In the Squirrel system, file restore (rehydration) is the process of seamlessly returning an archived file from Azure Blob Storage back into SharePoint when a user interacts with a stub file.

This page explains how the restore process works when an end user clicks the Restore option from a Squirrel stub file, and what happens behind the scenes.

From the end user’s perspective, restoring a file is simple and intuitive:

• The user locates the stub file in SharePoint, OneDrive, or Microsoft Teams.
• The user opens the stub file and clicks the Restore button.
• A Squirrel restore page opens, showing a real-time progress indicator.
• Once complete, the user is presented with options to:
  • Open the file directly, or
  • Open the file location in SharePoint.

The restored file then behaves exactly like any normal SharePoint file.

✅ No administrator involvement is required.
✅ No special client software is required.
✅ The experience is browser-based and fully integrated into SharePoint.

When a user triggers a restore from a stub file, Squirrel performs the following operations:

1. The restore request is securely sent to the Squirrel rehydration service.
2. Squirrel validates the file, tenant, and restore request.
3. The archived file is located in the customer’s Azure Blob Storage.
4. The file is decrypted and decompressed.
5. The file is streamed back into SharePoint.
6. The stub file is replaced with the original file.
7. The restore is finalized and the user is notified.

Throughout this process, the user can monitor progress in real time from the restore page.

Squirrel restore is designed to perform a full-fidelity rehydration, returning archived content back into SharePoint as close as possible to its original state.

During restore, Squirrel attempts to:

• Restore all available file versions.
• Preserve original timestamps.
• Preserve SharePoint metadata.
• Return the file to its original SharePoint location.

The objective of the restore process is to return the file so that, once completed, it behaves in SharePoint like a standard non-archived file, with version history and properties intact where supported by the platform and source data.

Because restore operations depend on the state of the source environment and Microsoft 365 platform behaviours, exact reconstruction of all attributes may vary in exceptional cases.

1. User clicks Restore from the stub file.
2. Squirrel validates and initiates the restore job.
3. Archived content is securely retrieved from Azure Blob Storage.
4. Data is decrypted and decompressed.
5. File content and available versions are restored to SharePoint.
6. The stub is removed and replaced with the original file.
7. The user is offered options to open the file or its location.

For customer administrators, the stub-based restore process means:

• No service desk involvement for routine file recovery.
• No manual handling of blobs, containers, or exports.
• Files are restored back into their original SharePoint location.
• File history, structure, and metadata remain intact.
• End users remain in control of day-to-day retrieval.

This enables large-scale archiving without introducing operational overhead or disrupting business users.

A full visual walkthrough of the end-user restore experience is available here:

👉 Squirrel File Rehydration Walkthrough

If you need assistance with stub configuration, restore branding, or validating restore behaviour in your environment, contact support@smikar.com.