Are you referring to this document page
http://teamdesk.crmdesk.com/answer.aspx?aid=22386this section??
'Restore works in opposite direction – it scans the file created by backup, establish the connection between CSV file and its columns and a database table and columns, splits file's records into a batches by 500 records or 20Mb and sends them to server. If some records cannot be inserted or updated (due to validation rules violation, for example), new file is written alongside original data file containing bad record's data and the error description as a last column. Original data file is left intact. You can then analyse error file, fix problems and repeat the process again.""
iF so, I do not think it says that its limited to how much it will restore. It just will restore it in 500 record batches. I know that if you pick too many records in an operation, the browser will timeout on you.
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the next section that has all the garbly gooky..
I agree its hard to understand just reading it. But if you make a backup and look in the folder. there is a file with your "database_number.tdbackup"
if you open that in a text editor it looks like this
; Auto-generated by tdbackup, do not modify!
Homes.csv -> Homes
Home ALERT -> Home ALERT ;Checkbox
Home Closed -> Home Closed ;Checkbox
Home ALERTNote -> Home ALERTNote ;Multiline
Home Name -> Home Name ;Text
Home Type -> Home Type ;Text
Home Phone -> Home Phone ;Text
Cell Phone -> Cell Phone ;Text
Fax -> Fax ;Text
Home Email -> Home Email ;Email
Contact Notes -> Contact Notes ;Text
Web Site -> Web Site ;Text
Home Street -> Home Street ;Text
Home City -> Home City ;Text
Home State -> Home State ;Text
Home Zip -> Home Zip ;Text
County -> County ;Text
Home Travel Fee -> Home Travel Fee ;Text
Home Provider Name -> Home Provider Name ;Text
Home Owner -> Home Owner ;Text
Home Contracted Rate -> Home Contracted Rate ;Text
Home Current Contract -> Home Current Contract ;Attachment
With that open the jargon makes some sense.
THEY are saying how you can edit this for a restore.
WHICH YOU SHOULD NOT DO unless you really understand it.
so if I wanted my Home Owner to be restored to another field..(Home Name) .. I could change it here...
PERSONALLY...
the have some awesome backup tools on there servers, I cannot imagine ever needing to restore myself.
i do backups because I am a backup crazy person. But I do not expect to have a clean restore from this sort of backup.
If your backing up for development. This is likely not the best option.
You should do it, wont hurt but.
I do the following.
Make a copy of the database with no records. = this saves the design (and saved me a time or two)
Make a development branch and work there.
I then export the data from any tables I am working on, the export takes only a few minutes.
If I need to import data back in.
I make sure I do another export first, so I have any records that users may have made while i was working. Then I import the old data.
Either that or I go in and disable users so nobody can make changes while I am working.