Encrypted restore

[daltech]

I am performing a "dead computer" simulated recovery.
The computer successfully backs up nightly to my ftp server.
Backups are compressed and encrypted.
Files in the destination look like: SBZ!30XXXXXXXdatafilename.doc.zip.
If I am physically present at the ftp server - logged in locally to the destination server (not viewing a remote ftp connection) how do I perform a restore to get all of the data files out of encrypted / compressed zip format?
Notes:
- There are thousands of zipped files. It is not feasible to individually attempt to restore each file one at a time, unzipping and typing the password for each file.
- I have installed syncbackfree onto the destination server and created a profile and an empty folder and attempted to run the profile in "restore mode", however the backup has never run so syncback thinks there is nothing to restore.
- Because the source computer is "dead" (we are testing a simulated recovery) there is no original profile from which to run syncback in "restore mode".
- Must the restore be the identical reverse of the backup if the files are compressed and encrypted? (I read the article about how files backed up over ftp have some sort of header attached - therefore the recommendation to do a "double backup": 1: locally zipping the files, then 2: sending the files offsite... - But this article did not discuss how to restore data.) In other words: Must I take a blank (new) test computer and install syncback onto it and make the source local and the destination FTP then try a recovery? Wouldn't I run into the same problem as before? Or, should I run the software in "backup mode" but run it in the reverse direction? (from destination to source - because we are trying to recover data) - but this does not seem to work because there is no option where to put in the password and run the mass decryption of all files being restored...?
Thanks,
Chris

[daltech]

Follow-up on trying to perform a restore if the backup is zipped / compressed / encrypted:
I created a empty folder and called it "source" (remember, we are trying to restore a new computer, which has empty data folders, to a usable computer that has data, so we are operating in reverse).
I created a syncback profile that copies from source to destination. (The destination contains previously backed up data that is compressed and encrypted.)
I then ran the profile in restore mode. (Because I want to get my data back.)
All the restore did was copy the zipped files back to the source - It did not decrypt them. I was never even prompted: "Are you trying to recover a previously encrypted backup? If so, please enter your encryption password here..."
This seems terribly problematic that software that is so carefully constructed in its ability to backup is so negligent in its ability to restore.
Thanks,
Chris

[daltech]

OK, I must have missed the part in the article below that says that you can only do the restore over ftp.

http://support.2brightsparks.com/knowle ... ftp-server

I will try this way and see if it works. (Not ideal because of the added time to restore through the internet and not locally.)

Thanks,
- Chris

[daltech]

Failure - then finally success !
I was able to figure it out !!!

Not only must you restore back through the ftp, your profile source is an empty folder on the new PC and destination is the ftp directory - THEN you must set the same encryption and compression settings and put in the same encryption password that you used during the original creation of the profile. (You won't be prompted to enter the encryption password.) Then run the profile in restore mode - ignore any warnings about the fact that you have never run a backup before... Badda Bing - your data is being recovered.

- Chris

[Swapna]

Hi,

We have provided the steps to restore your files via your parallel support ticket.

Thank you.

[jgt]

How about posting the restore steps so everybody can see them? Hopefully, the instructions are at the dummy level and include lots of pictures.
Why in the heck do you have to restore through FTP?

[jgt]

I'd also like to see an example of encrypting a backup.
Here is what I'm attempting:
I will have two 4 TB NTFS BU drives that will be rotated, ideally on a weekly basis but the actual rotation day may change.
I have created two BU profiles, e.g. one for each drive and used the setting to fail silently if the drive is not present, thus the profile will not run if the drive is not present. I've tested this option and it seems to be working as I expect
Each profile is scheduled to run nightly at a time when the PC should not be in use.
I will be making a mirror copy.
Nightly the profiles will run to backup data.
For security reasons, I must encrypt the backup.

The OS is Windows 10 x64. Would it be better to just use Bitlocker on the drive and not worry about encrypting the backup?

[Swapna]

Hi,

How about posting the restore steps so everybody can see them?

1. If you have a copy of Backup profile (that is used to backup files to destination device e.g. FTP) then you can simply run the profile in restore mode to restore files to source.

2. If not, create a new profile in SyncBackFree with Destination pointing to a folder where your backup data is stored (if it is on FTP then you have to create an FTP profile in SyncBack), and Source to a folder on your local drive where you want to restore files.

Enable Compression and Encryption (select the same compression and encryption mode you have you used when backing-up those files). Enter the encryption password in the Encryption settings page, so that SyncBack can use the password entered in that page to decrypt and un-compress your destination files and store them as plain files on source drive.

Then run the profile in 'Restore' mode, to restore files from destination to Source.

3. The restore wizard will analyse your profile settings and ask you a set of questions on how you want the files to be restored. These steps are to avoid unnecessary overwrite or deletion of files on your Source drive.
You can either answer those questions or click on 'Restore Now' button to start the restore process immediately.

4. You can also try restoring files to an empty folder first on your Source drive (using the 'Restore To' option available in the Restore Wizard) and if all your files are restored correctly, then you can try restoring to your actual source location.

Please read the help file > Using SyncBack > Basic Operation > Restoring a Backup for more details.

You can also perform a Simulated Restore and closely monitor the Differences Window to understand the list of files that will be restored during the profile run.

Would it be better to just use Bitlocker on the drive and not worry about encrypting the backup?

If you use Bitlocker then you may need to configure the profile to unlock/lock the Bitlocker protected device before and after the profile run (as there is no option in SyncBack to automatically unlock the protected drive). You can refer to this forum post for additional details

viewtopic.php?t=12391

Thank you.

[jgt]

Swapna - Much thanks for the instructions, I'll give it a shot later this week.

Question - regarding FTP. I'm backing up to attached USB drives. In this thread, I got the impression I had to restore via FTP. Is my understanding correct?

[Swapna]

Hi,

Question - regarding FTP. I'm backing up to attached USB drives. In this thread, I got the impression I had to restore via FTP. Is my understanding correct?

No, you have to restore from your destination device (i.e. where your backup data is stored). For example: if you are backing-up to an USB drive then you will restore from the USB drive (if the data is backed-up to FTP server then you will restore from FTP etc.).

Thank you.

[jgt]

Swapna - MUCH thanks for clearing the confusion for me!!!