In the Squirrel system, Stub Files are lightweight references to archived data that remain in SharePoint after a file is archived. These files act as placeholders, allowing users to interact with the file through SharePoint, OneDrive or Microsoft Teams as if it were still available in SharePoint, while the actual file data is moved to a more cost-effective storage solution.

How Stub Files Work:

When a file is archived in SharePoint using Squirrel, the actual content is moved to the archive storage. However, instead of leaving an empty space in SharePoint or deleting the file, Squirrel creates a stub file. This file appears to the user just like the original file but is much smaller in size, containing only enough information to act as a pointer to the archived data.

The stub file allows SharePoint users to continue accessing and interacting with the file through normal SharePoint interfaces. When a user clicks on a stub file, Squirrel retrieves the original file from the archive storage and restores it to its previous location in SharePoint.

Benefits of Stub Files:

• Reduced Storage Usage: Since the actual file data is moved to archival storage, stub files are significantly smaller, helping reduce the storage footprint in SharePoint.
• User Transparency: Users can continue to interact with stub files as if they are still full files, without needing to know that the file has been archived. When needed, the full file can be restored quickly.
• Cost Efficiency: Stub files allow organizations to free up SharePoint storage by moving less frequently accessed data to more cost-effective storage options, while still maintaining the user experience.

Stub File Information
Filename to Restore: The file that needs to be restored is displayed at the top of the page. It shows the filename and extension, such as pptx_5MB_v2_11877.pptx.
SharePoint Site Information: Below the filename, the SharePoint Site URL is provided, indicating where the file was originally located. This helps ensure the file is restored to the correct site.
Full File URL: This section shows the complete path to the file in SharePoint. By clicking the full file URL, administrators can verify the file’s original location before proceeding with the restore action.
Site GUID: The Site GUID is a unique identifier for the SharePoint site. This helps track the specific site to which the file belongs.
File GUID: The File GUID is a unique identifier for the specific file. It ensures that the correct file is restored from the archive.
Restore Link: A clickable link is provided at the bottom of the page. By right-clicking and selecting “Open link in new tab,” administrators can initiate the restoration of the archived file to its original location.
Customisation: The Stub File can be customised with customers colours and logos.

End User Restore Process

Squirrel’s data rehydration process allows users to restore archived files from Azure Blob storage back into SharePoint with ease. When files are archived, a small “stub” file is left behind in SharePoint, acting as a placeholder. This stub retains the file's name and metadata, enabling users to restore the full content by simply opening the stub. Squirrel offers flexible restoration methods, including direct restoration via the SharePoint interface, mapped drives, or OneDrive. The restore process includes a detailed progress bar and ensures all versions of the file are recovered, preserving its original location and metadata in SharePoint.

To see how an End User interacts with a Stub file, you can view this hereEnd User Restore Process