Changes in Retrospect 6.0 from 5.1

[Mayoff]

New and Improved Features in Retrospect 6.0

 

Platforms Supported

Retrospect 6.0 for Macintosh runs on Mac OS X 10.1.5 and later. The CD also includes Retrospect 5.1 for Macintosh to back up a local Mac OS 9 computer. The Retrospect client software can be run on Mac OS 7.1 or later, Red Hat Linux 6.2, 7.x, 8.x, and 9.x, as well as Windows 95/98/Me/NT 4/Workstation/2000 Professional/XP computers.

 

Latest Macintosh Hardware Supported

Retrospect 6.0 supports the latest Macintosh hardware including Power Mac G5s. The Retrospect 6.0 Workgroup and Server editions also support Xserve and Xserve RAID.

 

Mac OS X 10.3 (Panther) Support

Provides complete, automated backups and restores of any Macintosh running Panther, the latest Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server operating systems.

 

Unicode Support

Retrospect correctly backs up and restores Unicode file and folder names from Mac OS X and Mac OS 9 computers.

 

Volumes Containing More Than 1,000 TB of Data Can Be Backed Up

The maximum size of a volume that can be backed up has increased from 1 TB to greater than 1,000 TB.

 

Larger Backup Sets Supported

The maximum amount of data that can be contained in a single Backup Set has been increased from 1 TB to greater than 1,000 TB.

 

Improved Tape Library Support (Workgroup/Server only)

Tape library functionality has been improved with support for the following features:

 

-Updated Storage Devices GUI. A drag and drop interface for moving tapes has replaced the Loader pull-down menu, making tape management easier.

 

-Slot memory on quit. When Retrospect restarts, it now remembers all the tapes in the library and their storage slot locations at the time it last quit.

 

-Barcode inventory. Barcode inventory allows Retrospect to quickly locate and identify tapes.

 

-Large libraries. The maximum number of tape library storage slots is no longer limited to 128.

 

-Import/Export slots. Recognizes and uses import-export slots in tape libraries so tapes can be added and removed while the library is online.

 

-Cleaning tape. Recognizes cleaning tapes via their barcode labels or during a tape slot scan, can store cleaning tapes in storage slots, and provides a GUI for the user to initiate drive cleaning.

 

Fibre Channel Tape Drive and Library Support (Workgroup/Server only)

Discovers, reserves, and uses Fibre Channel tape drives and tape libraries that are direct-attached, on an arbitrated loop, or on switched fabric. See the Dantz hardware compatibility list for supported device information at http://www.dantz.com/hardware

 

Improved Backups to FireWire and USB Hard Disk Drives

Backups can now span multiple FireWire and USB hard disks, providing a disk-to-disk backup solution for networks that contain more data than will fit on a single large disk.

 

Bootable CD Supports Latest Macs

The Retrospect product CD now uses Mac OS X 10.3.1 for bootable disaster recovery of the latest Macintoshes.

 

Improved Support for Multiple Network Interfaces

The Retrospect application and the Retrospect client automatically switch to the next available network interface if the primary interface is not available.

 

New and Improved File Selectors (Filters)

Existing file type selectors have been updated and new selectors have been added to make it easier to precisely select files and folders to be backed up.

 

-Users Folder and Prefs (OS X)

This selector will copy the Users folder containing all users and the Library>Preferences folder. This selector also excludes all browser cache files.

 

-Music

This will copy the contents of all users' "Music" folders and common music files outside of the "music" folder.

 

-Movies

This will copy the contents of all users' "movies" folder and common movie files outside of the "movies" folder.

 

-Pictures

This will copy the contents of all users' "Pictures" folder and common picture files outside of the "pictures" folder.

 

-Music, Movies, Pictures

This is a combination of the Music, Movies and Pictures selector.

 

Note: The Music, Movies and Pictures selectors noted above do not copy files from the System directories, Applications folder, Developer Tools folder or in the Internet Cache files.

 

Test Button Added for Troubleshooting Client Connections

A Test button has been added to help troubleshoot potential communication problems between the Retrospect application and clients.

 

Increased Speed

Retrospect 6.0 is 20 to 100% faster than previous OS X versions for backing up to local hard disk.

[jslove]

The list of new features does not say that backup of case-sensitive HFS+ disks, supported by Panther Server, can yet properly back up multiple files in a directory whose names differ only by case. For example, if a directory contains files named 'foo' and 'FOO', we were warned that Retrospect 5.1 would only back up one of those files.

 

Is this fixed? I will upgrade to Panther Server and Retrospect 6.0 if this now works; otherwise I'll save my $850. I want this feature because I could backup my Linux PPC systems to a case-sensitive HFS+ partition using rsync, then use Retrospect to backup those files, but there is no point in doing that if the bug remains.

 

[Mayoff]

6.0 includes Panther support, including support for Case Sensitive File systems but you should review the Read Me document which has a note about Linux and this issue.

 

 

 

Also, you can download a free trial and see if it works for you.

[bobfharris]

AS I ran Retro 6 I found that my scripts would not run with a pre 6 catalog file. When I tried to recycle, I found it wouldn't use the same tape either as it was possessed by a pre 6 catalog. This is the first time I'm aware that Dantz has made a non backward compatible file structure which requires a complete new catalog for scripts before running the script. I'm amazed to say the least. At this point the only real solution for me is to keep v 5.1 on the disk for tapes that are older until I recycle them. Not a great solution guys!!

 

 

[Mayoff]

Retrospect can read and restore from 5.1 tapes.

 

If you need to erase a 5.1 tape, go to Configure>Backup Sets and forget the corrosponding backup set. You can then manually erase the tapes from that set.

[bobfharris]

Quote:

---

Mayoff said:

Retrospect can read and restore from 5.1 tapes.

 

If you need to erase a 5.1 tape, go to Configure>Backup Sets and forget the corrosponding backup set. You can then manually erase the tapes from that set.

 

---

 

Yes but alas I cannot use the same tape and continue to add to it correct? In my useage I rotate three tapes and the one that is most full gets erased, after about 6 months. That way I keep about 6 months backward archive. If in order to use the tapes under V6 I need to erase them then I lose this. Either that or I don't use v 6 until the tape is full. Very very not so nice.. no?javascript:void(0)

[chcpsyc]

I too find this change a major headache - we have to keep 3 years worth of backups for project development audit purposes and I am now in the position of having to buy entirely new media to continue this process (not cheap given the quantity involved) - I could not even get Retrospect to copy the data from an old set to a new set in an attempt to get around this so I could reuse the old media in rotation - it just went unresponsive after 500,000 files and we have much more than that on tape! Restoring the data and rearchiving is out as we don't have the disk space.

 

Another issue is that of clients. We are upgrading from 5.0 to 6.0 but 6.0 cannot communicate with the 5.0 clients to upgrade them! It tells us that they are too old! As we have 200 workstations that is a lot of work to reinstall the client on each - another headache.

 

Pity Dantz did not develop proper migration tools for what seems to be fairly obvious requirements.

[Bela]

Retro 5 had an annoying feature, namely if retrospect server started while a non admin user is logged in ( or the user logs in while the server is running) there is no way for him(her) to log out as retro needs amin privileg to be stopped. Was this addressed in V6.0? If not will it be solved?

It seems to me an obvious idea to separate Retrospect into a deamon which does the work and a GUI which communicates with the deamon when running.

I certainly will condition my workgroup update to this issue...

 

Eagerly waiting for a reply..

 

cheers

Bela

 

[Jim_Correia]

New and Improved File Selectors (Filters)

 

 

Existing file type selectors have been updated and new selectors have been added to make it easier to precisely select files and folders to be backed up.

 

Is there a demo or trial where I can look at the new file selectors before upgrading? (If you look at some of my past posts file selectors are a sore spot with me and if they solve my problem I'd upgrade right away.)

 

Jim

[Jim_Correia]

Quote:

---

Jim_Correia said:

Is there a demo or trial where I can look at the new file selectors before upgrading? (If you look at some of my past posts file selectors are a sore spot with me and if they solve my problem I'd upgrade right away.)

 

 

---

 

I found the trial page on the site.

 

Jim

[fm51nash]

I've read with interest the updates for 6.0 and have updated my 5.1 server version on my g4 Dual 1.25 running Panther 10.3.2. I run a Sony LIB-162 library and its painfully slow scanning the unit. Retrospect doesn't remember the tapes when I quit so it rescans everytime I go to the device menu. What's up with that?

[Mayoff]

Are you running with the latest Driver Update from dantz.com/updates?

[fm51nash]

The last update i believe was from 3/9/04 ver 5.2.1??

[fm51nash]

Nope it was 6.0 driver update from 3/8/04

[wmconlon]

Here's the big thing missing from Mayoff's post:

 

 

 

versions 4.3 and 5.1 can back up AppleShare servers. Version 5 Desktop and workgroup will NOT.

 

 

 

Essentially there is no migration path for Workgroup users. We can't run 6 without:

 

 

 

1. abandoning all of our backup media as archives, since 6 won't use the earlier catalogs, and buying new media. Of course this requires significant new media investments, and eliminates Retrospect's ease of use, since we have to juggle multiple catalogs to retrieve files that were backed up pre-6.

 

 

 

2. abandoning Workgroup for the Server product in order to maintain backups of our legacy systems. This requires a major investment with Dantz.

 

 

 

I only upgraded from 4.3 to receive linux backup support (which is seriously flawed to boot). And the sales support person was told that my configuration included ASIP, Win98, Linux, OS9 and OSX, and sold me additional client licenses without telling me that I could not backup everything with this configuration.

 

 

 

It looks like the alternative is to run amanda for everything except the legacy OS9 systems, which can continue to run 4.3.

[Mayoff]

Dantz posted a compatibility statement on ASIP in mid 2002 to indicate we no longer support ASIP. Retrospect 5.0 and 5.1 did not fully support ASIP and we made that information public at that time.

 

http://www.dantz.com/index.php3?SCREEN=kbase&ACTION=KBASE&id=26688

[wmconlon]

Well, then why does the application tell me I need to upgrade my Server license to back up ASIP? I think there's something disingenuous here.

[Mayoff]

It is true that Retrospect 5.x does say this, and following the release of 5.x we realized ASIP support was no longer possible and we issued a statement to that fact.

[wmconlon]

I'm afraid you're mistaken, because 5.1 does NOT request this, and in fact, running on Mac OS9, it does reliably back up my my ASIP server, just like 4.3. But because of unresolved issues with the linux client (in a separate thread), I am attempting to back up all clients with version 6 on OS X.

 

It is version 6 that gives me the product alert stating that I need an upgraded Server license to back up ASIP. And in fact, contrary to

http://www.dantz.com/index.php3?SCREEN=kbase&ACTION=KBASE&id=26688

 

The product alert page (http://www.dantz.com/en/support/product_alert.dtml) says:

 

Alert - Sorry, can't log in a backup client. Login of an AppleShare server backup client requires a more powerful application license code.

 

Retrospect Desktop and Workgroup Users:

If you are trying to install a Retrospect Client on an AppleShare IP Server running System 9.x you will need to upgrade to Retrospect Server Backup. For more information about Retrospect Server Backup, see the product feature sheet. To purchase a Server license code, please visit the Dantz Store.

[alliancepps]

I am not able to restore data from my old catalogs, getting a "not enough memory" message in the log... this problem did not occur in the evaluation version of the software, but now that I have paid for the upgrade, my catalogs appear to be useless. In other forums it is reported that Dantz has no plans to address this problem. Can anyone here confirm this? If so, I will seek a refund as this is comletely unacceptable; I have an archive that consists of several hundred CDs and if I have to got to the time and expense of recreating the catalogs, I will just dump the data and use move to another backup system.

[Mayoff]

We are aware that some users are still seeing this with the latest update to Retrospect 6.0. We are investigating a solution. Make sure you are running 6.0.193

 

For now you can restore the old backup sets using Retrospect 5.x and do future backups in 6.0

[alliancepps]

Unfortunately, I upgraded from retrospect express, whose driver updates do not see my drives; the latest drivers for others do not work. I tried using my v6 sn in 5.1 to no avail... will dantz provide a temp 5.1 sn until the v6 problem is resolved?

[aleigh]

I'm currently running 5.0xxx on OS10.28:

I'll likely move to Panther on one volume shortly - thus it sounds like I need move to Retro 6...

 

CAN I KEEP Both versions (5.0 and 6.0) of Retro on disk?

(It doesn't really sound like I should count on 6 to access older backups)

If so, where would Retrospect prefs Folder reside? any other issues?

 

xandra

[CallMeDave]

>CAN I KEEP Both versions (5.0 and 6.0) of Retro on disk?

 

Yes, although if you plan on doing automated backups you need to be sure that version 6 was the last version launched; the daemon that does the auto-launching is bound to the application, and will change for each version.

 

>If so, where would Retrospect prefs Folder reside? any other issues?

 

Preferences are in /Library/Preferences/Retrospect.

 

Files for both versions can co-exist; each file has a unique name ("Retro.Config (5.0)" & "Retro.Config (6.0)").

[marhk]

What is needed in this app is a straight forward way to restore one computer from another.

 

I recently experienced the sudden unexpected failure of my TiBook hard drive- weird scraping noise, no drive!. Dirt Cheap Drives sent me a new one the next day. The install was easy. But what to do then? I had 2 backups on firewire drives at my desk top computer, but moving the entire drive’s info was something that I haven’t done since OS 9 days. It used to be easy! It should be now!

 

I set the TiBook up as a Firewire Target drive and used the replace all option in the latest version of Retrospect (OS 10.3.5) to move all files to the drive. I had high hopes as the process ended copying the info and seemed to be configuring the files. When it finished I rebooted - no dice! Drive not even seen.

 

Following that I faced about 8 hours of Archive and Install using 10.3 system discs - then reinstall 10.3.5 combo - then reconfigure, find files, reinstall important utilities and finally fully reinstall the TechTool edrive (which wasn’t backed up and actually has proven useful for away-from-home crashes).

 

I see no reason, considering the cost, why Retrospect can’t be engineered to recover from this type of crash in one step. As a small business user this fatal whole-disk type of crash is why I use backup software. I look forward to the new owner‘s efforts toward making this app easier to use and specifically directed at recovery from anticipated situations like I just experienced.