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I've been backing up my files to a single file (backup+catalog) residing on an OS X server machine for quite some time. Recently, however, if I use "report" to try to view the contents of the backup set, a nav services dialog is displayed with "catalog not found." I can select the single file, but nothing happens. Same thing for "repair" and "verify" under "Tools." I have no idea what is going on.

 

 

 

Can anyone help?

 

 

 

Thanks,

 

 

 

Marc Bizer

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There should be two files on the Server: [Your Backup Set Name] and [Your Backup Set Name].cat. Which file are you choosing?

 

 

 

Did this work before? Did anything change?

 

 

 

How are you accessing the server? Note that, in OS X, permissions require that you have Retrospect auto-mount the server to be able to properly access the backup set. Has Retrospect auto-mounted the server, or have you mounted it in the Finder?

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This *did* work before, and I didn't change anything. Retrospect is set to auto-mount the server, but I've tried mounting it manually as well -- it makes no difference. In my original message, I noted that the file includes both the catalog AND the incremental backups, so there is only one file on the server. This too worked fine in the past.

 

 

 

Marc

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I've been backing up my files to a single file (backup+catalog) residing on an OS X server machine for quite some time.

 

{snip}

 

In my original message, I noted that the file includes both the catalog AND the incremental backups, so there is only one file on the server.


 

When a File Backup Set contains a certain amount of data, it splits into two files (the Data file and the Catalog file).

 

 

 

This is so that Retrospect 5.0 is no longer constrained by a MacOS limitation that prevents (even on OS X) any single file's resource fork from growing past a certain size (I dont' know the specific size). With this split, a Retrospect 5 File Backup can grow to terrabytes, but the two files on disk need to be present (and in the same directory, and named the same with the smaller catalog file named "FileName.cat"(where, I suppose I should note, "FileName" is the actual name of the file)). It's all spelled out in the manual.

 

 

 

If Retrospect is giving a "Catalog not found" error, it is probably because the catalog file is not in its expected location. Did you move or delete it?

 

 

 

Dave

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The backup file is approximately 1 GB, and had not yet split into two files (to my knowledge). I did not move or delete the catalog file, because (as I said previously) it is part of the backup set! In addition, even if I *had* deleted the catalog file, wouldn't it be possible to rebuild it? In my original message, I note that this is not possible either (selecting the backup file under Tools:Repair) does nothing.

 

 

 

 

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The backup file is approximately 1 GB, and had not yet split into two files (to my knowledge). I did not move or delete the catalog file, because (as I said previously) it is part of the backup set!


 

I'm not clear on your reasoning here; you don't know if it split, but you know that a portion can't be missing because it's not split!

 

 

 

If you go to Configure->Backup Sets, can you Configure the set in question (you haven't said so previously)?

 

 

 

If you get the Nav Services dialog box asking "Where is the catalog file for 'YourFileName.cat'?" (which seems like bad wording, since it's actally looking for the file of that name, not a file _for_ that name...) then most likely the File Backup Set has indeed split. The catalog is now a seperate file from the data file.

 

 

 

even if I *had* deleted the catalog file, wouldn't it be possible to rebuild it? In my original message, I note that this is not possible either (selecting the backup file under Tools:Repair) does nothing

 

 

 

Can you be completely specific on what you do, and completely specific on what you see (because, in your original message and in your previous message etc you have been somewhat less then specific)?

 

 

 

If you visit Tools->Repair and then click on the radio button for "Repair File Backup Set" (the one at the bottom) and click OK, you should get a NavServices dialog box. This dialog is will allow you to select a File Backup Set whether it's split or not. When you select your file and click OK, what happens?

 

 

 

Dave

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OK, let me be clear: there is ONE backup file. That's it. There's no separate catalog file.

 

 

 

"If you get the Nav Services dialog box asking "Where is the catalog file for 'YourFileName.cat'?" (which seems like bad wording, since it's actally looking for the file of that name, not a file _for_ that name...) then most likely the File Backup Set has indeed split. "

 

 

 

That may be true most of the time, but it certainly isn't true for me. When I look at my subdirectory on the OS X server, there is only one file. It was a 1 GB file; it wouldn't have split, anyway. Couldn't this Nav Services dialog be displayed if the catalog inside the backup file where somehow damaged?

 

 

 

"If you visit Tools->Repair and then click on the radio button for "Repair File Backup Set" (the one at the bottom) and click OK, you should get a NavServices dialog box. This dialog is will allow you to select a File Backup Set whether it's split or not. When you select your file and click OK, what happens? "

 

 

 

I do get a Nav Services dialog, but when I select a File Backup Set, nothing happens. Really. That's the real problem. Because regardless of whether the catalog file has been split off or not, it should be possible to REBUILD the catalog from the backup set, shouldn't it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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"If you go to Configure->Backup Sets, can you Configure the set in question (you haven't said so previously)?If you get the Nav Services dialog box asking "Where is the catalog file for 'YourFileName.cat'?" (which seems like bad wording, since it's actally looking for the file of that name, not a file _for_ that name...) then most likely the File Backup Set has indeed split."

 

 

 

I do indeed get the Nav Services dialog, but there's only one file in that subdirectory!

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mbizer,

 

 

 

You're answering your own questions (and apparently having a good time doing so!) but you're not answering mine!

 

 

 

I asked:

 

 

 

If you go to Configure->Backup Sets->YourBackupSet, can you Configure the set in question?

 

 

 

You didn't answer.

 

 

 

Under the "Options" tab is the button to Combine or Seperate a File Backup Set. It will display the file's current seperation status (Houstin, we have a problem...).

 

 

 

I would expect a 1 Gig File Backup Set to be split, depending on the sources being used (Retrospect will automatically split a file _before_ it needs to, based on some magic known only to the developers. My 1 Gig file backup of a virigin 10.1.4 install was split when it was created, but I can combine it again with no error).

 

 

 

I noted, when asking what happens when you select Configure->Backup Sets->YourBackupSet:

 

 

 

If you get the Nav Services dialog box asking "Where is the catalog file for 'YourFileName.cat'?"

 

 

 

Yet you didn't confirm the text that Retrospect is providing to the dialog box (it's the text string just above the shortcut pop-up menu, below the window title "Open:Retrospect"), but instead described the contents on your drive.

 

 

 

Hey, I believe you that there's only one file! Really, I do.

 

 

 

If a file is split, and the .cat file is not in the same directory as the data file, Retrospect will behave exactly as you have described.

 

 

 

Well, except for the "nothing" part.

 

 

 

Knowing what the Options tab of Configure->Backup Sets reads will be helpful to know.

 

Knowing for sure if Retrospect prompts you to locate a ".cat" file when you attempt to Configure->Backup Sets would also be helpful to know.

 

 

 

Yes, Retrospect can re-create a .cat file from a valid data file, using Tools->Repair->Repair File Backup Set.

 

 

 

Of course, all this could just be due to your file being wacked. It happens to files. I guess that's why Retrospect has its Verify function. And it's a good thing you found this _before_ needing the backup! (you might want to do fschk on the drive that has the file; this could be a warning sign...)

 

 

 

Oh, and Retrospect is mounting the OS X server, right? You aren't mounting it from the Finder and then attempting to access it with Retrospect, are you?

 

 

 

Dave

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If you go to Configure->Backup Sets->YourBackupSet, can you Configure the set in question?You didn't answer.Under the "Options" tab is the button to Combine or Seperate a File Backup Set. It will display the file's current seperation status (Houstin, we have a problem...)."

 

 

 

When I click on the "Configure" button, I get a dialog asking "Where is the catalog file for UT backup?" So I don't get far enough for the file's current separation status to be displayed. Capisci? And this is the text displayed between the dialog's title bar and the Nav Services popup.

 

 

 

Knowing what the Options tab of Configure->Backup Sets reads will be helpful to know.Knowing for sure if Retrospect prompts you to locate a ".cat" file when you attempt to Configure->Backup Sets would also be helpful to know.

 

 

 

We can't know this, can we?

 

 

 

I guess that's why Retrospect has its Verify function.>

 

 

 

That's not working, either (when I select the backup file in the Nav Services dialog, nothing happens).

 

 

 

Oh, and Retrospect is mounting the OS X server, right?

 

 

 

Yes, although when Retrospect mounts the OS X server, I can't select the backup file at all (nothing appears to the right of the arrow in the list of mounted volumes).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I don't get far enough for the file's current separation status to be displayed. Capisci?

 


 

I understand now.

 

 

 

Only took 7 messages to learn it for sure, though (although I was in error for asking about how the server was being mounted; it was there in an earlier post).

 

 

 

You don't say if the machine running Retrospect is running OS X or not. Perhaps there was some permission change on the server that is denying you the necessary access to the file. I'd suggest doing a Finder copy of the file from the OS X Server to the machine running Retrospect, and attempting to Repair the File Backup Set from there.

 

 

 

Dave

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You don't say if the machine running Retrospect is running OS X or not.

 

 

 

Very funny. I didn't need to; do you know which forum we're in? :^)

 

 

 

Perhaps there was some permission change on the server that is denying you the necessary access to the file.

 

 

 

Wouldn't I get some sort of error message to this effect?

 

 

 

I'd suggest doing a Finder copy of the file from the OS X Server to the machine running Retrospect, and attempting to Repair the File Backup Set from there.

 

 

 

Interesting suggestion! Copying a 1 GB file from Austin, TX to Paris, France might take a while, though!

 

 

 

 

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Interesting suggestion! Copying a 1 GB file from Austin, TX to Paris, France might take a while, though!


 

All depends on the size of the pipe. If you can back it up, you should be able to copy it!

 

 

 

But this makes me wonder if there's a step here that you have not revealed to us.

 

 

 

Was this File Backup Set _created_ on this server? In the same directory? Or, was the file created in another location and then moved to its current location? This is important, because there are particular permission issues involved in getting Retrospect to recognize a File Backup that is in a location different then the one where it was originally created.

 

 

 

Dave

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