DB2 10.5 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows

Version recovery

Version recovery is the restoration of a previous version of the database, using an image that was created during a backup operation. You use this recovery method with non-recoverable databases (that is, databases for which you do not have archived logs). You can also use this method with recoverable databases by using the WITHOUT ROLLING FORWARD option on the RESTORE DATABASE command.

A database restore operation will restore the entire database using a backup image created earlier. A database backup allows you to restore a database to a state identical to the one at the time that the backup was made. However, every unit of work from the time of the backup to the time of the failure is lost (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. Version Recovery

The database is restored, but all units of work processed between the time of backup and failure are lost.

Using the version recovery method, you must schedule and perform full backups of the database on a regular basis.

In a partitioned database environment, the database is located across many database partition servers (or nodes). You must restore all database partitions, and the backup images that you use for the restore database operation must all have been taken at the same time. (Each database partition is backed up and restored separately.) A backup of each database partition taken at the same time is known as a version backup.