Asigra How-To: Use Asigra's Disc/Tape Request

This article walks you through the full Disc/Tape Request workflow in Asigra — from submitting a request, to tracking its status, to restoring data once your media has been delivered.

What is a Disc/Tape Request?

A Disc/Tape Request is a restore feature in Asigra that lets you receive your restored data on physical media (CD/DVD, tape, external hard disk, or USB drive) instead of pulling it down over the network. This is particularly useful when:

• You need to restore a very large dataset and the network would be too slow.
• You're performing a full disaster recovery and the source site has no usable internet connection.
• You want an off-network copy of backed-up data kept on-site.

When you submit a request, DS-System copies the selected files into a buffer directory at your service provider's site. Your provider then writes that buffer to the media you specified and ships it to you. Once it arrives, you restore from it locally through DS-Client.

Before you begin

The Disc/Tape feature is only available when all of the following are true:

• Disc/Tape is enabled as a DS-Tool on your DS-Client account.

If the Request Disc/Tape option does not appear in the right-click menu in Step 1 below, contact your service provider to confirm these prerequisites are in place.

Step 1 — Submit a Disc/Tape Request

1. Open the DS-User application and connect to your DS-Client.

2. In the backup set tree on the left, right-click the backup set you want to request media for, and select Request Disc/Tape.

    

3. The Request Disc/Tape Wizard opens on the Select restore media & options screen. Choose:
   • Media — the media type your provider will deliver the data on (e.g. CD/DVD, Tape, Hard Disk, USB).
   • Option — either:
     • Snapshot — the entire backup set is included; no further file selection is possible.
     • Selective — you'll pick specific directories and files on the next screen.
4. Click Next. The Select directories/files screen appears.
   • If you chose Snapshot, the full set is already selected — just review and continue.
   • If you chose Selective, expand the tree and tick the directories and files you want included, exactly as you would for a normal restore.
5. When your selections are complete, click Finish. The Disc/Tape Mailing Information screen appears.
6. Fill in the mailing information so your service provider knows where to ship the media (contact name, address, phone, any special handling notes), then click OK.

DS-System now mirrors the selected files into a buffer directory on the service provider's side. From there, the provider will write the media and ship it to the address you supplied.

Step 2 — Track the Status of Your Request

You can check the progress of your order at any time after submitting it.

1. In DS-User, click Restore > Disc/Tape > Orders.

    

2. The Orders for Disc/Tape screen opens, listing each order and its current status.

What the status values mean

• Purchased — DS-System has resolved the requested files in its database. The backup set is now locked — do not run further backups or write operations against it.
• In progress — the service provider is actively writing the buffer to media.
• Finished — the media has been written. The backup set is unlocked, and the media will be shipped (or has already been shipped) to the mailing address you provided.

Step 3 — Restore from the Delivered Media

Once the media arrives, connect or insert it on the machine running DS-Client, then:

1. In DS-User, click Restore > Disc/Tape > Restore from.
2. The Select Disc/Tape Restore Path screen opens. Click the » button next to Computer and choose the machine the media is connected to.
3. Click the » button next to Directory, browse to the directory containing the Disc/Tape catalog on the media, and click Select.
4. If the backup set was encrypted, enter the encryption key in the field that appears.
5. Click OK. The Select directories/files to restore screen opens.
6. Tick the items you want to restore and click Next.
7. On the Select restore location screen, choose where the data should land (original location, alternate path, etc.). From here, the remaining steps mirror a normal restore for that backup-set type.
8. Complete the wizard. DS-Client reads from the media and restores the data to the destination you chose.

Tips & troubleshooting

• I don't see "Request Disc/Tape" in the right-click menu. The Disc/Tape DS-Tool is probably not enabled on your DS-Client. Contact your service provider to confirm licensing and that the tool is turned on for your account.
• My backup set won't run a scheduled backup. Check Restore > Disc/Tape > Orders — if an order is in Purchased or In Progress state, the set is locked until the order reaches Finished.
• I picked the wrong media type. Cancel the order through your service provider before it reaches Finished, then submit a new request.
• Encryption key prompt. The key required at restore time is the same key used when the backup set was created. Without it, the data on the media cannot be read.
• Where should I keep the media after restoring? Treat it as a confidential backup copy — store it in a secure, climate-controlled location, or destroy it according to your data-retention policy when it is no longer needed.

Need help?

If you run into any issue during the Disc/Tape Request workflow, submit a ticket through this Help Center or contact our support team directly. Include your DS-Client name, the backup set involved, and the order status from the Orders for Disc/Tape screen — that information lets us help you fastest.