How to retrieve files from the pNFS snapshot on the grid

This guide explains how to recover deleted files using pNFS snapshots on the Grid. It walks users through locating snapshot directories, browsing previous backups, and restoring files or folders to their home directory.

Follow these steps to recover files using your pNFS snapshot.

Log on to the Grid.

In this example, a directory was accidentally deleted called namdtutorial.

• Example: ls -l.

• We do not see that directory in the home directory.

The snapshots are found in the volumes in /wsu/home . The directory after that corresponds to the first two letters of one's AccessID. Within that directory is the .snapshot directory.

• Type cd ~/.snapshot.

• List the contents of the directory by typing ls.

• You can see that there are two weeks worth of snapshots listed in the example above.

We will see if one of the snapshots has the deleted file that we want to restore.

• Copy the directory name by highlighting it.

• Type cd and right-click to paste the directory name.

• List the items in the directory by typing ls.

• You can see that the directory that we want to restore, called namdtutorial, is in this snapshot.

Copy the file to your home directory.

• Example: cp -R namdtutorial/ ~.

Go to your home directory by typing cd.

• List the contents to make sure that the file is there by typing ls -l.

Your file has now been restored.