Purpose
Data is restored from backup when files, mailboxes, or systems have been lost or damaged. The aim of this work instruction is to recover the required data quickly without overwriting current data or exposing confidential information.
Prerequisites
| Type | Requirement |
|---|
| Access | Administrator rights in the backup system |
| Information | Ticket with affected system or path, desired point in time, and name of the data owner |
| Approval | Approval of the data owner for restoring the data |
| Tools | Backup system, ticket system |
Safety and Warnings
- Never restore directly over current data before the content has been verified
- Restore data only with the approval of the data owner
- Delete temporary copies after the restore is completed
Work instruction
| Responsible |
Step |
Procedure |
Needed tools |
|---|
| IT Manager |
Receive and verify request |
Check the ticket for completeness and confirm the identity of the requester |
Ticket system |
| IT Manager |
Select backup |
Identify the most recent backup that contains the data in the desired state |
Backup system |
| IT Manager |
Restore to a separate location |
Restore the data to a temporary location, not to the original location |
Backup system |
| IT Manager |
Verify with requester |
Ask the requester to check that the restored data is complete and usable |
Email |
| IT Manager |
Hand over or restore to original location |
After confirmation, copy the data to its final location and remove the temporary copy |
Backup system |
| Head of IT |
Review |
For system restores, review the incident and decide whether a problem record is required |
Ticket system |
| IT Manager |
Document and close |
Record backup used, restored data, and time taken in the ticket and close it |
Ticket system |
Expected Result
The requested data has been restored, the requester has confirmed that it is complete, no current data has been overwritten, temporary copies have been deleted, and the ticket is documented and closed.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Possible cause | Solution |
|---|
| Backup is not found | Retention period expired or backup job failed | Check the backup logs, try an earlier or later backup, and inform the Head of IT |
| Restored data is corrupt | Backup was incomplete | Restore from a different backup point and report a backup failure |
