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File level restore with Alike v2
Please Note: This article describes the file level restore for Alike v2.x. Alike v3.0+ improved the file level restore process, and does not require many of the steps outlined below.
QuorumSoft Alike v2.1.2 introduced the ability to restore individual files directly from any of your existing Alike backups (Enhanced or Q-Hybrid). This allows you to perform a single backup of any virtual machine, and provides both full system recovery as well as the convenience of instant file access.
To use Alike's file level restore couldn't be easier. There is no additional software to install, and no configuration of iSCSI initiators. You can restore files from any OS or filesystem directly from your already deployed ABDs. And better still, the files are available via CIFS, so you can provide convenient access to the recovered files to anyone who needs them.
File recovery steps
First, find the version of the VM that you would like to recover in the Alike Manager's VM Explorer screen, as shown below. Select 'File level restore for VM'
Next, simply select your XenServer host that you would like to handle this restore job. Please note, no VM will be actually be restored to this host or the pool. Also, no additional storage is required in the SR or in Alike's temp directory in order to perform file level restore jobs. This step simply allows you to choose which host will run the ABD to perform the recovery. Any defined host can function for this purpose.
Once you click 'Finish' on the wizard, a small new window will pop up and display the recovery progress. Once the processing has completed, a Windows Explorer window will pop up to the location of the recovered files, as seen below. Please note, the path hosting the recovered files is read only.
That's it! Once you are finished recovering the needed files, you can simply click the 'End Job' button, and Alike will automatically cleanup the job.
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