System Restoration

If you need to restore your entire system, Robot Save’s Guided System Restoration procedures guide you through everything you need to do. Robot Save creates restoration instructions as part of every library save so you can print detailed reports that describe the restoration process. The Guided System Restoration Procedures panel lets you select to restore the entire system by pressing just one function key.

Library Save Information

The library save information list is the keystone of Robot Save’s Guided System Restoration Procedures. Because this list of libraries is so important, Robot Save automatically puts the Robot Save data library RBSDTALIB, where the list is found, on the last tape after every regular save is completed.

Because Robot Save saves and restores libraries in the order specified on the library save information list, it is important that the libraries are in the proper order for a successful restoration. The Guided System Restoration Procedures panel uses this data to build its restoration procedures.

You can tell Robot Save not to create Object Archive entries for a library on its library save information record. For example, since you rarely need to go back to prior versions of purchased or test programs, you don’t need to archive entries for these libraries.

You also can tell Robot Save to skip the next save of a library. You can do this either on the Modify Library Save Information panel or use the command RBSSKIPLIB. You might decide to skip a library when it’s needed for work too important to cancel, but you still want to complete the daily backup. Robot Save skips the library on the next backup, but saves it in succeeding saves.

To display the Modify Library Save Information panel, select option 5, Automated Backup Setup Menu from the Robot Save Main Menu; then, enter option 2 on the Automated Backup Setup Menu.

Library Restoration and Object Archive Differences

Robot Save offers two different methods of restoration. Use the Guided System Restoration procedures to restore the entire system. Use the Object Archive panels to restore individual libraries, objects from libraries; object lists; source members; documents; IFS files; IFS Groups; or Domino databases. When you restore an object through the object archive panels, you can select to restore from any date available on the selection panel.

Robot Save automatically backs up the library save information files (contained in the RBSDTALIB library). If you use the Object Archive (contained in the RBSPGMLIB library), you need to determine when it is to be backed up.

Library Save Information Order

Robot Save saves and restores libraries in the order they appear on the library save information list. You can change the order of the libraries in the list by changing the sequence number.

The order of restoration may be important to you if:

  • Physical files are stored in one library and its logical files are stored in another. Or, you may have join files over two physical files in different libraries. The physical files must be restored to the system before you can restore the logical files. Make sure your library restoration order deals with this possible situation.

  • You want to start using important applications before the system restoration process is complete. Put those important application libraries at the top of your library save information list. Put seldom-used application libraries at the bottom of the list.

  • Your journals for all files are stored in one library. It may be necessary to restore the journal library first, along with all the journal receiver changes. You should evaluate your situation and determine if journaling will affect the order of library restoration.