How to Recover Data Backed up in LTO Tape using BRU (ArGest) Backup?

ArGest Backup (uses TOLIS Group’s BRU technology) is a desktop-based application designed to help users efficiently archive and retrieve their data. It is developed for all kinds of users – individuals and professionals – to help them archive their personal, professional, or production data on magnetic tapes (LTO).

At times, ArGest (BRU) archives stored on LTO tapes become inaccessible. This usually happens when the backup software fails to recognize the LTO tape cartridge or when the vendor support for the backup software ends. However, there is a way to recover data from LTO tape backed up using ArGest (BRU) Backup solution. Let’s read further to understand more about the ArGest Backup solution and learn ways to recover data from LTO tapes.

How does ArGest Backup Software Work?

ArGest Backup is a robust cross-platform data archival solution that can be used on any OS (Windows, macOS, or Linux) to archive data to tapes, disks, or cloud. It uses BRU or Backup and Restore Utility – a proprietary technology that enables users to create verifiable data backups to a storage device.

The software can be deployed either in a standalone environment or a tape library consisting of multiple tapes. It provides support for major modern tape technologies (LTO, DAT, etc.) and varied input-output (I/O) devices (transport layers), such as USB, FireWire, SCSI, SAS, SATA, Thunderbolt, and more.

For any selected configuration, ArGest Backup utilizes the features of both the transport layer and the selected tape technology to ensure high performance, reliability, and low system resource utilization.

It also provides support for mountable disk targets or volumes – RDX, DVD-RAM, USB, eSATA, SAN, NAS, and private or public cloud storage pools – to create low-cost data archives.

Users can mainly create two types of backups: Full and Incremental backups. When using BRU from a terminal, users can also create differential or partial backup.

How ArGest Backup Locates and Restores Data?

ArGest Backup leverages the physical block processing technology of a tape drive to keep track of the data stored on the tape. This method facilitates faster restoration of data from all kinds of magnetic tapes, including high-capacity LTO tapes like LTO-7 and LTO-8.

It uses the fast seeking capabilities of storage drive to restore specified files/folders/data from archives. Instead of scanning through the whole tape library, it only asks for the tape that contains the data, locates the required data, and restores it in minutes.

ArGest Backup also provides an option to restore data to an alternative location, such as another system or another location on the original system.

To restore data from an archive, you can access the Restore panel from the toolbar. Here, you get a few settings that you can modify as per your data recovery needs. Here is what you get:

• Restore from Disk File (archive)
• Restore to An Alternative Location (selectable option)
• Overwrite Existing Files on Disk
• Tape Source
• Identify Loaded Tape (to view RAW data from the first 4K of the tape)

When to Use an Advanced Tape Data Recovery Software?

The Restore Panel, mentioned above, should help you recover data from LTO tapes containing data backed up using ArGest Backup software. However, you may face issues while accessing the backups. In addition, you may encounter errors and compatibility issues with older tape cartridges, backup software, or tape drives.

In such situations, the best way to restore data from LTO tapes is by using Stellar Data Recovery for Tape Toolkit – a dedicated LTO tape data recovery software that is capable of recovering data from inaccessible LTO tape cartridges.`

Here are some highlights of this tool:

• Quick and precise tape data recovery
• Creates an image dump of the recoverable data
• Recovers files and folders from corrupt or inaccessible tape drives
• Retrieves documents, presentations, videos, photos, audio files, and large database files of SQL/MySQL, MS Exchange, Oracle, etc.
• Recovers data from LTO-1 to LTO-9 (Ultrium) tape cartridges
• Supports data backups of prominent parsers, including ArGest (BRU), HPE Data Protector, Veritas (.BKF and compressed .BKF), Symantec, Symantec Compressed Backup, Tivoli Storage Manager (B/A Client), and more.

Here are the steps to recover data from LTO tape using this powerful software:

• Purchase and install Stellar Data Recovery for Tape Toolkit on a PC running on Windows/Windows Server OS.
• Connect the tape drive to the system.
• Insert the tape cartridge.

• After inserting the cartridge into the tape drive, launch the software.

• The Select Option screen will appear. Click on Create Image and then click on Next.

• The Select Destination Path screen will appear. Click on Browse to choose the path where you wish to save the tape drive image.
• Then, select Auto from the dropdown in the Block Size field. This will select the pre-defined block size and ensure faster processing and image creation.
• Click on Create. The software will begin creating the tape drive image. Wait for it to complete.

• After the image is successfully created, it will show the Image Created screen. Click on Scan to begin scanning the image for recoverable data.

• After finishing the scan, the software will display all the recoverable files. Select a file to preview it.

• Select the files you want to save and click on Save in the ribbon.
• The Save dialog box will appear. Choose either the Default Path (selected by the software) or the User Defined Path to save the data.

• After selecting the destination path, click on Save. The software will start saving the data at the selected location.
• After the software saves the recovered data, it will show the Process Complete dialog box. Click on OK to complete the process.

The recovered files will be saved at the selected destination.

Conclusion

As explained in this guide, you can restore data from a magnetic tape backed up with ArGest (BRU) Backup by using the Restore panel in the application. But if you are facing challenges like incompatible backup software, incompatible tape hardware, or anything else, then the apt solution is to use a powerful LTO tape data recovery software.

Stellar Data Recovery for Tape Toolkit is one such reliable software that can assist you in recovering data from inaccessible LTO tape drives. It can recover data backed up on tape drives using backup applications or data parsers, like BRU (ArGest), Sun Solaris, Arcserve Backup, HPE Data Protector, Veritas, and more. This software supports tape drives of all generations and popular brands, such as IBM, Quantum, HP, and Oracle.