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Backup to Cloud (SugarSync) - comprehensive instructions?


lhlo

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Hi:

 

(Retro v.9 Windows)

 

I am trying to (simply) use SugarSync to store a backup set but it is much more difficult than one might have thought.

 

Is anyone using SugarSync to store a backup set? How did you do it!

 

I am trying to have Retrospect "see" the sugarsync drive as just another drive with a letter (ideally). I could save to a folder which is simply tagged in sugarSync for syncing but I want to be able to set a fixed max size for the backup and I don't think that this can be done when backing up to a file.

 

I looked at WebDrive but that doesn't appear to work with SugarSync. Does anyone know of any other way of being able to create a "drive" from a SugarSync cloud-only folder?

 

Any tips? I am not fluent in the more technical details of cloud storage (e.g. WebDAV) so a conceptual reply would be most helpful.

 

thanks

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Hi

 

 

I am trying to have Retrospect "see" the sugarsync drive as just another drive with a letter (ideally).

 

Not a user of SugarSync so can't provide any help there but it is possible to map a local folder, e.g. SugarSync's, on the computer to a drive letter. I use Dropbox and I can assign D: to the Dropbox folder by entering in the Map Network Drive dialog '\\<computer-name>\Users\<user-name>\Dropbox' for the Folder entry. As I am on an ADSL connection with very limited upload speed I have never tried this but in Retrospect I should then be able to select D: as the destination for a backup set.

 

I could save to a folder which is simply tagged in sugarSync for syncing but I want to be able to set a fixed max size for the backup and I don't think that this can be done when backing up to a file.

 

If you use a Disk Backup Set you can set the maximum size of the member(s). The destination for the backup set can be a folder that is tagged in SugarSync

Edited by Scillonian
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Hi

 

 

Not a user of SugarSync so can't provide any help there but it is possible to map a local folder, e.g. SugarSync's, on the computer to a drive letter. I use Dropbox and I can assign D: to the Dropbox folder by entering in the Map Network Drive dialog '\\<computer-name>\Users\<user-name>\Dropbox' for the Folder entry. As I am on an ADSL connection with very limited upload speed I have never tried this but in Retrospect I should then be able to select D: as the destination for a backup set.

 

 

If you use a Disk Backup Set you can set the maximum size of the member(s). The destination for the backup set can be a folder that is tagged in SugarSync

Alas, it doesn't work when push comes to shove. I can jump through hoops to get the SuagrSync "cloud only" drive recognized in Retrospect and assigned to a Backup Set but when I try to actually backup, there is no joy; i.e. nothing is saved aside from the initial folder structure which Retrospect did create as the first step of a supposed backup.

 

Retrospect Support - cloud backup should, be a no-brainer-don't-need-a-PhD-to-configure process. I do not understand.

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Cloud only folder is available through Windows Explorer once the SugarSync app is installed on Windows. One can access via the following as well:

 

\\SUGARSYNC_LOCAL\SugarSyncDrive\CloudOnly\RetrospectBackupSetC.

 

Who knows what the actual "white box" details are of how Windows accesses the folder.

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When it comes to cloud-only folders it is probably the "white box" that is breaking something. In another post on the forum the cloud-only folders "feature" of OneDrive that Microsoft introduced with Windows 8.1 is also causing problems for some Retrospect users.

 

The problem has to be something to do with what tricks the "white box" is using to show the files in the Windows UI and what effect, intended or otherwise, it has on how Retrospect perceives what is where on a volume. I would think it would be possible to get Retrospect to work with these cloud-only folders but as I doubt there is a standard for them it would have to be done on a per service basis. One step forward for tablets and cloud storage is one step backwards for desktops and local storage!

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Sadly, it looks like I will have to backup to a local folder/disk which is marked to sync in SugarSync to get it to the cloud. Fortunately we don't have a great deal of data and the waste of space can be dealt with. Now I'll just have to refresh on the file structure that Retrospect creates for the backups to see how that will impact things; Hopefully no show-stoppers will present themselves.

 

Or store it in another cloud. Do you know of any cloud service that works remarkably well (i.e. it works and is easily configured) with Retrospect?

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I'm looking and will try. Retrospect provides next to nothing in terms of instruction for backing up to cloud. They directed me to 2 paragraphs in a document about backing up to a private cloud. It mentions WebDAV and rsync and that's about it. Less than useful.

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I am stunned. A bit more searching took me to the Retrospect 8 reviewer's guide in which is a "how to" to backup to cloud. How good a recipe provided is as yet undetermined.

 

http://download.retrospect.com/partners/press_tools/reviewers_guides/retrospect8_reviewers_guide.pdf

 

They will document for a reviewer, apparently, but not provide docs for the users! I am going to go through the step-by-step and see what happens.

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I tried to setup WebDAV from Retrospect 9.0.0 to my 'box' account. In my efforts to get it working I came across this KB article:

 

Retrospect for Windows and WebDAV

 

Unfortunately I found a show stopper [for me] in this document in the form of the note that "Currently SSL is not supported by Retrospect for Windows when using WebDAV". 'box' only supports SSL connections for WebDAV.

 

This [for me] makes WebDAV in Retrospect useless for connections over the Internet. Can anyone from Retrospect, or who has information, reading this say when WebDAV SSL support will be available on Windows.

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Given the plethora of cloud services and, one assumes, an growing number of businesses that use Retrospect making use of said services, why doesn't Retrospect Support publish a few "how to" papers for a few of the larger cloud providers?

 

E.G Here's how to put your backup set on Dropbox, or Sugarsync, or Box, or Mozy, or .... (pick a few that make sense)

 

How hard can it be?

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I think Retrospect are avoiding providing built-in support by directing users to third-party services such as WebDrive. At US$69.95/year (single user) for WebDrive it is a non-starter for me for several reasons. Built-in support for the major cloud providers is something that needs looking at sooner rather than later.

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