System Administration Guide, Volume I

Preparing to Restore Files and File Systems

The ufsrestore command copies files to disk, relative to the current working directory, from backups created using the ufsdump command. You can use ufsrestore to reload an entire file system hierarchy from a level 0 dump and incremental dumps that follow it or to restore one or more single files from any dump tape. If ufsrestore is run as superuser, files are restored with their original owner, last modification time, and mode (permissions).

Before you start to restore files or file systems, you need to know:

Determining the Disk Device Name

If you have properly labeled your backup tapes, you should be able to use the disk device name (/dev/rdsk/devicename) from the tape label. See "How to Find File System Names" for more information.

Determining the Type of Tape Drive You Will Use

You must use a tape drive that is compatible with the backup media to restore the files. The format of the backup media determines which drive you must use to restore files. For example, if your backup media is 8-mm tape, you must use an 8-mm tape drive to restore the files.

Determining the Tape Device Name

You may have specified the tape device name (/dev/rmt/n) as part of the backup tape label information. If you are using the same drive to restore a backup tape, you can use the device name from the label. See Chapter 38, Managing Tape Drives (Tasks) for more information on media devices and device names.