Re: the quantum end of the scale

[Stewart Macdonald]

Al Byrne ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) recycled some electrons by writing:

> Concur! This one is very close to the top of my wishlist. I am aware that
> Applescript can calculate the free space on a volume, so an automated
> workaround to this one should be possible.
> 
> IE: if freespace on backup HD > xGb, run normal backup, else run new media
> backup, and increment value of xGb.
> 
> Sadly, my Applescripting abilities aren't quite up to the task!

tell application "Finder"
set space to (free space of startup disk) / 1024 / 1024
end tell

if space < 50 then
--new media thing
else
--normal thing
end if


I've never scripted RetroSpect before, but the above is the start of what
you need. Anyone care to continue it?




Stewart



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Re: the quantum end of the scale

[Al Byrne]

At about 03/01/01 04:28 (GMT -1000), Tom Lawton ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
wrote:

> Now, if anyone could tell me how to get Retrospect to start a new (file)
> storage set AUTOMATICALLY when a size limit is exceeded, that would be
> great!

Concur! This one is very close to the top of my wishlist. I am aware that
Applescript can calculate the free space on a volume, so an automated
workaround to this one should be possible.

IE: if freespace on backup HD > xGb, run normal backup, else run new media
backup, and increment value of xGb.

Sadly, my Applescripting abilities aren't quite up to the task!
-- 
Al Byrne




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Re: Anyone used Retrospect on medium-large systems?

[Steven Karel]

We back up about 200 clients, half Mac, half Windows, including about a
dozen laptops. We have less data turnover than you do, however, and only
back up each client about once a week.

In no particular order, here are my comments on backing up medium-size
networks with Retrospect vis-a-vis other software i've used (haven't
tried
arcserve, but it looked awful when I was evaluating packages)

- Retrospect is much better than other solutions in terms of conserving
amount of tape used.

- restoring with Retrospect is smoother than other solutions.

- One bad apple can spoil the bunch; that is, if you have one client
that
works slowly, it can hold up the process for everything else, because
Retrospect can't back up clients in parallel (that's on my wishlist).

- with a lot of computers, the Retrospect catalog files can become
large,
and doing the comparisons between catalog and the current client
filesystem structure  prior to backing up each client can take a long
time.

- you won't have this problem with your tape library, but I find that
the
fact that Retrospect stops when it runs out of tape (we have a single
DLT
drive) annoying; other solutions (like AMANDA) use "holding-disk" to
allow
the backup to continue, then finish taping later (also on my wishlist)

Finally, I'd second the previous comments about figuring out a good
strategy early on; you don't say what your network bandwidth is like,
but
that'd be an important component in choosing a strategy.

steven


On Sat, 30 Dec 2000, ian wrote:

> I am also responsible for  my company's IT environment. We use ArcServe
> for the backup software - the server running on a Windows NT server, a
> Dell PowerVault twin-drive 30-tape library and the ArcServe agent
> running on each of a dozen or so NT servers. I don't find ArcServe
> particularly usable or flexible, so I am thinking of looking at
> alternatives. I would also like to (although we don't do this now) have
> an arrangement to back up the laptop users (about 30 or so) who tend to
> store a lot of data on local machines.
> Data volumes are around 250 GB for personal data and another 35 GB or so
> for Notes databases. Due to the way Notes mail works, a fair proportion
> of that 35 GB turns over each day.
>
> So... the question is, since I am planning to look at the market for
> backup software for bigger systems, would it be reasonable for me to
> include Retrospect in the candidate list? Is anyone on the list backing
> up systems on this scale?
>

-- 
Steven Karel, Ph.D.
Biology Department, Brandeis Univ, MS 008
415 South St Waltham MA 02454-9110
TEL 781 736 3104   FAX 781 736 3107


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huge catalogs and slow snapshots

[Michael Kennard]

I know this was discussed late last year but this still baffles me...

The PC takes ages to do a snapshot whereas the mac doesn't take 
anytime. Shouldn't the PC gather all the information it needs at the 
start when it's reading the disk or does it change a flag on the 
files/folders to mark that a backup has been done.

The second thing that baffles me is that a catalog on a mac is about 
1/4 of the size of the PC. They both backup Macs and PC's. There must 
be a lot more information being stored on Retrospect for PC.

People at the Paris and Brussels office want to go to ArcServe but 
from what I read that is a definite backwards step. I think I might 
dump the PC's and go back to the Mac if this continues.

What are the advantages of the PC version over the Mac? I much prefer 
a Mac any day.

Regards

Michael
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How to keep tapes separated?

[Kraut, David]

I'm having a small issue but  I'm sure there is a better way to achieve what
I'm trying to do.  I have (2) backup sets that I rotate each week in my HP
Surestore 8 slot Autoloader.  I have a different magazine cartridge for each
script and only want Backup A to go to Magazine A and Backup B to go to
Magazine B.  I always keep one set off site.  The problem starts when we
have a holiday or when I forget to rotate the magazine on the correct day.
If Script A tries to run and doesn't find the last tape it was working on it
looks for a blank tape.  If it finds a blank it names it backup A # and
starts backing up so now I end up with backup A tapes in both magazines as
well as Backup B tapes in both?  I do not want A or B tapes mixed in the
magazine but I do want the script to use a blank tape when the current tape
fills up.  Am I missing something here?


David


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Re: the quantum end of the scale

[Tom Lawton]

Ilyes-

my _tiny_ little nook; probably not undocumented, but it sure took me a long
while to find, and when I did, it solved all my problems!:

The option to "Set source files' backup time" in a script was very useful
for me... you can then build a selector which only backs up files modified
since their individual backup time...

Yes, I hear you say, but WHY! Retrospect already does incremental backups!

Tricky to explain, but what my backup script essentially does is COLLECT
(copies of) data from machines, to a file storage set... When this is
~600MB, we burn it to CD, discard the file storage set, and start a new file
storage set. Now we don't want the NEW storage set to get immediately full
with stuff already backed up and burned...

-if you understand the explanation, you probably could have solved the
problem yourself! And no, we couldn't use an "Archive" script to remove the
data as it was backed up, because the users need it to be left on their
machines

Now, if anyone could tell me how to get Retrospect to start a new (file)
storage set AUTOMATICALLY when a size limit is exceeded, that would be
great! (And no, sorry, we don't want to trust to Packet-written CDs, written
"live" as the backup proceeds- we like our file storage sets!)

Anyway; my two ha'pence worth- nearly equivalent to 2 cents



Tom

Tom Lawton Senior Instrumentation Technician

EnFlo(Environmental Flow Research Centre)
School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering
University of Surrey
GUILDFORDSurrey   GU2 7XH  UK

Tel: +44 (0)1483 87 9687
Fax: +44 (0)1483 87 9546
Mobile:  +44 (0)7715 126 377
email:  [EMAIL PROTECTED]
SMS:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.surrey.ac.uk/MME/scripts/StaffList.perl?name=LawtonTom
http://fluindigo.mech.surrey.ac.uk/FluidsGroup/facilities/fluids_lab.html

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the quantum end of the scale

[ilyes]

TimDavid wrote:
>  it really pays to learn all of the "nooks and
> crannies" of the program. I learned a lot of little things that really made
> my life easier about 2 years after I started using Retrospect.  <

I'm a new Retrospect-user, and unlike you power-dudes working with
mega-gigs, I only need to backup my 27GB G4/400.  I'm blown away by how
fast Retrospect is, am really happy with the software ...

Tho' for this app I actually DID read the manual, I know there's always
more ...  Picking the brains of adepts is my preferred method of
learning.  Would you folks share with me the #1 most helpful 'nook or
cranny' you've discovered, or direct me to any now-documented
'undocumented goodies' you've found especially helpful?  

thanks in advance,

 - ilyes


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Re: Anyone used Retrospect on medium-large systems?

[Tim David]

I am like the other guys in that I don't have quite that much stuff to back
up. I back up about 150gb of total data. I am backing up 6 Mac servers and
about 120 desktop Macs. I use a 5 tape DLT changer so I can keep doing
incrementals a little longer that I used to.
I also have 15 laptops that need to be backed up so I've set up two
different scripts just for the laptops. Most of that group takes lunch from
12-1 so I have one script that just hits those machines for that time period
and only gets documents and preferences. I usually get each machine a couple
of times a week. (some people take their machines to lunch)

If you go with Retrospect, it really pays to learn all of the "nooks and
crannies" of the program. I learned a lot of little things that really made
my life easier about 2 years after I started using Retrospect.

Judging by the way my backups run and from what I've seen of ArcServe, I
don't think you will have any regrets of going with Retrospect. It flies
through my backups in about half the time I have allotted. An I'm only using
a 10base-T network and an older Mac as my backup server.

Tim

_


> From: Chris Freemesser <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Reply-To: "retro-talk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2001 09:05:13 -0500
> To: "retro-talk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: Re: Anyone used Retrospect on medium-large systems?
> 
> 
>> So... the question is, since I am planning to look at the market for
>> backup software for bigger systems, would it be reasonable for me to
>> include Retrospect in the candidate list? Is anyone on the list backing
>> up systems on this scale?
>> 
>> Any advice welcome.
>> 
>> Ian.
> 
> Hi Ian.
> 
> I run a Retrospect backup server that backs up approximately 180
> systems (Mac and PC) every 36 hours, including some Macs I use for
> server purposes.  Backups are done to two DLT7000 drives, with a
> total of about 450GB per month.  Retrospect works like a champ, and I
> would not hesitate to use it on a large-scale project.  As long as
> you have a good backup strategy, Retrospect should do the job nicely.
> 
> Chris
> 
> -- 
> 
> _
> Chris Freemesser, University of Rochester
> Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences /
> Center for Visual Science
> Meliora Hall, Room 244
> E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Phone:  (716)275-0786
> _
> 
> 
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> 



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Re: Anyone used Retrospect on medium-large systems?

[Chris Freemesser]

>So... the question is, since I am planning to look at the market for
>backup software for bigger systems, would it be reasonable for me to
>include Retrospect in the candidate list? Is anyone on the list backing
>up systems on this scale?
>
>Any advice welcome.
>
>Ian.

Hi Ian.

I run a Retrospect backup server that backs up approximately 180 
systems (Mac and PC) every 36 hours, including some Macs I use for 
server purposes.  Backups are done to two DLT7000 drives, with a 
total of about 450GB per month.  Retrospect works like a champ, and I 
would not hesitate to use it on a large-scale project.  As long as 
you have a good backup strategy, Retrospect should do the job nicely.

Chris

-- 

_
Chris Freemesser, University of Rochester
Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences /
   Center for Visual Science
Meliora Hall, Room 244
E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Phone:  (716)275-0786
_


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