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Retrospect 7 failing to email for some backups


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I'm suspicious that Retrospect 7.0 is *not* reliably emailing out some log messages. I have it set to email for both errors *and* successful backups. I regularly get email messages about lost network communication (e.g. if a user shuts down a PC in the middle of a backup), user deferred backups, etc. And I get a lot of "Execution completed successfully" messages. The R7.0.249 app/RDU 7.0.106 is running from a W2K SP4 Server.

 

Note: in the info below, the actual email address has been replaced with "<email@domain.com>." The actual address works fine.

 

However, I *don't* seem to get message for backups that have execution errors *but* run to completion. In the example below, I show two successful XP-client backups (info from Retro log) and the email messages I received. I then show a (W98 client) backup with 2 execution errors (although it did run to completion) for which I *never* received any email ("******* No email received (or sent??) ********"). The next log message shows yet another successful XP-client backup along with the email that was successfully received.

 

There is no problem with email on the receiving end--if it's sent, it would be there. It's not being spam filtered. And I've seen this happen numerous times with R7, so it's not just a single "lost" email. Either Retrospect is *not* sending out an email log in some case (my best guess) *or* something about the format of the email in this particular case is causing the SMTP sever not to send the email (or, far less likely, the email receiver to reject the email). I'm not aware of a way (a more verbose debug setting?) to determine if Retrospect is trying to send an email vs. having an email rejected.

 

//////////////////////////////////////////////

 

 

+ Normal backup using JL_RM03_all_student_stations at 2/15/2005 11:52 AM

(Execution unit 1)

To Backup Set JL_RM03_StudentStatio...

 

 

- 2/15/2005 11:52:48 AM: Copying Local Disk (C:) on JL_RM3_WS3

2/15/2005 11:52:48 AM: Connected to JL_RM3_WS3

2/15/2005 12:25:13 PM: Snapshot stored, 62.7 MB

2/15/2005 12:25:25 PM: Comparing Local Disk (C:) on JL_RM3_WS3

2/15/2005 12:36:55 PM: Execution completed successfully

Completed: 14710 files, 3.8 GB

Performance: 273.8 MB/minute (226.8 copy, 345.9 compare)

Duration: 00:44:06 (00:15:42 idle/loading/preparing)

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

***** email sent as expected *****

From <email@domain.com>

Subject Retrospect notification from JL SERVER2 Retrospect log (2/15/2005)

Date Tue, February 15, 2005 12:37 pm

To <email@domain.com>

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Script: JL_RM03_all_student_stations

Date: 2/15/2005

Script "JL_RM03_all_student_stations" completed successfully

 

 

===================================================================================

 

+ Normal backup using JL_RM18_StudentStations at 2/15/2005 12:14 PM

(Execution unit 2)

To Backup Set JL_RM18_StudentStat...

 

 

- 2/15/2005 12:14:05 PM: Copying Local Disk (C:) on JL_RM18_WS1

2/15/2005 12:14:05 PM: Connected to JL_RM18_WS1

2/15/2005 1:11:08 PM: Snapshot stored, 39.2 MB

2/15/2005 1:11:24 PM: Execution completed successfully

Completed: 14916 files, 2.1 GB

Performance: 40.6 MB/minute

Duration: 00:57:19 (00:05:41 idle/loading/preparing)

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

***** email sent as expected *****

From <email@domain.com>

Subject Retrospect notification from JL SERVER2 Retrospect log (2/15/2005)

Date Tue, February 15, 2005 1:12 pm

To <email@domain.com>

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Script: JL_RM18_StudentStations

Date: 2/15/2005

Script "JL_RM18_StudentStations" completed successfully

 

 

===================================================================================

 

+ Normal backup using JL_RM10_WST_TeacherStation at 2/15/2005 1:05 PM

(Execution unit 1)

To Backup Set JL_RM10_WST_Teacher...

 

 

- 2/15/2005 1:05:03 PM: Copying Local Disk (C:) on jl_rm10_ws5

2/15/2005 1:05:03 PM: Connected to jl_rm10_ws5

File "C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet

Explorer\UserData\QHXOX9FW\oWindowsUpdate[3].xml": can't read, error

-1101 (file/directory not found)

File "C:\WINDOWS\Cookies\thembruch@bluestreak[2].txt": can't read, error

-1101 (file/directory not found)

2/15/2005 1:14:15 PM: Snapshot stored, 8,996 KB

2/15/2005 1:14:19 PM: Comparing Local Disk (C:) on jl_rm10_ws5

File "C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Companion\Data\feed4.data": different

creation date/time (set: 2/15/2005 1:07:48 PM, vol: 2/15/2005 1:16:41

PM)

File "C:\WINDOWS\command.PIF": different modify date/time (set:

12/8/2004 2:48:34 PM, vol: 2/15/2005 1:16:22 PM)

File "C:\WINDOWS\Windows Update.log": different modify date/time (set:

2/15/2005 1:11:42 PM, vol: 2/15/2005 1:13:08 PM)

File "C:\WINDOWS\APPLOG\APPLOG.ind": different modify date/time (set:

2/15/2005 1:07:52 PM, vol: 2/15/2005 1:16:04 PM)

File "C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet

Explorer\UserData\index.dat": different modify date/time (set: 2/15/2005

1:11:20 PM, vol: 2/15/2005 1:13:08 PM)

File "C:\WINDOWS\Cookies\INDEX.DAT": different modify date/time (set:

2/15/2005 1:11:04 PM, vol: 2/15/2005 1:16:42 PM)

File "C:\WINDOWS\Cookies\thembruch@yahoo[2].txt": different creation

date/time (set: 2/15/2005 1:08:03 PM, vol: 2/15/2005 1:17:02 PM)

File "C:\WINDOWS\History\History.IE5\INDEX.DAT": different modify

date/time (set: 2/15/2005 1:11:04 PM, vol: 2/15/2005 1:16:42 PM)

File

"C:\WINDOWS\History\History.IE5\MSHist012005021520050216\index.dat":

different modify date/time (set: 2/15/2005 1:13:08 PM, vol: 2/15/2005

1:17:40 PM)

2/15/2005 1:20:08 PM: 2 execution errors

Completed: 14370 files, 1.6 GB

Performance: 231.6 MB/minute (196.8 copy, 282.4 compare)

Duration: 00:15:05 (00:01:03 idle/loading/preparing)

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**********************************************

******* No email received (or sent??) ******** <<<**************************

**********************************************

 

===================================================================

 

+ Normal backup using JL_Principal at 2/15/2005 2:22 PM (Execution unit 1)

To Backup Set JL_Principal...

 

 

- 2/15/2005 2:22:18 PM: Copying Local Disk (C:) on JLPRINCIPAL

2/15/2005 2:22:18 PM: Connected to JLPRINCIPAL

2/15/2005 2:33:12 PM: Snapshot stored, 42.4 MB

2/15/2005 2:33:19 PM: Comparing Local Disk (C:) on JLPRINCIPAL

2/15/2005 2:33:47 PM: Execution completed successfully

Completed: 298 files, 73.9 MB

Performance: 128.5 MB/minute (105.5 copy, 170.5 compare)

Duration: 00:11:28 (00:10:19 idle/loading/preparing)

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

***** email sent as expected *****

From <email@domain.com>

Subject Retrospect notification from JL SERVER2 Retrospect log (2/15/2005)

Date Tue, February 15, 2005 2:34 pm

To <email@domain.com>

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Script: JL_Principal

Date: 2/15/2005

Script "JL_Principal" completed successfully

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That doesn't make any sense. Retrospect 7 will send email for Successful ("Execution completed successfully"?) backups if that Pref option is set. Good. And it will send email for "'serious or 'Major' errors'." Also good. But it *won't* send email for backups that "fail just a little bit?" That's silly--how is the admin supposed to know that backups happening but may have some issues?

 

In my example, this was a *successful* backup which saved 14370 files (1.6 GB) and a 8,996 KB Snapshot. The errors were probably due to the lack of OFB (on a W98 system) and that fact that some files changed while the backup was running. Since the "Send email for successful backups" Pref option was on, this *successful" backup should have generated an email with this log info.

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I have to agree with GoAWest on this one....the logic behind this is stupid. I can't see any reason why retrospect should decide what is a serious or major error. If the single file you need backing up isn't backed up then that's a ' major error' in my view.

 

si

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I will pass the concerns onto the product team.

 

 

 

My 2 cents. I am also a backup administrator, and I backup about 100 computers a night. If I got an email every time a minor error took place due to open file issues or a file that changed during backup I would begin to ignore every email I received from Retrospect and then I would end up missing the stuff that is critical.

 

 

 

I guess the solution would be to have an option to send an email with every error that happens. As an example, last night I would have received about 111 emails, one for each error that happened due to an option file or other minor issue.

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You're looking at this from the wrong direction. The "got an email every time a minor error took place" isn't the problem. The problem right now is that *successful* backups with even *one* error are *not* sending out emails. Here's another example from today (on a W98 client):

 

+ Normal backup using JL_RM09_StudentStat at 2/17/2005 12:05 AM (Execution

unit 1)

To Backup Set JL_RM09_StudentStat...

 

- 2/17/2005 12:05:56 AM: Copying Local Disk (C:) on jl_rm9_ws5

2/17/2005 12:05:56 AM: Connected to jl_rm9_ws5

File "C:\RECYCLED\NPROTECT\NPROTECT.LOG": can't read, error -1020

(sharing violation)

2/17/2005 1:06:42 AM: Snapshot stored, 4,036 KB

2/17/2005 1:06:48 AM: Comparing Local Disk (C:) on jl_rm9_ws5

2/17/2005 1:14:03 AM: 1 execution errors

Completed: 3808 files, 366.4 MB

Performance: 11.1 MB/minute (6.2 copy, 50.7 compare)

Duration: 01:08:07 (00:02:08 idle/loading/preparing)

 

 

Fine, W98 & Retro wasn't able to back up an open Norton Protect file. But I got *no* email telling me that this *successful* (files, snapshot, comparison, runs to completion) backup had even run let alone that the backup had run with an unimportant (according to *me*) error. I had to check the Retro log, *locally*, to verify that the backup had been done.

 

I *have* elected to turne on the "Send emails for successful backups" option, and Retro's defintion of "successful" isn't reasonable.

 

---------------------------

On the "gazillion little emails" issue, I already submitted a suggestion for email log consolidation.

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You can never have too many user options. Different strokes for different folks, eh? Wouldn't it be nice to have an option in the client setup to select if you want e-mails about that client's backup activity? When you are diagnosing a client you could have it e-mail everything, then set it to major failures only when you have it working properly.

 

I agree that specifying that you want e-mail for successful backups means that you want an e-mail every time a job runs ... not just when there are no errors or there are major errors.

 

Maybe three levels of global use: major errors; successful with minor errors; successful with no errors. But it would be very useful to be able to include or exclude specific clients.

 

Also, I get multiple messages for a failure: one about the script failing and one with details about the client. This seems redundant.

 

Bill

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Hi,

 

 

Sometimes the retroevanthandler.bat doesn't work fine ... the backup-script start, backup, check, but cannot send a email to confirm -> He wait retroevanthandler.bat. The strange is that for 3-4 week it's all ok (without problem) and perhaps a day after it doesn't start the email. He wait.

How can I configure to skip the retroevanthandler.bat event after 1 hour?

The server is 80 km far, and we want a email notification every day (good or problem).

We use retrospect 6.5 Single Server, Win 2003 Server, Dat72

 

Thank's

Ronny

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Here's another example of a "deficient" log email. This backup script has *four* Proactive sources which back up to a common (Disk) backup set. Which one of the machines was successfully backed up? I could tell you from the logs & history tab from the Retrospect console, but not from this email.

 

Script: JL_RM03_all_student_stations

Date: 2/24/2005

Script "JL_RM03_all_student_stations" completed successfully

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