In Brightspace, if data is accidentally deleted, how can you restore the deleted data? This article describes which objects can be restored (unassisted) by any course admin or instructor and which deleted content will require intervention from D2L.
Brightspace Data Restoration Guidelines
Restoring unintentionally deleted course content and data is always a challenge. However, accidents happen; and under certain circumstances, course elements may be restored. In fact, our current version of D2L allows instructors to "undelete" some course elements.
This article describes which objects can be restored (unassisted) by any course instructor with the necessary permissions and which deleted content will require intervention from D2L.
What can be restored through Brightspace?
Course Items that can be restored within Brightspace by administrators or instructors with the necessary permissions, at any time, no matter how long they have been deleted:
Please note that the Brightspace Default Backup Configurations only retain data backups for 30 days and any request received outside of this timeframe may not be possible to complete.
What can be restored by D2L through a Support Request?
Course items that cannot be restored within Brightspace will require a Support Request to be generated for the Service Request Catalog to review and process the restoration.
D2L Support can restore the following items within 30 days of being deleted. In your Data Restore Request, please include the type of object that needs restored and the required information so that Support can restore the object.
Below are the Object Types with their Required Information:
Assignments - Overwritten Submissions: Assignment name, User impacted, and when the submission was made are required. Note: This can only be done for assignment submissions that are overwritten when the Only the most recent submission is kept is enabled on the assignment.
Attendance - Prior to June 2021 Release: Register name, session names, and exact date and time where the register was last known to exist is required.
Checklist: The checklist that was deleted and the course it was deleted from are required.
Content Modules/Topics: Exact Module/Topic name(s) are required. Note: This applies to deleted items only since we cannot revert to a specific date/time.
Content (Manage) Files: File names and point in time when files existed are required.
Emails: Folder name and username are required.
Group Assignments: The course the group was in, the name of the group that, when deleting it, caused the group assignments to become hidden, and when the group was deleted.
Learning Objects: LORdentId is required (can be found in the content quick link).
Quizzes - Prior to August 2022 Release: Object name, Course OrgUnitId, and if there were User attempts are required. If a quiz/survey is restored, any associated attempts will be restored automatically.
Self-Assessments/Surveys: Object name, Course OrgUnitId, and if there were User attempts are required. If a quiz/survey is restored, any attempts associated will be restored automatically.
Quiz Questions: The Course OrgunitId, the Quiz name that the questions were deleted from, and details on the question are required.
Rubrics: The course OrgUnitId, the name of the rubric, and the date it was deleted are required. Note: Rubrics in use are unable to be deleted. This will only impact rubrics that have not yet been used.
Users: First/Last name, username, and email are required. The user cannot have been recreated as this would result in duplicates.
Virtual Classroom (Bongo): Username, course, meeting/session name, timestamp.
Guidelines
- Restores must be reported to D2L as soon as possible after the deletion. We can only restore data within 30 days of deletion.
- Objects are only to be restored to their ORIGINAL Org Unit (no transferring data between Org Units. For example, restoring deleted content objects from one course offering to another).
- Objects are only to be restored if the client/end-user is unable to do so themselves (no restoring items listed in the section above. For example, restoring grades, user grades, discussion forums/topics, etc.).
- For the security of our clients and their data, full course restores cannot be performed. A list of specific components must be submitted should a full restore be needed.
- When requesting Content restore, please be aware that we can only restore Deleted items. Unfortunately, items cannot be reverted to a state at a specific date/time.
- Content items are restored as Draft within the Table of Contents. The instructor can determine what can be published.
- If an investigation into who and/or how the objects were deleted is requested, please submit a separate Support Case for that investigation.
- If an Object is not listed above, unfortunately, restoration is not possible at this time. We recommend submitting a Feature request via the Product Idea Exchange requesting the ability to restore the item.