23.5 Salvaging or Purging Deleted Files with iManager

As an administrator, you can use the Files and Folders plug-in to iManager to salvage or purge deleted files from an NSS volume where the Salvage attribute is enabled. When salvaging deleted files, the file content, trustees, trustee rights, and inherited rights filter are just as they were before the file was deleted. If the rights in the tree above the salvaged file have changed, then the inherited rights for the salvaged deleted file are calculated based on the current rights above it in the directory tree.

23.5.1 Prerequisites

  • The NSS volume that you want to manage must be in the same tree where you are currently logged in.

  • You must have trustee rights for the file that you want to manage.

  • The NSS volume must be configured for salvage at the time the files, directories, or volumes are deleted in order for deleted files to be available. Enable the Salvage attribute by going to the volume’s Attributes page (Storage > Volumes > Properties > Attributes), select Salvage, then click OK.

  • Deleted files are typically purged according to the Purge Delay settings set in NSS. When the delay time elapses, the deleted data is no longer available for salvage.

  • Deleted files can be salvaged by any trustee for the file with the Create right. If another user has purged the deleted file, it is no longer available for salvage.

  • Deleted files can be purged by any trustee for the file with the Erase right. If another user has purged the deleted file, it is no longer available for salvage.

  • If the Purge Immediate attribute is set for a file or folder, the file or folder is immediately and permanently removed from the volume upon deletion.

23.5.2 Salvaging the Deleted Files

You can salvage a deleted file and restore it to the directory from which it was deleted if you are a trustee of the file with the Create write. You can choose to overwrite any existing copies of the file in that location, or to rename the deleted file before it is salvaged. Review the guidelines in Section 23.5.1, Prerequisites to understand when deleted files are available for salvage.

  1. In iManager, click Files and Folders, then click Deleted Files to open the Deleted File page.

  2. On the Deleted File page, use one of the following methods to locate the folder on an NSS volume where the deleted file existed when it was deleted:

    • Click the Search icon to browse and locate the folder, then click the name link of the folder to select it.

    • Click the History icon to select a folder from the list of folders that you recently accessed.

    The Deleted Files report lists the deleted files in the folder and shows who deleted each file and when it was deleted.

  3. Browse the list of deleted files to locate the version of the file you want to salvage.

  4. Select one or more deleted files that you want to salvage, then click Salvage.

    NOTE:To successfully salvage files, it is mandatory that the parent folders of the files that you intend to salvage exist. If they do no exist, salvage the parent folders first.

  5. If a current file in the folder is named the same as the salvaged file, you are prompted to do one of the following:

    • Type a new name for the salvaged file, then click OK.

    • Click OK to overwrite the current file with the salvaged file.

23.5.3 Purging the Deleted Files

You can purge a deleted file to remove it immediately from the volume if you are a trustee of the file with the Erase right. Purged files can no longer be salvaged. Review the guidelines in Section 23.5.1, Prerequisites to understand when deleted files are available for purging.

  1. In iManager, click Files and Folders, then click Deleted File to open the Deleted File page.

  2. On the Deleted File page, use one of the following methods to locate the folder on an NSS volume where the deleted file existed when it was deleted:

    • Click the Search icon to browse and locate the folder, then click the name link of the folder to select it.

    • Click the History icon to select a folder from the list of folders that you recently accessed.

    The Deleted Files report lists the deleted files in the folder and shows who deleted each file and when it was deleted.

  3. Browse the list of deleted files to locate the version of the file you want to purge.

  4. Select one or more deleted files that you want to purge, then click Purge.