Delete Backup
The delete backup command deletes files, images, and virtual machines that were backed up to IBM Spectrum Protectâ„¢ server storage. Your administrator must give you authority to delete objects.
When you delete files, the IBM Spectrum Protect server takes all of the backed up files that meet the filespec and deltype options that are specified and deactivates them. The server also assigns a deactivation date of infinite-minus so that the files are no longer available for restore and are purged, immediately on the subsequent run of file expiration. The file is not physically removed until the expiration process runs.
Supported Clients
This command is valid for all clients.
Syntax
Parameters
- filespace/filespec
- filespec
- Specifies the path and file name that you want to delete from
storage. To specify a file in another file space, precede the file
name with the file space name. Use wildcard characters to specify
a group of files or all files in a directory. Separate file specifications
with a space. You can also use the filelist option
to process a list of files. The backup-archive client opens the file
that is specified with this option and processes the list of files
within according to the specific command.Note: If you indicate filespacename, do not include a drive letter in the file specification.
When you use
-deltype=inactive
or-deltype=active
, use wildcard characters to specify a group of files or all files in a directory.When you use
-deltype=all
, specify a fully wildcarded directory. - objtype
- Specifies the type of object that you want to delete. You can
specify either of the following values:
- FILE
- Specifies that you want to delete directories and files. This value is the default object type.
- IMAGE
- Specifies that you want to delete an image backup. Specifies that you want to delete an image backup. Objtype=image is not supported on Mac OS X.
- VM vmname
- Specifies that you want to delete one or more versions of a virtual machine backup; the virtual
machine is identified by the vmname variable parameter. The virtual machine name
cannot contain wildcard characters.
This feature is available only if the client operates as a data mover for IBM Spectrum Protect for Virtual Environments.
When
objtype=VM
is specified, the filelist option cannot be used. Specifyingobjtype=VM
changes the behavior of the-deltype
option. Whenobjtype=vm
is specified, you can use either-deltype=active
or-deltype=inactive
. You cannot use-deltype=all
. Specifying-deltype=inactive
displays a list of both inactive and active backups. You can use this list to specify which virtual machine backups that you want to delete. To delete only active virtual machine backups, use-deltype=active
.When you specify
-objtype=VM
, this command deletes only virtual machine backups that were created with any of the following modes: IFINCR, and IFFULL.For backups that were created with the version 7.1 or earlier clients: Individual incremental backups (backups that were created by using
MODE=INCR
) that were created after a full backup was run cannot be deleted with this command. However, if you delete a full virtual machine image backup (created by usingMODE=FULL
), and if the server has any incremental backups (MODE=INCR
) that were created for this VM after the full backup, then deleting the full VM backup also deletes the files that were created by aMODE=INCR
backup.If you delete an active backup for a virtual machine, the most recent inactive copy becomes the active backup. If you specify the -pick or -inactive option, only the backup that you specify is deleted. If you select a backup that is created by
MODE=IFINCR
, only the selected incremental backup is deleted; other incremental backups for the virtual machine are not deleted.- -FROM
- Specify the backup location or locations where virtual machine backups are deleted. You can
specify one of the following values:
- SERVER
- Backups of virtual machines are deleted from the IBM Spectrum Protect server.
- LOCAL
- Persisted snapshots of virtual machines are deleted from the hardware storage.
- BOTH
- Backups of virtual machines that are on the IBM Spectrum Protect server and snapshots that are on the hardware storage are deleted. This value is the default.
- deltype
- Specifies the deletion type. Specify one of the following values:
- ACTIVE
- Delete only active file objects. Directory objects are not deleted.
This value is the default deletion type. Note: If there are any inactive objects, then after the active object is deleted, the most current inactive object is changed from inactive to active.
To delete all versions of a file, first issue the delete backup command with
-deltype=inactive
, then enter the command again with-deltype=active
. - INACTIVE
- Delete only inactive file objects. Directory objects are not deleted.
- ALL
- Delete all active and inactive objects below a particular directory,
including all subdirectories and their files. Note: The parent directory of the deleted files and subdirectories is not deleted. If you specify
deltype=ALL
, you cannot use the pick option becausedeltype=ALL
and the pick option are mutually exclusive.
Option | Where to use |
---|---|
description | Command line only. |
filelist | Command line only. |
fromdate | Command line, and in the GUI find function. |
fromtime | Command line, and in the GUI find function. |
noprompt | Command line only. |
pick | Command line only. |
pitdate | Command line, and in the GUI find function. |
pittime | Command line, and in the GUI find function. |
subdir | Client options file (dsm.opt) or command line. |
tapeprompt | Client options file (dsm.opt) or command line. |
timeformat | Client options file (dsm.opt) or command line. |
todate | Command line, and in the GUI find function. |
totime | Command line, and in the GUI find function. |
Examples
- Task
- Delete all active and inactive file objects that are named budget
in directory /data/plan/proj1.
Commands:
delete backup /data/plan/proj1/budget.jan
-deltype=inactive
delete backup /data/plan/proj1/budget.jan
-deltype=active - Task
- Delete all inactive files that have a .txt extension
that were backed up from the /data/plan/proj1 directory
and its subdirectories.
Command:
delete backup "/data/plan/proj1/*.txt" -deltype=inactive -subdir=yes
- Task
- Delete selected active files that are backed up from the /home/marymb/project directory.
Use the -pick option to display a list of backup
copies that match the file specification. From the list, you can select
which versions to delete.
Command:
delete backup "/home/marymb/project/*" -pick
- Task
- Delete all active and inactive versions of files and subdirectories
in the /home/storman/myproject directory. Then,
delete all active and inactive versions of the /user/myproject directory.
Command:
delete backup "/home/storman/myproject*"
-deltype=all
- Task
- Delete all active file objects from file space abc in
the proj directory.
Command:
delete backup {abc}\proj\*
- Task
- Delete all inactive files with a name that ends with .txt that
were backed up from the c:\plan\proj1 directory,
and its subdirectories.
Command:
delete backup c:\plan\proj1\*.txt -deltype=inactive -subdir=yes
- Task
- Delete selected active files that are backed up from the c:\project directory.
Use the -pick option to display a list of backup
copies that match the file specification. From the list, you can select
which versions to delete.
Command:
delete backup c:\project\* -pick
- Task
- Delete all active and inactive versions of files and subdirectories
in c:\user\myproject.
Command:
delete backup c:\user\myproject\* -deltype=all
Note: The backup versions of directory object c:\user\myproject are not deleted. - Task
- Delete the active backup of a virtual machine that is named vm1.
Command:
delete backup -objtype=vm vm1
Note: If one or more inactive versions of this backup exist, the most recent becomes the active version. - Task
- Delete one or more backup versions of a virtual machine that is
named vm_test.
Command:
delete backup -objtype=vm -inactive vm_test
Note: All versions of backups for this VM node are displayed in a list; you select the versions to delete.