Simple definition
Application-item restore recovers selected objects such as individual emails or database records rather than an entire backup.
Purpose and use
Application item restore recovers a selected item, such as a message or directory object, without restoring an entire machine.
How does it work?
A compatible tool interprets backed-up data to expose supported items and recovery destinations.
Example and verification
Validate the capability with a representative item, checking its content, dependencies and required destination permissions.
Points to watch
Available granularity depends on the application, version and restore point. Selected relationships or properties can require additional handling.
In short
Item-level recovery reduces recovery scope but should be tested for the items that actually matter to the organization.