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Retrospect 7 for Windows Released


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EMC Dantz announces the release of Retrospect 7 for Windows backup and recovery software. Retrospect 7 incorporates new and enhanced features that make backup and recovery easier for small and midsize businesses (SMBs), the distributed enterprise, and home and home office user.

 

Whether you are protecting a home network or a business environment running a heterogeneous network of servers, desktops, and notebooks, Retrospect 7 makes it easier than ever to perform reliable, automated data protection with new, intuitive wizards that guide users through every step in the backup and recovery process. Retrospect 7 improves recovery management for SMBs and the distributed enterprise by delivering support for Fibre Channel and iSCSI tape devices, and extending Retrospect's disk backup capabilities to deliver faster backups and restores while further simplify offsite media management.

 

The new and improved features in Retrospect 7 for Windows make it easier than ever to protect data and enable businesses to increase productivity, minimize downtime, and reduce overhead costs.

 

Wizards

All editions of the Retrospect product line include the following four intuitive, easy-to-use wizards, which guide the user through the product: • Getting Started Wizard

• Backup Wizard

• Restore Wizard

• Duplicate Wizard

 

Backup Set Transfers

Retrospect organizes media into Backup Sets, which are transferred to backup media and tracked for subsequent backups and restores. A Backup Set transfer copies the contents of one Backup Set to a new or existing Backup Set to protect against media failure, to provide offsite storage, or to start a new cycle of backups. When Retrospect 7 performs a backup set transfer, it moves only the files and folders required to make the two Backup Sets identical, saving considerable time. Previously Retrospect transferred the entire contents of the source Backup Set to the destination Backup Set.

 

Synthetic Full Backups

Retrospect's new synthetic full capability eliminates the need to perform time-consuming full backup. Retrospect can create a new full backup by selecting data from existing full and incremental backups without affecting users, applications, or the network.

 

Data Grooming

Users can opt to have a disk Backup Set automatically groomed by Retrospect. Data grooming deletes older data stored in the disk Backup Set in order to make room available for files and folders currently being backed up. Older restore points are released to ensure that new backups will always fit within the allotted disk space without user intervention. By archiving older backup data to offsite tape and enabling disk grooming, users can back up data without having to continually add or readjust the allotted disk space.

 

Disk-to-Disk-to-Tape Backups

Retrospect 7 makes it easy to set up disk-to-disk-to-tape backups by backing up to a disk Backup Set and then transferring the data to tape via a Backup Set transfer or a synthetic full backup operation. The initial backup is faster, because disks easily absorb data transfers that arrive in bursts from networked computers. The transfer from disk to tape is more efficient because the data from the disk arrives in a constant stream, keeping the tape running at maximum speed. One Backup Set can be stored offsite on tape for safety. Another copy can be stored onsite on disk for fast restores.

 

Data Filters

Retrospect gives users the flexibility to include or exclude types of data for backup. New selectors include standard Windows folders, office documents, operating system and application folders, and the most popular file extensions for music, movies, and pictures.

 

Task Bar Icon and Hot Key Backup

Retrospect home and home office editions place a new tray icon on the task bar that executes a Retrospect backup with the click of a button. Users can also assign a keyboard hot button (for example, simultaneously pressing the Windows key and the b key) to execute a backup.

 

Fibre Channel and iSCSI Tape

Retrospect business editions now support backups to Fibre Channel and iSCSI attached tape drives or libraries.

 

Client Operating System Support

Support has been added for clients running the latest versions of Red Hat Linux (8.x, 9.x, and Enterprise Linux 3), SUSE LINUX (8.0, 9.2), and Solaris (8, 9).

 

128-bit AES Encryption

Retrospect supports AES (Advances Encryption Standard) 128-bit encryption, the strongest encryption standard. AES is faster to process than the 56-bit DES encryption standard that it replaces. Retrospect continues to support DES encryption for backward compatibility.

 

TapeAlert and DLTSage

Retrospect displays TapeAlert and DLTSage alerts in the Events tab of the Activity Monitor, and adds them to the Operations Log.

 

Tape Management

The user can now select multiple tapes and add them to a tape Backup Set in a single operation, making it easier to manage tape media pools in a tape library. Previously tapes had to be added one at a time. Multiple selected tapes can be scanned, erased, or moved in a single action.

 

Tape WORM

Retrospect adds support for SAIT WORM, DLTIce (SDLT WORM), and LTO WORM drives in addition to the previously supported AIT WORM drives.

 

Windows Event Log Integration

All Retrospect events are added to the Windows Event Log so they can be easily monitored and displayed by third-party network administration applications.

 

E-Mail Reporting

Retrospect now includes an option to e-mail reports containing information on successful backup events as well as the previously reported failed backup events. E-mail notifications also include more detailed information.

 

Performance

Performance is faster due to enhancements to the algorithm that determines whether the Backup Set already contains files and folders that are scheduled for backed up.

 

Protects Larger Volumes

Retrospect backs up volumes containing up to 4 million files.

 

Microsoft Exchange Agent Improvements

The Retrospect Exchange Agent add-on can now backup and restore Public Folders. Also, the Exchange Agent performs faster verification when backing up to tape. Previously Retrospect backed up each mailbox or public folder and then rewound the tape to perform verification. Now it waits until all mailboxes and public folders have been backed up before performing verification.

 

Advanced Networking for Retrospect Professional Edition

Retrospect Professional edition supports computers distributed across multiple subnets.

 

Changes to the Retrospect Product Line

Two Editions of Retrospect Small Business Server

Retrospect Small Business Server is now available in two editions designed to work with the corresponding edition of Microsoft Windows Small Business Server:

• Retrospect Small Business Server Premium edition includes the Disaster Recovery (local only), Microsoft SQL Server Agent, and Exchange Server Agent add-ons.

• Retrospect Small Business Server Standard edition is identical to Premium edition, except that it does not include the Microsoft SQL Server add-ons.

 

Proactive Backup Now Included in Most Retrospect Editions

The functionality formerly delivered by the Proactive Backup add-on has been built into the following editions of Retrospect 7: Multi Server, Single Server, Small Business Server Premium, Small Business Server Standard, and Disk-to-Disk.

 

Server Client Licenses

Server client licenses are now available to add protection for networked servers or increase the number of networked servers already being protected. Server client licenses can be purchased for Retrospect Single Server, Small Business Server Premium, Small Business Server Standard, and Disk-to-Disk editions.

 

Server Client License Included in Microsoft Exchange and SQL Add-ons

The Exchange Server Agent and Microsoft SQL Server Agent add-ons now include a server client license, which allows a backup server running Retrospect Single Server, Small Business Server Premium, Small Business Server Standard, or Disk-to-Disk to protect a separate server running Exchange Server or Microsoft SQL Server.

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Hey guys it's better than that - sign up for the trial and then try and use the link they mail you.....

 

Us mere potential customers aren't granted permission to read the file!!

 

What an amateurish launch!! Doesn't fill me with hope that they'll solve the incompatibility with NForce3 based systems.

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If you subscribe to the RDU notify list, you would have recieved notice that a driver update was added with this release.

 

www.dantz.com/updates has the latest 7.0 driver update. The Read me for that document lists a huge number of new devices.

 

http://kb.dantz.com/article.asp?article=7947&p=2

 

Retrospect 7 also adds support for Fibre Channel and iSCSI devices. If you search the hardware database for a device of that type, you will see that version 7 may support it.

 

Some of these devices are:

 

ADIC Scalar 24 LTO (Fibre Channel version)

 

ADIC Scalar 24 SDLT (Fibre Channel version)

 

ADIC Scalar 100 AIT (Fibre Channel version)

 

ADIC Scalar 100 DLT (Fibre Channel version)

 

ADIC Scalar 100 SDLT (Fibre Channel version)

 

ADIC Scalar 100 LTO (Fibre Channel version)

 

Breece Hill 10-PAK

 

Certance LTO Ultrium 2 HH (CL 400H)

 

Certance LTO Ultrium 3 (CL 800)

 

Exabyte Mammoth 2 (M2) Native Fibre Channel

 

Exabyte 221L FC Tape Library

 

EZQuest BOA SLIM 8X DVD+/-RW Dual Layer 4X (DVR-K14 version) - FireWire/ USB 2.0

 

HP StorageWorks Ultrium 960

 

IBM 3580 Ultrium 2 Tape Drive (Fibre Channel version)

 

IBM 3581 Ultrium 2U Tape Autoloader (Fibre Channel version)

 

IBM 3582 Ultrium Tape Library (SCSI and Fibre Channel versions)

 

IBM 3583 Ultrium Scalable Tape Library (Fibre Channel version)

 

LaCie d2 AIT-2 Turbo USB 2.0 & FireWire

 

LaCie d2 Dual 4x DVD+/-RW U&I (ND-1300A version) - FireWire/ USB 2.0

 

LaCie 8x d2 DVD±RW Double Layer (ND-2510A version) - FireWire/ USB 2.0

 

LaCie 16x d2 DVD±RW Double Layer (ND-3500AG version) - FireWire/ USB 2.0

 

LaCie 16x d2 DVD±RW Double Layer (ND-3520AG version) - FireWire/ USB 2.0

 

Lite-On SOHW-812S

 

NEC ND-3100AD

 

NEC ND-3500AG

 

NEC ND-3520AG

 

OWC Mercury Pro Dual Layer DVD-/+RW Pioneer DVR-108 16X FireWire External (DVR-108 version)

 

OWC Mercury Pro Dual Layer DVD-/+RW Pioneer DVR-108 16X USB 2.0 External (DVR-108 version)

 

Panasonic DVD MULTI Drive SW-9573

 

Panasonic DVD MULTI Drive SW-9583

 

Qualstar RLS-4124 with FCO

 

Qualstar RLS-4221 with FCO

 

Qualstar RLS-4445 with FCO

 

Qualstar RLS-4470 with FCO

 

Qualstar RLS-5116 with FCO

 

Qualstar RLS-5244 with FCO

 

Qualstar RLS-6227 with FCO

 

Qualstar RLS-8116 with FCO

 

Qualstar RLS-8236 with FCO

 

Qualstar RLS-8244 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-4210 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-4212 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-4220 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-4222 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-4420 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-4440 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-4480 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-4660 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-46120 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-412180 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-412300 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-412360 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-412600 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-5433 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-5466 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-58132 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-58264 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-6110 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-6210 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-6220 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-6430 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-6460 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-68120 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-68240 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-8111 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-8211 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-8222 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-8433 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-8466 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-88132 with FCO

 

Qualstar TLS-88264 with FCO

 

Quantum ATL M1500 Native Fibre (with DLT/SDLT)

 

Quantum ATL M1500 Native Fibre (with LTO/LTO-2)

 

Quantum ATL M1800 Native Fibre (with DLT/SDLT)

 

Quantum ATL M1800 Native Fibre (with LTO/LTO-2)

 

Quantum ATL M2500 Native Fibre (with DLT/SDLT)

 

Quantum ATL M2500 Native Fibre (with LTO/LTO-2)

 

Overland REO 1000

 

Sony StorStation AIT Library LIB-D81 (AIT-4 version)

 

Sony SDZ-130

 

Spectra Logic Spectra 2K Library (Fibre Channel version)

 

Spectra Logic Spectra 2K Library (iSCSI version)

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Does anyone know if the new version (Retrospect 7) does anything significant to reduce the time it takes to create the snapshot for a backup? I use Retrospect 6.5 on a Windows XP system with about 250,000 files. It usually only takes about 5-10 minutes to make a new Progressive backup (incremental, not the first one) of the full disk, but it then takes 35+ minutes to generate the new snapshot. The Legato Connected (Enterprise version) that my company uses for my office PC does much better in this particular area.

 

Also, it seems they've removed Disaster Recovery from the new version of Professional, and also priced the add-on so it's not a reasonable feature for a home user or small office - it's nearly $600. Have I missed something?

 

Thanks,

Pete

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Quote:

OK, given that appears to be the same list as for 6.5 (and the page doesn't talk about 7 at all), is it safe to assume that 7 adds support for no new devices?

 


Well you know what they say about assumptions... wink.gif

 

I can tell you that 7.0 allowed me to create a custom config for my Emprex DVD+/-RW drive which 6.5 refused to play with.

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  • 1 month later...

Hello,

 

Earlier today EMC Dantz released a major update to Retrospect 7.0. This new 7.0.265 version contains the following changes and is highly recommended for all Retrospect 7 users. To download this update, please visit http://www.dantz.com/updates

 

In addition to the 7.0.265 update, EMC Dantz has released a new Retrospect Driver Update (7.0.3.101) also available at the above web address.

 

A list of changes can be found below:

 

Grooming database backups: This build of Retrospect fixes a problem with the grooming of SQL and Exchange database backups to disk Backup Sets.

 

Assertion failures: When Retrospect encounters a serious error, it crashes and display an assert dialog. EMC Dantz has addressed the following asserts based on reports from Retrospect users:

 

Assertion failure at "arc.cpp-2951"

Assertion failure at "module.cpp-460"

Assertion failure at "scsitools.cpp-503"

Assertion failure at "provider.cpp-989"

Assertion failure at "scsitoolsntpt.cpp-1962"

Assertion failure at "tstring.cpp-2183"

 

Catalog out of sync: In some situations, Retrospect was reporting "Catalog out of sync" errors for disk Backup Sets with grooming enabled. This has been fixed.

 

Grooming and password protection: Retrospect is now able to groom password-protected disk Backup Sets (but not encrypted Backup Sets).

 

Validating scripts: Under certain circumstances Retrospect was erroneously reporting "Media for script scriptname unavailable" when checking media using the Automate>Manage Scripts command. This has been fixed.

 

Hanging on launch: Certain backup computer configurations were causing Retrospect to hang when it was launched. This problem has been fixed.

 

Backup Wizard script destination selection: When creating a backup script using the Backup Wizard, you can choose "Backup now" from the summary screen to run the script immediately. If there are multiple destination Backup Sets available, a drop-down menu allows you to choose which Backup Set to use. Previously, Retrospect always used the first Backup Set in the list, no matter which one you selected. Now Retrospect correctly uses the Backup Set you choose from the list.

 

Retrospect Single Server and Exchange mailboxes: Retrospect Single Server with the Exchange Database/Mailbox Add-on is now able to add Exchange mailboxes to an Exchange Server that is logged in as a Retrospect Client.

 

Can't grant necessary user privileges: Previously, Retrospect reported this error when trying to run as a specified user on a Windows NT 4.0 Secondary Domain Controller. This is no longer the case.

 

Exporting the Operations Log: When the "Export the backup report and operations log" preference is selected, Retrospect exports the entire Operations Log to the file "operations_log.utx". Previously, Retrospect only exported the Operations Log for the most recent operation.

 

Resource in use errors: This version of Retrospect addresses some situations that were incorrectly generating error -843 (resource is in use by another operation).

 

 

Thank you

 

EMC Dantz

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  • 1 month later...

...Many speed improvements have been added in 7. Download a trial to see if it works faster for you..

I have a Seagate Travan 40 using the bundled TapeWare 7 in Win98SE with a 1.1GHZ Duron. After trialling a dodgy CD writer TapeWare would not access my tape drive - Devices tab full of "yellow warning icons". In desperation at TapeWare's lack of support I am trialling Retrospective 7.

Unfortunately cp TapeWare Retrospective is impossibly slow. TapeWare backs up my 12Gb, 90K+ files in about 4 hours (bearable - 50MB/min) but Retrospective barely manages 30MB/min. I am using the default Retrospective configuration - is there support for streams or other tweaks I could use?

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  • 1 month later...

Hello, I have a Maxtor One Touch II 200GB and am sick and tired of playing around with the Express HD software. I cannot delete retore points, I have to keep uninstalling and re-installing the software.

 

Can I use the new 7.0 on this drive. When I went to the link posted above, this is the note that I found:

 

<<<Hard Disk Drive/Removable Note: All Hard Disk Drives and Removable Media Drives are fully supported (excluding Floppy Disk Drives).>>>>

 

This led me to believe that it would be compatable with my drive. I bought the software and it is due to arrive tomorrow. Should I open the package and install it or what?? I hate to spend $100 and then not have it work.

 

If anyone can help with an answer tonight, I would greatly appreciate it.

 

Thanks in advance and God bless,

Mike

doh.gifdoh.gifdoh.gif

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  • 1 month later...
  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...

I just installed "Retrospect Update for Retrospect 7.0 (Win) version 7.0.8.103" for my copy of Retrospect Professional 7.0. Before dragging the new rdu.rpx file into the directory where the Retrospect executable resides, I named the old version rdu_old.rpx (just in case). I then copied the new rdu.rpx into the Retrospect directory as instructed. Next, when I tried to start Retrospect, I received an error popup stating -

"Retrospect has encountered a serious error:

 

A log of this error has been written to the file "assert_log.utx".

Please tell Dantz about this problem."

 

First, it looks like Retrospect is unable to determine the nature of the "serious error". Second, I could find no "assert_log.utx" file. The closest thing I can find to an error log is a file named "rthlpsvc.log". Third, I renamed the new rdu.rpx file to rdu_crashes.rpx, and renamed rdu_old.rpx to rdu.rpx. Unfortunately, this did not help the situation. I received the same error message. Now I am stuck without being able to perform backups at all. The only solution I see is to do a clean install of Retrospect, but I don't know if this will cause problems with my existing catalog.

 

Here is my computer setup:

650 megahertz Intel Pentium III

640 MB RAM

Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2 (build 2600)

 

Any assistance will be greatly appreciated!

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  • 3 weeks later...

DANG!!! Should have found this forum and read the posts BEFORE I let a month of frustration spew forth... checking my own directory, sure enough, this time I forgot to move the renamed rdu.rpx to another folder... once done... voila... it works again.. sorry for the rant.. just wonder why I never received a response from my email to check the forum... found this by accident.. actually link showed up in a google search...

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  • 1 month later...

Several updates since upgrading to v7 professional and still the open file backup does NOT work for XP Pro SP2. Is there any updates as to when this feature will work or has it been dropped off the "to do" list? If it is not going to work, what steps do I take to get the most reliable DR backup. I would like to be able to test restoring to a replacement drive on my laptop so I know HOW to do this and that when I need to be able to use it, I will know that it works. Until I can get a successful DR recovery working on a new drive, I don't have a good backup or DR plan in place. Thanks for any words of wisdom...

 

Dell Precision m70

XP Pro with latest service pack and all security updates

Norton 2006 Professional

Sygate Pro

MS Office Pro 2003

 

Rick

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