SMF automatically takes the following backups of the repository:
The boot backup is taken immediately before the first change to the repository is made during each system startup.
The manifest_import backup occurs after svc:/system/manifest-import:default completes, if it imported any new manifests or ran any upgrade scripts.
Four backups of each type are maintained by the system. The system deletes the oldest backup, when necessary. The backups are stored as /etc/svc/repository-type-YYYYMMDD_HHMMSWS, where YYYYMMDD (year, month, day) and HHMMSS (hour, minute, second), are the date and time when the backup was taken. Note that the hour format is based on a 24–hour clock.
You can restore the repository from these backups, if an error occurs. To do so, use the /lib/svc/bin/restore_repository command. For more information, see How to Repair a Corrupt Repository.