Let’s take a look at the PowerControls ExtractWizard in action. We’ll use it here to retrieve IS data from a DAT tape containing a 15GB mixture of file system data and MS Exchange 2000 IS data. The Wizard first asks if you are extracting the IS from a ,BKF file, or from a tape. In figure 1, you can see that the tape option is going to be used in this example. The tape used here was saved using Windows 2000 Backup, but Ontrack claim compatibility with several other backup applications. If you are considering buying the product, you will need to make sure that your backup package is supported by this utility.

Fig. 1 – Specifying the data source.

The ExtractWizard now reads all the data contained on the tape, attempting to locate an Exchange IS backup. This would probably be a good time to make yourself a cup of tea, because it actually takes rather a long time. My DAT tape contained some 15GB of data and it took the application approximately 45 minutes to locate it. Once the IS data has been found, you are then asked to specify which of the IS data files you intend to recover. In figure 2, you can see that I’ve selected the Exchange 2000 Private Information Store, Priv1.edb .

Fig. 2 – Specifying the data files to recover.

Next, you will need to provide the location that you want the data files to be restored to. You will have to navigate to this location later when you use the main PowerControls application to examine the data contained in the files, so pick somewhere memorable. In figure 3, I have selected the C:\TEMP directory as the location for the files, but the ExtractWizard will actually create it’s own folder tree within this directory.

Fig. 3 – Specifying the restore location.

Once you’ve selected the restore directory, the ExtractWizard rewinds the tape and reads the entire contents again. It takes just as long as it did before, so don’t wait around expecting anything to happen just yet. Time for another cup of tea, perhaps? When the IS data files you selected earlier have been recovered, you will be rewarded with the dialog box shown in figure 4.

Fig. 4 – The Exchange IS Copy Progress dialog box.