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Restoring from a moved backup media device


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I just had to restore my backup which was saved on a USB disk attached to another computer on my network. I connected the disk directly to my crashed computer (I didn't have a network connection at that point)and moved a copy of the catalog file to the disk. I tried to restore. It kept asking me for the next backup file each time it finished restoring the previous file. I have hundreds of files in my backup so this was going to require me to be at my computer during the restore process - a very long time! So I gave up and recreated the catalog file and did the restore from that catalog.

There must be a way to move both your backup media and catalog file to another computer and directly restore to the other computer without having to rebuild the catalog file. How do you do it? :confused2:

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I could be wrong, but I'm guessing:

 

Tools --> Repair Catalog --> Update Existing Catalog

 

It will then ask you to choose the backup set involved, then if it can't find the old location, it will prompt for the new location of the backup set files, give them a quick (30 seconds) read and you're done.

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It kept asking me for the next backup file each time it finished restoring the previous file.

 

 

Hmm, was the catalog file and data in the same place as they were when they were on the other computer? The reason why this might have happened is because although the place where the data was being restored to was the same, the catalog file was looking for all the data in a different path name.

 

This may not have been the problem, but I could imagine that a catalog file could be somewhat sensitive as to where it is being placed, and where the data is being placed. Its possible that windows assigned the usb drive a different letter such as (H:) and the catalog was looking for it in, well lets say (G:)

 

When something like this happens it's best to just recreate the catalog file as its just more reliable.I am however surprised that updating it did not solve this issue.

 

Just out of curiosity, was the backupset that you made a "removable disk" backupset?

 

-Jeff

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The backup set was created for computer A. The backup device is a USB hard drive attached to computer B as drive H (I have a network). I had a copy of the catalog file (normally residing on computer A) that was also stored on the USB hard drive along with the backup files.

 

Computer A crashed. When I recovered and reinstalled Windows XP SP2 on computer A I could not get connected to my network. So I attached the USB hard drive directly to computer A. I then did the: Tools --> Repair Catalog --> Update Existing Catalog and pointed the catalog to the USB hardrive which now was recognized on Computer A as drive E

 

Doing all this and I still had to point to every backup file when I did a restore.

 

(As a side note: All this is caused by my strategy to protect my two computers which are in different buildings. By connecting the backup drives respectively to the other computer I protect my data in case of a fire that burns down one of the buildings)

 

(As a second side note: I am now back up and running on Computer A, but I need to decide if I can continue my strategy of connecting the backup harddrive to Computer B. Is there someway I can do this so this problem doesn't happen the next time I crash??)

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Are the buildings connected via a reasonably fast network, such as Ethernet? If so then simply install an Agent on one of the computers and use Retrospect from the other to do the backups of both of them (backup local computer and the other computer using the agent).

 

If there is no network link between the buildings, then I do have a solution, however it involves thinking way outside the box (more like thinking in another continent). This idea is so potentially controversial it is possible this very forum post may get deleted, but here goes:

 

1. Install the Retrospect AGENT onto each computer.

 

2. Download and install MOJOPAC from http://www.mojopac.com/portal/content/hellomojo.jsp

 

For those of you unfamiliar with this free product, it is an application virtualisation platform centered around USB hard disks. Once installed onto a USB drive, you plug it into ANY computer, the autorun displays a logon screen, then you login to the MOJO session. This session is a completely separate desktop environment where applications can be installed that leave ZERO residue on the host computer. The purpose is to be able to install games like Counter Strike Source onto a USB drive then be able to play it at work without violating the policies, since no software actually gets installed on the work computers, it all runs directly from the USB drive. You could also install Office 2007 into the mojo session then have it available wherever a computer is. Thus if the host only has Office 2000 you can safely ignore it, fire up your mojo session and use Office 2007, knowing that your email profile and PST file are right there with you.

 

3. Install Retrospect into your MOJOPAC session, add each of the 2 computers (including the mojopac host) as CLIENTS. Simply use the C: drive (the USB drive within the mojopac session) as the platform for your disk based backup sets.

 

4. Simply plug in the USB drive and backup the client that's local to where you are. In your case the Retrospect server, running within the mojopac sees the host as just another client and can back it up, or restore it.

 

This avoids the issue where backup sets change location, because they don't, they just stay on the C: drive.

 

This might also help you with your compliance with EMC licensing, seeing that you likely have retrospect currently installed locally on 2 computers. By uninstalling the full version from each computer replacing it with agents only, this clears you up to have the full version installed ONCE, it's installed on the USB drive within the MOJO session.

 

 

 

Edited by Guest
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Very interesting!

 

I have a gigabit ethernet network.

 

I tried a couple of months ago to set up the client/server relationship (both ways). I worked with Retrospect support people for a week or so. We couldn't get it to work because the server computer would never connect to the client. So the solution was to install Retrospect server on both computers. The backups went smoothly, but obviously the restore was computer hell.

 

This all may have something to do with one machine being XP and the other Vista. I don't know. Since I have gotten so little response for this thread I suspect I am the only person to have this problem

 

I don't understand why this has to be so hard. Retrospect should handle this setup directly.

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Can you ping one computer from the other?

 

During client installation did you allow an exception to be automatically created in the Windows firewall?

 

Did you install THIS client?

http://download.dantz.com/archives/Retro-EN_7_5_116.exe

 

Can you check the list of exceptions in the firewall to see if retrospect is in the list?

 

On the client the exception is called Retrospect Client and specifies this program:

C:\Program Files\Retrospect\Retrospect Client\retroclient.exe

Edited by Guest
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Retrospect should handle this setup directly.

 

They do. Having Retrospect (server) installed on, say an XP box, and installing the agent on the vista box is a very simple and straight-forward thing to setup. What part of this went wrong for you, exactly?

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Can you ping one computer from the other?

YES

 

During client installation did you allow an exception to be automatically created in the Windows firewall?

YES

 

Did you install THIS client?

http://download.dantz.com/archives/Retro-EN_7_5_116.exe

YES

 

Can you check the list of exceptions in the firewall to see if retrospect is in the list?

THERE ARE 6, 3 FOR THE SERVER AND 3 FOR THE CLIENT

 

On the client the exception is called Retrospect Client and specifies this program:

C:\Program Files\Retrospect\Retrospect Client\retroclient.exe

YES, ALSO RETWSET.EXE AND REMOTSVC.EXE

 

What part of this went wrong for you, exactly?

I NEED TO TRY IT AGAIN TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. I WILL RESPOND AFTER I RECREATE THE SITUATION

 

THANKS FOR THE HELP, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

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I now have the server and client installed on both computers.

 

From the OFFICE computer I configured the client on the HOUSE computer, and I am able to connect (this has been a problem in the past with 530 and 541 errors coming up - but now I seem to be able to connect).

 

I tried to set up a script on the OFFICE computer to backup the HOUSE computer to a disk attached to the OFFICE computer. When I try to setup a backup Set I get to the box to "Select a Disk" and drill down: Network Places -> Microsoft Windows Network -> WORKGROUP only the HOUSE disks are listed. I can't get a list for the OFFICE computer

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You are drilling to the wrong spot.

 

If you wish to setup a disk based backup set on the OFFICE computer, using a disk attached to the OFFICE computer, then you will find the disk under MY COMPUTER rather than in the network places section.

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How about this:

 

The OFFICE computer has a local disk, on which it has a disk based backup set. The OFFICE computer has the HOUSE computer as one of it's clients. The OFFICE computer backs up the HOUSE computer client to the disk backup set that is on its local disk.

 

The HOUSE computer has a local disk, on which it has a disk based backup set. The HOUSE computer has the OFFICE computer as one of it's clients. The HOUSE computer backs up the OFFICE computer client to the disk backup set that is on its local disk.

 

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That works for restoring (I tried one way).

 

But will this solve my problem?

 

When I crash and loose all the files on the OFFICE computer, then reinstall Windows XP and Retrospect, will I be able to attach the backup disk directly to the OFFICE computer (I will do this because I can not connect to my network at this point in the restore process)and restore my whole hard drive WITHOUT HAVING TO POINT TO EACH BACKUP FILE? Pointing to each file requires that I sit at my computer for 4 to 5 hours waiting and pointing - a tedious waste of time!

 

This is what happened to me after my last crash. Remember that my backup configuration at that time involved a Retrospect server on each computer (no clients).

 

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Are you licensed for the disaster recovery add-on? If so, then creating the DR bootable CD will get around the issue of no-network, because the CD will be tailor made so that when it is used, the network will be available and then recovery is as simple as following the documentation for the DR option.

 

I feel the main problem you are having is the inability to get an XP computer's network card working, necessitating these other ways of doing things. Maybe you can determine whar network card is in each computer and download the drivers from the manufacturer's web site, so that you will be able to quickly get a recovered XP computer back onto the network to facilitate the restore.

 

It's possible the mojopac option may still be the best, since both computers can be backed up to the one disk. If the "one disk" is a problem, then maybe just buy a second USB drive and have two.

 

Referring to a couple of posts above where you ask how to use a backup set located on the OTHER computer, and access it via the my network places, you will first need to share a folder on the other computer so that you can access it across the network via the my network places within Retrospect. However this doesn't solve your problem of backup sets moving because when you try to restore, the network won't be working, hence you can't see the other computer via the network for retrospect to be able to read it's disk based backup set from the other computer.

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Pointing to each file requires that I sit at my computer for 4 to 5 hours waiting and pointing - a tedious waste of time!

 

I still have not been able to re-create this problem. what files are you pointing to exactly? Retrospect RDB files? What happens when you try to do a catalog rebuild, does the operation fail?

-Jeff

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