How to recover the data backed up from an end user’s device that has storage usage in the cloud but no snapshots visible in its backup
Problem description
- inSync Admin notices a device that was added to inSync Cloud, has some data usage showing up in the Admin Console, but there are no snapshots visible in its backup list of snapshots.
- Thus, under inSync Admin Console -> users -> select the user -> restore -> select the device; you are unable to restore or download that data since no snapshot is present.
Cause
- This type of data is known as “data in transit”.
- When the inSync client runs the backup of the data on the device, the process is in a sequential manner.
- If the backup process gets interrupted due to any reason -> the backup is supposed to fail.
- However, if the client completely loses its connection to the Druva Cloud during the ongoing backup operation and there is some amount of “data in transit”; then the data gets stored on the cloud storage.
- However, due to the lost connection, the task never gets concluded as failed or success; and the snapshot does not get created.
- This leads to the data in transit getting stored on the cloud storage, thereby displaying its usage in the device statistics; but the snapshot is not visible.
Resolution
Option 1: Restore the data during activation:
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Such data without any snapshot reference can only be restored at the time of inSync Client Activation; when the client gives prompts you if you wish to restore the backed up data.
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You may uninstall -> reinstall and re-activate the inSync client on the same device or install and activate it on a new device; whichever is convenient.
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inSync client must be activated with the end user’s inSync email ID and password / AD credentials / SSO depending on the login mechanism set in the profile for the user.
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Once activation is successful, you will be prompted to restore backed up data -> click on “Restore Now”
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Select Backed up Data -> click on Restore:
The data will get restored to the original locations, from where it was picked up.
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DO NOT use an AuthKey downloaded from the Admin Console; as it will not give you the above options to restore the backed up data; and will straight-away activate the client for the corresponding user.
Note:
When inSync backs up any file, the file is divided into multiple data chunks and these chunks are backed up to the cloud.
Thus, for the data in transit, whatever data chunks were picked up by inSync before it lost its connection with the cloud; will be available for the restore in the above workaround.
You may get some files in full form or some might be malformed or incomplete or corrupt. Unfortunately, nothing can be done for those files; as inSync never had the full data chunks for them backed up in the first place.
Option 2: Replace the device while activation:
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If you are activating the inSync Client manually by entering the inSync user’s credentials, then inSync prompts you to choose between “Add a new device” or “Replace existing device”.
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Select Replace existing device.
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Replacing the old device will commit the older snapshot and the snapshot will be available for restore at a later time if needed.
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If you are using inSync AuthKeys to activate the device, then while downloading the Authkey, you may select the old device to be replaced, and then use the downloaded Authkey to activate the new device.