Can not add member to media set

[audiobob]

So I'm following the getting started guide and have created a media set. So now trying to create a member. I click on the media set and in the detail section I click on the Members tab, but at the bottom of the Members tab the + is grayed out.

 

The media set is optical and I have edited the retro.ini file.

 

Thanks.

[Mayoff]

I don't think you can add an optical disk to the optical media set ahead of time. Start a backup to the optical drive and you should get a media request after the source is scanned.

[audiobob]

Thank you Robin. Well, I'm having trouble backing up to an optical drive and can't get it going. I get all the way to clicking Start Now and nothing happens. Under Activities / Running there's a flashing question mark. In the Summary window the Status says Needs media so I click on Needs Media. I see the drive: OPTIARC DVD RW AD-717O0A. I click OK and...nothing. It still sits there with a flashing question mark. Man, I'm missing a step apparently but have no idea what it could be. I appreciate your help.

[Mayoff]

What type of media are you trying to use?

 

Does your disk display in Devices when the script is not running? What is the status of the disk in the Devices screen?

[audiobob]

Yes drive does appear with a green icon on the left. Optiarc DVD RW AD-7170A. Using Maxell DVD+RW.

[Mayoff]

What is the status for this disk? Does it show up as erased? Does it show as Ready?

[CallMeDave]

In the Summary window the Status says Needs media so I click on Needs Media. I see the drive: OPTIARC DVD RW AD-717O0A. I click OK and...nothing. It still sits there with a flashing question mark. Man, I'm missing a step apparently but have no idea what it could be.

 

Can readers safely assume that you have inserted the blank optical media into the device?

[audiobob]

In Media Sets, Overview window: Status is "No Members". No security. Options: Fast Catalog rebuild...not sure why that is.

 

In Media Sets, Details window: all 0's

 

In Storage Devices: Overview window: Type: Optical. Vendor: Optiarc. Product: DVD RW AD-7170A. Firmware: 1.N8. Interface: ATAPI

 

In Storage Devices, Details window. Location: 0:0:0. No other information given.

 

Again, thanks for your help Robin.

[audiobob]

In the Summary window the Status says Needs media so I click on Needs Media. I see the drive: OPTIARC DVD RW AD-717O0A. I click OK and...nothing. It still sits there with a flashing question mark. Man, I'm missing a step apparently but have no idea what it could be.

 

Can readers safely assume that you have inserted the blank optical media into the device?

 

Yes. Blank DVD+RW has been insterted. When I do insert blank DVD media I do get the message from the Finder that I've inserted a blank DVD for me to choose an option. I always click "ignore" and check "Make this action the default". But it still comes up every time.

Edited March 24, 2009 by Guest

[Mayoff]

I have asked my hardware team to investigate and retest your drive if we still have it.

[davert]

I have the same issue. Tried the Mac Pro internal drive AND a Firewire external drive.

[Mayoff]

Did you try the exact model of drive as FW?

 

What type of media?

[davert]

DVD+RW media, freshly erased and recognized by the Finder.

 

Note that Parallels is installed but that I tried rebooting and starting Retrospect as the first program.

 

The internal drive is a SONY DVD RW DW-D150A

 

The firewire drive is a LaCie d2, listed as "DVDRW8651." Not sure of the maker - NEC?

[audiobob]

It may be important to say that when I'm in the Activities tab and in the Summary window, the Status is "needs media". I click on "Choose Media" and it brings up the window that does show the name and type of my drive, but the "eject" button is grayed out. All other buttons, Mark Lost, Skip, Stop, Cancel and OK are selectable. Eject stays grayed even when I insert the DVD+RW media. I also have VMware Fusion installed but have not opened that program and used XP for a few weeks. Also have had numerous restarts since then.

 

Anyway..hope that info helps.

[davert]

Same here.

[dnotley]

Same problem with a Mac Pro (early 2008)...

 

A few more details if it will help:

(1) Restarted the machine.

(2) Put a fresh DVD+R DL (TDK media) in the optical (note: Optiarc AD-7170A is the original SuperDrive).

(3) Restarted the Retrospect engine (previously modified the config file as directed in the release notes).

(4) Performed simple backup of Macintosh HD to optical media set.

(5) Same problems as reported earlier.

The system.log has the following message: David-Notley-Computer Retrospect[1102]: ActivitiesController::handleMediaResponseWithDevice exception: inactive data transfer selRef 0x11fd devRef 0x11fd

 

A few notes for the Retrospect team:

(1) I have been using Retrospect since about 2.x or so (at first to MO disks, then CDs, then DVDs, now DVD DL, may consider BluRay in the future).

(2) Other than the slow scan time, I have no problem with backup to optical using Retrospect 6.1. I also use Time Machine to an internal 1TB drive for minor oopsies. I would like to have the optical backup for permanent storage (disaster recovery).

(3) Dedicating the optical drive to Retrospect permanently is a non-starter. If need be, I could stop/start the Retrospect engine manually (provided the total effort for a backup is less than using 6.1). Do you suppose you could make this scriptable?

(4) One possible alternative for the Mac Pro would be to dedicate one of the optical drives to Retrospect (consider this as an option).

[davert]

I tried to do those steps but never got it to work even with a fresh DVD+RW. I didn't try a non-rewriteable. It should work with a rewriteable though... Retrospect 6 did.

 

I too have been using Retrospect for years - since I had my mac Plus, I think. The scan time seems faster than it used to be for me, but there's no real progress indicator. The "machine hang" at the last stage of the scan is thankfully gone.

[Mayoff]

It appears to me that we have some issues with optical devices that need to be hammered out. I will continue to report these problems to engineering for fixes.

[Sluggo042]

OK, so let's review the bidding here . . .

 

I've just dropped into this forum in an attempt to answer what should be a really easy question. I've got a Server, and a Client. I want to back up the Client to DVDs, the most obvious backup task there is. And if the designers hadn't forced this odd server/client model on us, and just provided a program I could run directly on my machines, it would have been simpler still! It's not like this task should actually be stressing Retrospect's abilities.

 

So, I run the program, it takes four hours to query the client (ok, so it should be easier on followup scans). Then it tells me it needs media, so I slap a blank DVD-R into my iBook. Then absolutely nothing happens. Zip. Nada. Nor can I eject the blank now, even with terminal commands, or Disk Utility - as far as I can tell, Retrospect has everything locked up, and I can't even quit those other programs until I kill the Retrospect process.

 

I come here looking for information. A half year or more after the software is brought out for sale, and there isn't even a bloody User's Manual yet? Never mind the Quick Start guide tells me to look there. Then I read this thread, and it looks like nobody is having any luck making backups to DVD's? And this was back in March, and there's been no comment in six months that this problem has been resolved?

 

Why am I getting the sudden feeling that I've been taken to the cleaners on this purchase? I haven't seen vaporware like this since the '90's! Maybe this sort of thing flies in the Windows world, but on Macs - good luck with your marketing, guys.

 

I'm no newcomer to Retrospect - I've used older versions on Macs and Windows installations, but for what I thought would be quantum leap in ease of use . . . boy, am I starting to feel foolish!

[CallMeDave]

I've got a Server, and a Client. I want to back up the Client to DVDs, the most obvious backup task there is.

 

Well, I would disagree, and suggest it is the worst possible backup task, since DVD drives have become so cheaply manufactured I just don't trust 'em much anymore. But that's just MHO.

 

if the designers hadn't forced this odd server/client model on us

 

Well, now I'n totally confused by your post. You write:

 

> I'm no newcomer to Retrospect

 

Yet the above statement suggests you've never seen the product before! Retrospect has been providing "Client" software for networked machines since its inception (I still have a shrinkwrapped 50-client license pack left over from a defunct dot-com).

 

and just provided a program I could run directly on my machines,

 

It's the client/server model that differentiates Retrospect from TimeMachine (for example). If you want to manage individualized backups on all of your machine, perhaps Retrospect isn't the best choice. However, if you want a centralized way to backup machines on your network it's a valid solution.

 

I slap a blank DVD-R into my iBook. Then absolutely nothing happens. Zip. Nada.

 

You don't confirm that you enabled optical support via method outlined in the Read Me. Did you? Or perhaps you damaged something on your four year old iBook with all that slapping... I would also add that no version of the venerable iBook meets the minimum system requirements for running the Retrospect Engine; so when/if you overcome the Devices issue, the machine itself may not handle the program very well (if at all).

 

Nor can I eject the blank now, even with terminal commands, or Disk Utility - as far as I can tell, Retrospect has everything locked up, and I can't even quit those other programs until I kill the Retrospect process.

 

Retrospect 8 consists of a Cocoa application ("Retrospect.app") and a unix daemon (RetroEngine). It's the latter that loads an optical driver, and yes it doesn't release it. It's also a daemon that comes with a GUI for starting and stopping, making the dramatic act of "killing" unnecessary (I'd also add that if you want/need to do this to a remote machine for which you don't have access to System preferences, using launchd to "unload" the engine process is more elegant; I'll add the terminal command at the bottom if this post).

 

read this thread, and it looks like nobody is having any luck making backups to DVD's?

 

As you point out, the last user report in this thread was five and a half months ago; since then, nobody else has reported difficulty. To me that suggests that _everybody_ is having luck making backups to DVD's.

 

There have been multiple updates since that last post; what version of Retrospect are you using?

 

am I starting to feel foolish!

 

 

sudo launchctl unload /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.retrospect.launchd.retroengine.plist

 

sudo launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.retrospect.launchd.retroengine.plist

Edited August 19, 2009 by Guest
Added hardware requirement comment

[CallMeDave]

You don't confirm that you enabled optical support via method outlined in the Read Me. Did you?

 

ok, obviously you did, as otherwise the optical driver wouldn't be holding onto your blank disk.

 

But rereading your post again I identify the importance of this claim:

 

> I can't even quit those other programs until I kill

> the Retrospect process.

 

So assuming you're talking about the RetroEngine process, is it your report that if you launch Disk Utility you cannot then quit Disk Utility? And that if you launch Terminal.app you cannot then quit Terminal.app?

 

What are the exact steps you are taking, and what exactly are you seeing?

[CallMeDave]

Nor can I eject the blank now, even with terminal commands, or Disk Utility

 

What about the "Eject" button in the Storage Devices window?

[CallMeDave]

Well I went ahead and tried this (since I'd been posting blind before) and it all works as expected.

 

- Edit the retro.ini file to enable Optical support

- Load engine w/launchctl command

- Launch the Retrospect Console application (on different network machine)

- In the Storage Devices window observe my device (Panasonic DVD DL) is supported (Green check icon, disclosure triangle)

- Toggle disclosure triangle; observe "(Empty)" next to media icon

- In the Summary pane observe the Type, Vendor, Product, Firmware, Interface and Status fields reflect the real world.

- Insert blank CD-R

- Observe media icon changes to "(Erased)"

- Quit Retrospect Console application

- Launch Disk Utility (on engine host machine)

- Observe Disk Utility sees the device/volume but cannot work or eject it

- Attempt to Eject from Disk Utility; observe error

- Quit Disk Utility; observe it quits as expected

- Launch Retrospect Console application (on remote machine again)

- In Storage Devices window, toggle disclosure triangle to reveal "(Erased)" media; select line and click "Eject" button

- Observe blank CD-R eject from slot loaded drive

- Unload engine with launchctl command (I only load on underpowered G5 for testing)

[Sluggo042]

>> backing up to DVD

 

The fact that you don't trust DVDs doesn't invalidate what I said. I want to back up a hard drive. I've got to put the data somewhere. DVD's seem to me to be the first line of defense - they're ubiquitous, cheaper (and arguably, more reliable than) external hard drives used for backups (especially if you make several redundant copy sets).

 

 

>> client/server model

 

I didn't say I wasn't familiar with the model, just that it has always seemed superfluous to me. Sure, I can see it would be useful in an enterprise environment, but I'm just trying to back up a couple of laptops and towers in my home office. I've no need to do things remotely, and in fact, the architecture they've built makes my job tougher, not easier.

 

More to the point, if a piece of software has trouble with the simplest tasks, should I trust it with more difficult scenarios?

 

>> Time Machine

 

Time Machine won't, to the best of my knowledge, back up to anything other than more hard drives. And from what I read, it is slow, and can cause performance hits in day-to-day use. I just want a program I can run, and get the job done.

 

 

>> enabled optical support

 

No, I did not spot the note in the Read Me file (for 8.1) that they had disabled optical support in this version, so you've got me there. I hadn't guessed that they might release software crippled in such a fashion ("Our new word processor application has been found to have trouble interfacing with certain keyboards, so keyboard support has been disabled in this version . . . "), nor would I have known that this feature had been disabled until I got the software in hand. Nice.

 

 

>> minimum requirements

 

I'm trying to recover from a hard drive failure on my Intel machine, so I'm currently being forced to make due with my old iBook. I saw G4's listed in the requirements, so I thought I could make do, though I did miss the requirement for a dual processor. I had hoped that I could limp through with this until I recovered my main machine's drive, so this may well be my bad.

 

 

>> freeing up applications frozen trying to access the optical drive

 

I was trying not to have to quit Retrospect to free up the drives because if I did so, I would have to repeat the four hour process of scanning the target machine. But when I tried to use Drive Utility, and subsequently the drutil command from the terminal, those processes froze. The Drive Utility froze so hard that even force quitting, nor killing the program from Activity Monitor had any effect - I had to reboot to regain control.

 

There may well be other terminal commands that would have worked in this situation, but part of the point of being on the Mac is that such things shouldn't be necessary with a professional piece of commercial software. Granted, I bought the problem in part myself by missing the note in the Read Me file. But then, I expect more from the software I purchase.

 

 

>> suggests that _everybody_ is having luck backing up to DVD

 

That's one interpretation. Another is that everyone has given up on it. Another might be that the feature was found to be so problematic that the manufacturer had to disable the feature until further notice. Nawww, that couldn't be it . . .

 

 

>> updates

 

I'm using 8.1, build 150.1, which I believe is the latest and greatest. I don't see any reference in the Read Me to enabling optical drive support, just that it has been disabled.

[CallMeDave]

The fact that you don't trust DVDs doesn't invalidate what I said

 

I agree entirely, and had thought I had made that clear by claiming it was just my personal (and humble) opinion.

 

There's an OS X bug that is causing problems with Retrospect 8.x. Hopefully Snow Leopard will fix it.

 

("Our new word processor application has been found to have trouble interfacing with certain keyboards, so keyboard support has been disabled in this version . . . ")

 

But that's not analogous to what the ReadMe note says.

 

It's more like "Our new multi-function invoice/accounting/database program is found to be unable to properly interface with Bluetooth barcode scanners due to a bug in Mac OS X. We are working with Apple to resolve the problem, but for now we have disabled the default state while providing a method to enable support if you're willing to accept the limitations imposed by the operating system vendor's software defect."

 

 

KB Article # 9720: TITLE: Retrospect 8.x for Macintosh Optical Support

 

 

I'm just trying to back up a couple of laptops and towers in my home office. I've no need to do things remotely, and in fact, the architecture they've built makes my job tougher, not easier.

I'd suggest that either you are not using this program to its full capabilities, or you are using the wrong solution for your needs. It's all a matter of your Backup Policy (which you have formulated, yes?).

 

 

DVD's seem to me to be the first line of defense - they're ubiquitous, cheaper (and arguably, more reliable than) external hard drives used for backups (especially if you make several redundant copy sets).

 

Although it's Off Topic, the decision of what Media to backup to needs to be part of each user's Backup Policy. With the average data storage present of today's machines being measured in the hundreds of Gigabytes ("... the four hour process of scanning the target machine...), a backup media that's limited to 4.7 Gigabytes/unit is going to be, at the least, very very expensive in man-hours and opportunity costs should you need to restore much data.

 

I posted this a few months ago, so I haven't updated/cross-checked the numbers. But it should still be reasonably valid:

 

http://forums.dantz.com/showpost.php?post/121004/