Restoring backups

You can use the vbr restore task to restore your full database or selected objects from backups created by vbr. Typically you use the same configuration file for both operations. The minimal restore command is:

$ vbr --task restore --config-file config-file

You must log in using the database administrator's account (not root).

For full restores, the database must be DOWN. For object restores, the database must be UP.

Usually you restore to the cluster that you backed up, but you can also restore to an alternate cluster if the original one is no longer available.

Restoring must be done on the same architecture as the backup from which you are restoring. You cannot back up an Enterprise Mode database and restore it in Eon Mode or vice versa.

You can perform restore tasks on Permanent node types. You cannot restore data on Ephemeral, Execute, or Standby nodes. To restore or replicate to these nodes, you must first change the destination node type to PERMANENT. For more information, refer to Setting node type.

Restoring objects to a higher Vertica version

Vertica supports restoration to a database that is no more than one minor version higher than the current database version. For example, you can restore objects from a 12.0.x database to a 12.1.x database.

If restored objects require a UDx library that is not present in the later-version database, Vertica displays the following error:

ERROR 2858:  Could not find function definition

You can resolve this issue by installing compatible libraries in the target database.

Restoring HDFS storage locations

If your Vertica cluster uses HDFS storage locations, you must do some additional configuration before you can restore. See Requirements for backing up and restoring HDFS storage locations.

HDFS storage locations support only full backup and restore. You cannot perform object backup or restore on a cluster that uses HDFS storage locations.