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Is retrospect 'Fragile'???


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It would sure be nice if someone bothered to answer that last question... Does upgrading to Retrospect 6 fix any of the "fragile" issues in this thread?

 

My backups are working reliably since turning off Verify and Snapshots. The backups take WAY less time this way, but more importantly they actually complete on all workstations instead of hanging for no reason partway through the backup. However, if I ever need a snapshot, system state, or registry restored I'm pretty much out of luck. I do a periodic snapshot of the Server to get around that risk.

 

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Quote:


My backups are working reliably since turning off Verify and Snapshots.

 

 


 

This is a VERY dangerous thing to do. If you turn off Verify, you could be copying 100% corrupted data and never know it. If you get an error that goes away when you turn off verify, then you are just turning a blind eye to the error that still exists when writing data. You may not be able to restore.

 

Turning off Snapshots just prevents you from restoring data easily, and also may prevent a registry backup.

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  • 3 weeks later...

i would agree that retrospect is fragile in a PC environment.

 

we've had more issues with this software than we've had with any other. One which comes up again and again is the retrospect launcher service failing, requiring action.

 

i've also had a situation where i had a disaster that completely destroyed a win2k server, upon rebuilding the server a complete system restore was attempted but was unsuccessful. It seems (in my experience) that the system restore works fine so long as you haven't had to completely reinstall the OS).

 

In my experience with retrospect 5.x, its just too flakey as a hands-off backup solution. The interface is unclear and IMO, poorly designed.

 

When we first started selling it, the biggest selling point was price, but with the new scheme its lost a lot of that.

 

the IDEAS of retrospect are great, its just that it's reliability has to be worked on, and a user friendly, simple and windows standard interface needs to be implemented as well as using terminology thats familiar to windows users.

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We are aware that th interface and terminology need help. That is why Retrospect 6.0 has a totally new interface and we did change much of the terminology from Retrospect 5.6

 

We are still making changes and with each release we hope to 1) Improve the interface 2) Make it more "windows" like 3) Fix bugs 4) add more features

 

If you haven't checked out 6.0 yet, please download a trial and take a look.

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I have been using Retrospect 6.0 since November 2002, 6.0 still contains the same quirks as many of you are complaining about. The software will hang on a backup error and not back anything up for days until you manually close the application. You still cannot run multiple instances of the application, so if it hangs you cannot do anything about it remotely. The $400 "Disaster Recovery" option is basically a waste of money, while it will restore a system, it still manages to screw-up the "Security Database" in Windows2000 thereby rendering the Local Policy Database "untouchable" it cant be viewed or edited(nice recovery).

 

Unfortunately, I found alot of these problems after I convinced the "Powers that be" to spend $1200 in licensing, oops.

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  • 2 months later...

Retrospect's fragility has become so problematic, I am seriously considering tossing our investment in the program.

 

 

 

 

 

Say what you want about ASIP. For two years straight, my ASIP server has been nothing but reliable and my 4.3 backup solution worked flawlessly as well. Change tape. Program keeps on running.

 

 

 

With the advent of 5.0, I cannot get a good backup. near $3000 spent and the best dantz can tell me is sorry we don't support ASIP anymore. It's Apple's fault.

 

 

 

Make a driver kit for an AIT-2 drive for 4.3.

 

 

 

I need customer support. I get two instances. With a set up that fails every night. I have changed out my switches, rebuilt my server, set up a routing box... and guess what. Nothing works.

 

 

 

Presales support call to dantz: Sure, 5.0 and an AIT-2 drive will work fine with your set up. Just install right over it.

 

 

 

Postsales support call to dantz: There's note on our website about 5.0 and ASIP.

 

 

 

Thanks. Thanks a lot.

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