Backup Software > Features > Granular Backup and Restore

Granular Backup and Granular Restore: Partial Restoration of Data List

Granular backup recovery allows restoring only some parts of a dataset selected by user criteria, instead of a full recovery. The tools for granular backup are widespread now, supported by any good backup solution. Try Handy Backup software for granular backup and recovery, with a 30-day free trial!

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What Is Granular Backup?

This is a counterpart for granular recovery, allowing picking only some data from a dataset to save separately as backups. With advanced software like Handy Backup, you can even pick data twice, firstly on a backup stage, and then during creating a granular backup recovery task.

Granular Backup/Recovery Software

Most high-grade backup solutions have some functions for granular backup and recovery:

Netbackup and Acronis have an option of granular backup in the list of backup methods;
Handy Backup allows granular restore of SQL tables, website content, files, emails etc.

SharePoint Granular Backup and Restore

A Microsoft Sharepoint granular recovery technology completely realizes the functions of partial data restoration in both PowerShell and Central Administrator tools. You can provide a farm backup, partial data backup and object-related restoration of Sharepoint data when you need it, as with Handy Backup.

Exchange Granular Backup

Microsoft Exchange also contains tools for partial restoration of its database. These tools, managed by Exchange server administrator, allow extracting some data from Exchange backups without a need for time-consuming and unsafe total Exchange restoration.

Granular Recovery Technology: Backup Exec

Symantec Backup Exec granular recovery technology (GRT) has a base in typical Backup Exec methods, which users can implement to pick backup data and then perform granular recovery. However, this technology is somewhat linked to tape backup, which is now redundant or obsolete for most tasks.

Technologies behind Granular Backup

The granular recovery technology bases mainly on one of the two methods:

Object recovery. This method is good for built-in backup solutions, operating with an internal structure or a list of objects used by some software. The pros of this method are obvious sorting criteria for restoration; the cons mainly are the time to recovery and inflexibility.
File or folder recovery. This is a "generic" method, recovering a file, folder, website or SQL table by its name and/or attributes. It is fast and reliable, if you can manage your restoration content by filenames (such as time stamps). This method is great for external backup solutions.

How to Make a Granular Backup Task in Handy Backup

This simple instruction assumes that you are creating a backup task in Handy Backup. It works with most plug-ins, including Computer, Network, User Folders, FTP/SFTP/FTPS, Registry, almost all database plug-ins (excluding Lotus Notes), allowing VMware granular backup and recovery, works with all clouds etc.

On Step 2, select and configure a data backup plug-in from an appropriate group.
In the "Select data..." dialog, mark those data that you set for granular backup.

Click OK and return to the Step 2 window. That is all. You just have make a selective backup!

Granular Recovery Options

On Step 3 of a new recovery task wizard, click onto a dataset.
Select data for backup granular restore by marking data names. Click "Next" when finished.

Continue creating a task. That is all!

A Note about Granular Restore for Microsoft Exchange

Due to protective measures by Microsoft, updates and patches can limit the possibilities of granular recovery for Exchange. After some updates of Exchange Server, you can restore only an entire dataset with Handy Backup. This is a problem of compatibility, which the Handy Backup Support team solves.

Advantages of Granular Recovery

The main advantages of granular recovery are the economy of time to restore only the objects needed, and a greater protection from mishaps and undesired data changes that can occur with a full restoration. Therefore, a good granular restore software saves your efforts and your data!