Ref: 17350004
Title: Incorrect Files Restored with 3+Backup Restore Files/Partitions
date: 2/1/91

Copyright 3Com Corporation, 1991.  All rights reserved.

Problem:  A user has several appended incremental backups on a tape.  When
the user attempts to restore files or partitions from that tape using 3BMEN
or 3BMENDOS, and the "Restore No Later Than" option is used, the most recent
version of those files will always be restored, regardless of the date and
time specified by the user.  This problem occurs in 3+Backup versions 1.3.1,
1.3.2, 1.5, and 1.5.2.

Note:  The command-line versions (3B and 3BDOS) of the services restore the
proper files and partitions.

In the following example, the Restore Files option of 3BMEN is selected, but
the information is equally applicable to the Restore Partitions option:

 - User invokes 3BMEN or 3BMENDOS from a DOS workstation.
 - Restore Files is selected.
 - Source and Destination servers, Directory and Filename information is
   entered.  The tape to be restored from has three versions of a file
   called Test1.doc, which was created on 10/25/90 @ 10 AM, modified on
   10/27/90 @ 7 AM, and modified again on 10/29/90 @ 2 PM.  The user enters
   a Restore No Later Than date and time of 10/27/90, 8 AM.
 - When the restore completes, the user discovers that three files were
   restored, and the file now restored to the disk has a date and time of
   10/29/90, 2 PM, instead of the expected date of 10/27/90, 7 AM.

The problem is due to a bug in 3BMEN and 3BMENDOS that causes it to format
the date incorrectly.  The menu version of Backup merely provides a graphical
interface for the user, and when parameter entry is complete, it sends the
commands to the Backup server to initiate the backup or restore operation.

The reason multiple files were restored even though only one filename was
selected is due to the fact that the Restore Files function starts at the
beginning of the tape, searching for file name criteria matching that of
the user entry.  Once it finds a match, the data and time parameters are
checked.  As long as the "Restore No Later Than" criteria is not yet met,
that file is restored.  In our example, the original file (10/25/90, 10AM)
is restored.  The next file is located (10/27/90, 7 AM), checked, and copied
over the original.  The next match is located (10/29/90, 2 PM), but since the
date and time criteria are not met, the file is not copied.


To work around the problem, use the command line interface versions of
Backup, that is, 3B and 3BDOS.

