Restoring a HotBackup

Last reviewed: 08/14/2009
Article ID: R11199

The information in this article applies to:

STI Server Version 14.3 and later
Tabs3 & PracticeMaster Client/Server Software (CSV) Version 14.3 and later

Summary

HotBackup is a software feature unique to Tabs3 and PracticeMaster Client Server Software (CSV) Versions 14.3 and later that allows all data files to be backed up while they are in use. This article explains how to start a HotBackup Restore, discusses the Restore HotBackup Wizard, explains restoring to an alternate folder, and provides additional technical information.

Starting a HotBackup Restore
Restore HotBackup Wizard
Restoring to an Alternate Location
Troubleshooting the HotBackup Restore

Starting a HotBackup Restore

The Restore HotBackup program lets you restore a HotBackup to the original folder on the server or to an alternate folder. Restoring a HotBackup is performed by manually running the HBRESTORE.EXE file located within the HotBackup directory you want to restore. Running the HBRESTORE.EXE file will launch the Restore HotBackup Wizard, which will walk you through the Restore HotBackup process.

When restoring to the original folder, you must restore from the server. Additionally, all users must exit all Tabs3 and PracticeMaster programs and the STI Server must be shut down.

To restore a HotBackup

Open Windows Explorer.
Navigate to the folder with the HotBackup you want to restore.
Double-click the HBRESTORE.EXE file (which is found in the Backup folder).

For example, if you want to restore the first HotBackup you made on October 23, 2007 and your HotBackup folder is set as C:\HOTBACKUP on the server, then you must first locate the 07102301 folder located in either the Archive or the Recent folder. If this dated folder is in the Archive folder, you would double-click the HBRESTORE.EXE file, as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1

Running this file will launch the Restore HotBackup Wizard, which will walk you through the Restore HotBackup process.

Restore HotBackup Wizard

Upon running HBRESTORE.EXE, the Restore HotBackup Wizard is invoked, as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2

Click Next to continue. A window similar to Fig. 3 will be displayed.

Fig. 3

Verify that the HotBackup Information is correct, including the date and time that the HotBackup was created. You can select to Restore to the original folder or Restore to an alternate folder. The following table outlines the differences between the two options.

Difference Between Original and Alternate Folders	Original Folder	Alternate Folder
Overwrites your current data.
Must restore from the server.
No users can be in the Tabs3/PracticeMaster software.
Must shut down STI Server.
Restores to a separate location for testing.
Requires installation of STI software after restoring.
Runs as a Multi-User version and not as a Client Server Version.
For temporary testing purposes only.
Folder must be blank or new.
Can restore from any computer to any computer.
Does not affect current data.
Note: Restoring to an alternate folder does not restore Tabs3 and PracticeMaster program files or the files necessary to run the STI Server. This is to prevent a second installation of STI Server, which violates the Software Sublicense Agreement for this program, and to protect your data. Once the restore is successful to an alternate location, you will need to temporarily install the Tabs3 and PracticeMaster software to the alternate location in order to test your data. If the data is determined to be correct and needs to be restored to the original location, re-run the Restore HotBackup Wizard and select Restore to the original folder. After testing data in an alternate folder, remember to delete the folder to remove the temporary program installation and prevent access to invalid data. Additional information about restoring to an alternate folder can be found in the Restoring to an Alternate Folder section.

Click Next to continue. A screen similar to Fig. 4 will be displayed.

Fig. 4

Click Restore to begin the restore process. During the restore process, the window shown in Fig. 5 will be displayed. Once the restore process has started, it cannot be cancelled.

Image of Restore HotBackup Progress Clock

Fig. 5

Upon completion, a "Restore successful!" message will be displayed. Click OK to exit the Wizard.

Fig. 6

Restoring to an Alternate Location

If you choose to restore to an alternate location, the alternate folder must be blank. If the folder name does not exist, you will be prompted to create it before restoring the data files.

Once you have chosen to restore to an alternate location, the following message will be displayed:

Important:  The option to restore to a folder other than the original is
provided for testing and validation purposes only.

In order to use the restored data, you will need to install the Tabs3 and
PracticeMaster program suite into the restored folder after the restore process
is complete.

When the integrity of the backup is confirmed, it is vital that the final restore 
be performed again using the Restore HotBackup program and selecting the "Restore 
to the original folder" option.

Do NOT manually copy the restored folder into your live server folder
without first consulting your support representative.

As indicated, when restoring to an alternate folder, the data in this alternate location is not for use as data entry or other daily activities. The alternate restore location is designed to be used to test the dataset before restoring it in place of your current data. Click OK to continue with the restore to an alternate location, or click Cancel to return to the Restore HotBackup Wizard.

When testing data in an alternate location, it is not necessary to install STI Server; the Tabs3 and PracticeMaster software will only install as a multi-user version from this location. If you attempt to install the STI Server into the alternate location, the following message will be displayed:

The data in the folder has been restored from a HotBackup. Installation of the 
STI Server software is not permitted. However, you can still validate 
your data using the Tabs3/PracticeMaster programs without the STI Server 
software. If this folder is intended to be used as your live database, 
contact Technical Support for further assistance.

Click OK to cancel the installation process.

After restoring a HotBackup to an alternate folder, if the data is determined to be correct and needs to be restored to the original location, re-run the Restore HotBackup Wizard and select Restore to the original folder. If you need the alternate location to become your new working directory, you must contact Technical Support at 402-419-2210.

Troubleshooting the HotBackup Restore

There are some general rules to follow when performing HotBackup Restore, and also specific error messages that can be displayed.

General Troubleshooting Steps

The following are situations that will cause HotBackup Restore to fail. Verify that none of these are the problem.

When selecting to restore to an alternate location, you must specify a valid, absolute path (e.g., C:\TESTING). Network paths, including drive letters mapped to network locations, or UNC paths are not valid.
When selecting to restore to an alternate location, you must specify a folder which is empty.
Make sure the CTRDMP.EXE file is in the backup folder from which you are restoring.
Verify that you are running HBRESTORE.EXE from the correct location.
Files in the FAILED folder in the HotBackup directory cannot be restored.
In order to successfully restore a HotBackup to the original folder, no users can be in the system and the STI Server must be shut down. Remove all users from all programs, shut down the STI Server, and rerun the Restore HotBackup program.
Check the Windows Event Viewer on the server for standard windows messages (e.g., not enough disk space, user rights violation, etc).

Specific Messages Received During a HotBackup Restore

The following messages can be encountered during a HotBackup Restore. A short explanation and troubleshooting recommendation is given for each message.

A valid drive path must be specified.

When selecting to restore to an alternate location, you must specify a valid, absolute path (e.g., C:\TESTING). Relative paths (e.g., /TESTING) or root drives (e.g., C:) are not valid. Click OK to close this message. Enter a valid path or use the Browse button to locate the folder to which the HotBackup will be restored, then click Next to continue.

All connections to the STI Server have been closed and the server has been shut down.

Once all users have exited the software while the STI Server Connected Workstations List is displayed, clicking Refresh will automatically shut down the STI Server Service so that the HotBackup Restore process can continue. Click OK to continue.

Alternate Directory Not Empty

When selecting to restore to an alternate location, you must specify a folder which is empty. This message indicates that one or more files exist in the target directory. Click OK to close this message. Enter a different path or use the Browse button to locate the folder to which the HotBackup will be restored, then click Next to continue.

Error: Cannot gain exclusive access to files

This message displays when multiple programs are attempting to access the data files simultaneously. This can be caused by running the HBRESTORE.EXE file multiple times, or by external programs accessing the data files in the HotBackup directory (such as virus scanning software). Click OK to close the Restore HotBackup Wizard, verify that no other programs are accessing the data in the HotBackup directory, and try the restore process again.

Indexes Needing Rebuild

If the files being restored have search indexes created, but the target directory has indexing disabled, this message will be displayed indicating that in order to use the Conflict of Interest or Document Search programs, indexes will need to be rebuilt. This can be caused by disabling file indexing in the PracticeMaster program after the HotBackup is created, and then attempting to restore that HotBackup. Click OK to close the message and continue with the HotBackup Restore process.

Before using the Conflict of Interest Search or Document Search programs in PracticeMaster, rebuild the indexes by performing the following steps:

Click the Search menu, and select Search Settings.
On the Rebuild Index tab, place a check mark next to the Conflict/Contact Index, E-mail Attachment Index, and/or Linked Documents Index, depending on what search options you wish to enable.
Click Rebuild Now.
Once the process is complete, click OK to close the Rebuilding Index Files window.
Click OK to close the Search Settings window.

Missing File Error: ctrdmp.exe

This message is displayed when attempting to start the Restore HotBackup process and the CTRDMP.EXE file is missing from the backup folder. This can indicate that the HotBackup did not complete successfully, or files were removed from the HotBackup directory. Click OK to close the Restore HotBackup Wizard and verify that you are running HBRESTORE.EXE from the correct location (Note: Files in the FAILED folder in the HotBackup directory cannot generally be restored). Attempt to run the HBRESTORE.EXE file again.

This message can also be displayed if attempting to run the HBRESTORE.EXE file from the Windows Run command (Start | Run), or using a Command Prompt without changing the current directory to the correct HotBackup subfolder. We recommend using Windows Explorer to run the HBRESTORE.EXE program.

Missing File Error: backup.001

This message is displayed when attempting to start the Restore HotBackup process and the compressed backup files (which begin with BACKUP.001) are missing from the backup folder. This can indicate that the HotBackup did not complete successfully, or files were removed from the HotBackup directory. Click OK to close the Restore HotBackup Wizard and verify that you are running HBRESTORE.EXE from the correct location (Note: Files in the FAILED folder in the HotBackup directory cannot generally be restored). Attempt to run the HBRESTORE.EXE file again.

Network paths are not allowed for the destination folder.

When selecting to restore to an alternate location, you must specify a local path (e.g., C:\TESTING). Network paths, including drive letters mapped to network locations or UNC paths, are not valid. Click OK to close this message. Enter a valid path or use the Browse button to locate the folder to which the HotBackup will be restored, then click Next to continue.

STI Server Connected Workstations List

This list is displayed when attempting to restore a HotBackup while the STI Server is running and users are logged in. All users must exit the software before continuing. Clicking Refresh will update the list of connected workstations. Once the last user has existed, clicking Refresh will display a message indicating the STI Server has been shut down and allow you to continue the Restore process.

This folder does not exist. Would you like to create it?

The folder specified for an alternate location does not exist. The Restore HotBackup Wizard can create this folder for you by clicking Yes. Click No to return to the previous screen, and enter a different path or use the Browser button to locate the folder to which the HotBackup will be restored, then click Next to continue.

The HotBackup folder must be specified.

When selecting to restore to an alternate location, a path must be specified. Click OK to close this message. Type a path or use the Browse button to locate the folder to which the HotBackup will be restored, then click Next to continue.

Problem with Dynamic Dump Restore

This message indicates that the HotBackup Restore process could not complete successfully. This usually occurs because another user started an exclusive task in one of the systems after the HotBackup Wizard was initiated, but before the restore process began. In order to successfully restore a HotBackup to the original folder, no users can be in the system and the STI Server must be shut down. Remove all users from all programs, shut down the STI Server, and rerun the Restore HotBackup program.

An error has occurred while trying to start the Restore program. Please contact Technical Support for assistance.

This prompt means there was a problem parsing DMPSCRPT.TXT. Although there are multiple causes for this error, and reading through the DMPSCRPT.TXT file for any abnormalities is the only sure way to discover the issue, the @size line may be the problem. The following is an example of this line:

@size -168164032

Any negative number in this field will cause this error message to appear. Manually removing the negative sign from this field in the DMPSCRPT.TXT file will eliminate the error and allow the HotBackup Restore to function properly.

HBRESTORE.EXE must be run as an administrator.

Cancel the HotBackup Restore process. Restart it by right-clicking HBRESTORE.EXE and then selecting "Run as Administrator". If you do not have the rights to run HBRESTORE.EXE as an administrator, please contact your network administrator for assistance.

The above error is received when using HBRESTORE.EXE to restore to the original folder while running under Windows Vista or Server 2008 with UAC enabled. Restart HBRESTORE.EXE by right-clicking it and selecting "Run as Administrator".

References

KB Article R11193 - HotBackup Overview
KB Article R11167 - Built-In Back Up and Restore Programs
KB Article R10712 - Client/Server Overview

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