Restoring from a Backup

Restoring from a backup restores the backup to a newly created Service Instance. You name this instance, choose the datastore location, and have the option to configure its management policies.

Data Management for VMware Tanzu supports restoring from a backup file, or from a specific point of time in a backup file.

The backup from which you want to restore may reside on local or cloud storage. A restore operation that you trigger from a backup that is available in local storage will likely take less time to complete.

Restoring from a Backup File

Prerequisites

Before you restore a backup, ensure that you can identify the backup file that you wish to restore from.

Procedure

Perform the following procedure to restore a backup to a new Service instance:

Select Databases from the left navigation pane.

This action displays the Database view, a table that lists the provisioned database instances.
Examine the databases listed in the table, identify the database for which you want to restore a backup, and navigate to that table row.
Click the database Instance Name.

The database information Details tab displays.
Select the Backup tab.

This action displays backup information for the instance, including the backup policy, and the daily backup time, backup retention periods, and back up files when data protection is enabled.
Locate the Backup Files section of the pane.
Examine the backups listed in the table, identify the backup file that you wish to restore from, and navigate to that table row.
Click the three dots in the Actions column, and select Restore from the pop-up menu.

The Restore Database dialog displays.

Set the following properties for the new Service Instance on which the backup will be restored:

Property Name	Value
Backup Name	The name of the backup file to restore. (Read-only)
Restore Instance Name	The name to assign to the new instance.
VM Datastore	The VM datastore configuration.
Enable Protection	Enables automated database backups using the daily backup time and retention policies configured for the source instance.
Enable Minor Version Upgrade	Click the checkbox to enable automated minor version database software updates to the database Service Instance.
Enable Maintenance Window	Click the checkbox to enable customizing the maintenance window for the database Service Instance.
Start Day	When Enable Maintenance Window is checked, the maintenance window day of the week.
Start Time	When Enable Maintenance Window is checked, the time of day in which to start the maintenance window.
Duration	When Enable Maintenance Window is checked, the duration of the maintenance window (hours).

When Enable Maintenance Window is off and Enable Minor Version Upgrade is on, software updates are applied in the default maintenance window (6 hours starting each Saturday at 23:59).

Click RESTORE.

Data Management for VMware Tanzu initiates a management operation of type RESTORE_DB, and adds an entry for the new instance in the Databases view table.

Note: Restoring a backup to a new Service Instance can take some time.
Monitor the progress of the task in the Operations tab or in the Database Operations view:
1. Locate the RESTORE_DB operation type and click it.
2. Select the State History tab to view the subtasks of the operation and their status.
3. If the operation fails, select the Error Info tab to examine the returned error information.
  
  Note: Data Management for VMware Tanzu does not automatically clean up on error. If the operation fails, you are responsible for deleting the service instance.
If the operation completes successfully, the new Service Instance created from the restored backup displays in the Databases view.

Restoring from a Point in Time

A point in time recovery (PITR) restores a backup at a specific point in time to a new Service Instance.

You can restore a backup from any point in time within your backup retention period.

Prerequisites

Ensure that you can identify the backup file and the date/time from which you want to restore.

Procedure

Perform the following procedure to restore from a point in time to a new Service Instance:

Select Databases from the left navigation pane.

This action displays the Database view, a table that lists the provisioned database instances.
Examine the databases listed in the table, identify the database for which you want to restore to a specific point in time, and navigate to that table row.
Click the database Instance Name.

The database information Details tab displays.
Select the Backup tab.

This action displays backup information for the instance, including the backup policy, and the daily backup time, backup retention periods, and back up files when data protection is enabled.
Locate the Backup Files section of the pane.
Examine the backups listed in the table, identify the backup file that you wish to restore to a point in time, and navigate to that table row.
Click the three dots in the Actions colum, and select PITR from the pop-up menu.

The PITR Backup dialog displays.

Set the following properties for the new Service Instance on which the point in time backup will be restored:

Property Name	Value
Backup Name	The name of the backup file to restore. (Read-only)
PITR Instance Name	The name to assign to the new instance.
VM Datastore	The VM datastore configuration.
Enable Protection	Enables automated database backups using the daily backup time and retention policies configured for the source instance.
PITR Restore Point	Select the time to which you want to restore from the backup file; choices are oldest, latest, or custom.
Enable Minor Version Upgrade	Click the checkbox to enable automated minor version database software updates to the database Service Instance.
Enable Maintenance Window	Click the checkbox to enable customizing the maintenance window for the database Service Instance.
Start Day	When Enable Maintenance Window is checked, the maintenance window day of the week.
Start Time	When Enable Maintenance Window is checked, the time of day in which to start the maintenance window.
Duration	When Enable Maintenance Window is checked, the duration of the maintenance window (hours).

When Enable Maintenance Window is off and Enable Minor Version Upgrade is on, software updates are applied in the default maintenance window (6 hours starting each Saturday at 23:59).

Click PITR.

Data Management for VMware Tanzu initiates a management operation of type PITR_RESTORE_DB, and adds an entry for the new instance in the Databases view table.

Note: Restoring to a point in time to a new Service Instance can take some time.
Monitor the progress of the task in the Operations tab or in the Database Operations view:
1. Locate the PITR_RESTORE_DB operation type and click it.
2. Select the State History tab to view the subtasks of the operation and their status.
3. If the operation fails, select the Error Info tab to examine the returned error information.
  
  Note: Data Management for VMware Tanzu does not automatically clean up on error. If the operation fails, you are responsible for deleting the service instance.
If the operation completes successfully, the new Service Instance created from the PITR backup displays in the Databases view.

Connecting to the Restored Service Instance

You may have applications or clients that now must connect to the new, restored Service Instance. If so, Connecting to a Database Service Instance describes how to obtain the information that you need for your apps and clients to make the connection to the new instance.