-11-15 15:27:51

(c) Copyright by IBM Corporation and other(s) 1990, 2010. All Rights Reserved.

Node Name: PARAVEL

Session established with server TSM1: Linux/x86_64

Server Version 5, Release 5, Level 0.0

Server date/time: 2012-11-15 15:27:51 Last access: 2012-11-15 15:27:42

Restore function invoked.

TSM Scrollable PICK Window - Restore

# Backup Date/Time File Size A/I File

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. |	2012-06-15 09:56:41	72	B	I	/Users/peterm
2. |	2011-09-13 10:15:22	72	B	A	/Users/peterm/InstaDMG/
3. |	2011-09-13 10:16:55	72	B	A	/Users/peterm/InstaDMG/Resources
4. |	2011-09-13 10:16:55	72	B	A	/Users/peterm/InstaDMG/Resources/Instadmg
|
|
|

0---------10--------20--------30--------40--------50--------60--------70--------80----

=Up =Down =Top =Bottom =Right =Left

=Goto Line # <#>=Toggle Entry <+>=Select All <->=Deselect All

<#:#+>=Select A Range <#:#->=Deselect A Range =Ok =Cancel pick>

All these commands can be run without actually starting dsmc; in that case just proceed the commands above with ”dsmc”!