4. Do file restores

Do file restores

  • D

    I had to reinstall SIA on a new machine, and I input my seen and I can't see the files I uploaded. If I need to restore my files, how do I do that?

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  • Global Moderator

    @DJC_Tech I'm sorry but if you deleted your file cache your files are likely lost. They cannot be restored.

    Make sure you tag me @bryan if you need to me respond.
    Forum Mod. I cannot fix transactions. I can't help with Mac or Linux.
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    Unofficial Web Based Siacoin Wallet. No more syncing.

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  • D

    Ouch..so if my system dies...I have no way of recovering files. That is an issue

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  • Global Moderator

    @DJC_Tech Yes so in this way it isn't really a true backup unless you backup your backup.

    Make sure you tag me @bryan if you need to me respond.
    Forum Mod. I cannot fix transactions. I can't help with Mac or Linux.
    alt text
    Unofficial Web Based Siacoin Wallet. No more syncing.

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  • D

    what needs to be backed up in order to keep my backup? Also, can I save my cache to another volume?

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  • Global Moderator

    @DJC_Tech I'm pretty sure it's the cache you need to back up but I think you could back up the whole thing and be safe.

    Make sure you tag me @bryan if you need to me respond.
    Forum Mod. I cannot fix transactions. I can't help with Mac or Linux.
    alt text
    Unofficial Web Based Siacoin Wallet. No more syncing.

    0
  • D

    just transfer the cache directory?

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  • Global Moderator

    @DJC_Tech copy and paste

    Make sure you tag me @bryan if you need to me respond.
    Forum Mod. I cannot fix transactions. I can't help with Mac or Linux.
    alt text
    Unofficial Web Based Siacoin Wallet. No more syncing.

    0
  • M

    @bryan said in Do file restores:

    @DJC_Tech I'm sorry but if you deleted your file cache your files are likely lost. They cannot be restored.

    Hmm. I think devs added file recovery option in latest (1.3.0) SIA release. Isn't it?
    This function supposed to allow users to restore their files without local copy only with wallet (or wallet seed) was used to upload files.

    Although I have not yet tested whether it really works. But it was announced:

    Sia v1.3.0

    @lukechampine lukechampine released this 10 days ago · 40 commits to master since this release

    This is a minor release that introduces a number of long-awaited features.

    The most prominent features are remote file repair and wallet lookahead. Remote file repair allows Sia to automatically repair your files even after the original file data has been deleted from your machine. It works by downloading data from hosts, expanding it to the desired redundancy, and reuploading the redundant pieces to other hosts. This is a crucial feature for Sia because hosts that go offline or fail to meet quality requirements must be replaced. Note that in order for remote file repair to work, the file must report at least 1x redundancy.

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  • R

    @Mad_Max
    The problem is- files can not be restored if you have lost your contracts.
    Contracts are stored in the "App Data" folder and not on the blockchain.
    If you have lost your AppData folder you have lost your files stored on Sia.

    One can restore wallet by scanning the blockchain but as contracts aren't stored there...

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  • R

    My first thought was that contracts are stored not on the blockchain but "on the network" with 2x redundancy (one copy at the renter and one at the host). Maybe a renter could be able to decipher from blockchain the hosts with which it had active contracts. Then the renter could ask the host for the contract.

    But contracts alone are not sufficient. The host does not (should not) know anything about the files stored or keys for the decryption. So the unlucky renter can't retrieve that information from the host.
    The only way to restore files remains to backup locally (on some removable and safe media) and restore wallet from there instead of recovering from seed. The inconveniency is- the wallet (or other?) folder should be copied to the backup every time Sia is closed.
    As a side effect the media to where the wallet data is copied turns into a "hardware wallet".

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  • M

    Oh, I am see now where source of the problem. Not users files but sia DB with renter contracts...

    Actually contracts are stored in the blockchain. But only outdated versions - latest actual revisions of contracts are stored only locally on renter and host disks.
    Also contracts on blockchain do not include information about on which host each piece of user data was placed on.

    It is possible to restore/reconstruct all this data by querying all hosts in all active contracts renter have (and all base contracts and actual hosts addresses can be restored by scanning blockchain - only wallet/seed needed). But this functionality has not implemented yet - there are only plans for future development (ETA - next year in best case).

    So backup whole sia data folder (excluding blockchain) is a very good idea for now.

    At least there is no longer need to backup files uploaded to SIA itself. Lol without it (prior ver. 1.3.0) SIA was almost useless for actual data storage.

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