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How to RESTORE ... ?


pfauland

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Dear all,

 

Now it's time to see, if all the backup-efforts will pay off.

 

The hard drive of my MacBook died and was replaced. I re-installed OS X 10.4 from the system DVD.

 

Before the crash the system was running under 10.5.8.

 

I do not have the 10.5 DVD, as this installation was done via network some time ago (where I don't have access anymore).

 

Can I now re-install the retrospect engine on the machine and just do a RESTORE in order to get the 10.5.8 and all the software back !? Or do I have to have a clean OS 10.5.8 BEFORE doing the RESTORE ... ??

 

I hope I was clear enough ...

 

Thanks for any advice !

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Thanks a lot for your fast response. I just tried to install the engine (latest built) on the "new drive" but it does not run under 10.4. So I will look for an older version which will work under 10.4.

 

Then I will start the restore via another Mac in the same network. That should work ....

 

 

 

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Are you not able to get 8.1.622 engine to run on 10.4.11 ? That's a supported configuration, but it has to be 10.4.11. I don't think that 10.4.11 came on an install DVD - I believe that you have to do Software Update after doing the DVD install.

 

And note that there are two (vastly different) versions of 10.4 out there - the PPC only version, and the "Universal Binary" version (that never shipped with PPC but can, if you know what you are doing, be installed on PPC). The files and their locations are very different. They are not the same animals at all.

 

See:

EMC Retrospect 8.1 Read Me

 

EMC Retrospect 8.1 system requirements

 

Retrospect 8.1 console (manages the engine)

Intel or Power PC G4 or G5 processor

Mac OS X 10.5.5 or later

At least 1 GB RAM

50 MB hard disk space

The Retrospect console need not be installed on the same Mac as the Retrospect engine.

 

Retrospect 8.1 engine (performs backups and restores)

 

--Recommended configuration--

Intel Core Duo or better processor

Mac OS X 10.5.7 or later

At least 2 GB RAM

10-15 GB of hard disk space for each concurrent activity (backup, restore, etc.)

Storage for backups

 

[color:red]--Minimum requirements--[/color]

Intel processor, Power PC G5 processor, or dual Power PC G4 processors running at 867 MHz or faster

[color:red]Mac OS X 10.4.11[/color] or 10.5.5 or later

At least 2 GB RAM

10-15 GB of hard disk space for each concurrent activity (backup, restore, etc.)

Storage for backups

But you won't be able to install the Console on 10.4.11.

 

Russ

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I am one step further : I have the MacBook under OS 10.4.11 visible under Retrospect.

 

Now I am a bit confused: The situation is the following : The backup is on NAS. MacBook A has the engine and the console running. MacBook B is the one that has to be restored after the disk change.

 

I have both A and B visible in Retrospect. Do I have to recreate all sources, media sets scripts on B now ? Right now, all that is empty of course. I guess I have to locate the catalog file for the backup somehow and then create a RESTORE script ? Am I right ?

 

Thanks for any advice on this ...

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pfauland,

 

You can use Macbook A to either locate your catalog file(if you have one available) or, use the media set>rebuild utility to make a new catalog file of your data (Choose Add Member and select the appropriate NAS volume that contains your data).

 

After you rebuild or locate the the media set, you can use the restore assistant or manually create a restore script to restore your volume.

 

If your backup contains your old config and catalog files you should not have to reconfigure MacBook B.

Edited by Guest
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I am one step further : I have the MacBook under OS 10.4.11 visible under Retrospect.

 

Now I am a bit confused: The situation is the following : The backup is on NAS. MacBook A has the engine and the console running. MacBook B is the one that has to be restored after the disk change.

 

I have both A and B visible in Retrospect. Do I have to recreate all sources, media sets scripts on B now ? Right now, all that is empty of course. I guess I have to locate the catalog file for the backup somehow and then create a RESTORE script ? Am I right ?

 

Thanks for any advice on this ...

If you are going to target MacBook B for the restore, you are either going to have to put it in target disk mode and attach it to MacBook A and do the restore to the "local disk" (MacBook B in target disk mode), or else you need to install the Retrospect Client on B and let Retrospect on MacBook A chat with the client to do the restore (if I understand what you are trying to do).

 

Russ

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pfauland,

 

You can use Macbook A to either locate your catalog file(if you have one available) or, use the media set>rebuild utility to make a new catalog file of your data (Choose Add Member and select the appropriate NAS volume that contains your data).

 

After you rebuild or locate the the media set, you can use the restore assistant or manually create a restore script to restore your volume.

 

If your backup contains your old config and catalog files you should not have to reconfigure MacBook B.

 

Locating was not problem (using A). I can see the .rbc file on NAS as well as a folder "1-Mediaset ...." with lots of 600 MB data files. So I would start the RESTORE assistant from Macbook A and define DESTINATION = MacBook B !??

 

Thanks for your help !

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If you are going to target MacBook B for the restore, you are either going to have to put it in target disk mode and attach it to MacBook A and do the restore to the "local disk" (MacBook B in target disk mode), or else you need to install the Retrospect Client on B and let Retrospect on MacBook A chat with the client to do the restore (if I understand what you are trying to do).

 

Russ

 

I have them both connected via the local network. On MacBook B the engine is installed and running. A is used to "control" the procedure. As asked above, my problem is, that I did not fully understand really how to get the RESTORE going. I tried the following : All working on MacBook A :

 

* I selected MacBook B in the console

* I started the RESTORE assistant

* "do the entire disk"

* then I should select the backup (I have just an empty big window) - from here on I could not proceed. Do I have to ADD a new source = my backup on B ? Do I have to create a new Mediaset on B, containing the backup ?

 

Now thinking about it: Running the RESTORE assistant on MacBook A and then giving Macbook B as a target would make sense ??

 

HELP ....

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Um, please re-read the two ways I suggested.

 

Russ

 

Sorry. I seem to be still confused. There are "engines", "consoles" and "clients", apparently. What I am missing here is really the precise order of steps to be done on which machine in order to get the restore done properly. You suggested, "connecting the two directly with B in target-mode". I thought they are connected ? (via the local network). Next, I could not find any "target-mode" setting anywhere .... Plan be would be to install the console also on machine B and then do the restore "physically" from B, selecting the backup (=path and name of the catalog file) from NAS to start the restore procedure. I still don't know, if - on the naked and new machine - just running the RESTORE ASSISTANT is fine, or if before that, sources and media sets have to be re-created ...

 

Anyway thanks for your patience ...

 

Peter

 

PS.: A full manual that just explains the basic procedures in detail would really help :-)

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Consult the Apple documentation for how to place your MacBook into Target Disk Mode ("TDM"). Basically, it makes the MacBook be a FireWire disk that can be plugged into the MacBook A as a local FireWire disk, restore that way. It's one of two ways to proceed.

 

The other way would be to install a Retrospect client on MacBook B, have Retrospect engine (on MacBook A) chat with the Retrospect client on MacBook B, do the restore that way.

 

Russ

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Ok. Thanks for making that clear ! I guess, I will try the second option first. So, I will have the engine (and no console active) running on A, and a client (plus engine) running on machine B (= the one that has to be restored). The RESTORE ASSISTANT then has to be run from machine B. OK, sounds good to me ...

 

 

Thanks ... !!

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No. You never have the engine and client on the same machine.

 

I'm confused why you think you need the engine on B - you don't.

 

As I understand it, your backups are attached to A. Then run Retrospect engine on A, have it chat to the client on B. Run the console somewhere, A, B, who cares.

 

I was trying to steer you in a direction where B was as simple as possible.

 

I'm not trying to be rude here, but if there is this much confusion in your mind as to the process, I suggest that you call EMC support and have them walk you through the procedure. Your data is valuable, and it's important that you do the restore correctly.

 

If there was a manual in existence, then it would have the steps set out. But no manual exists, so confusion is to be expected. It's EMC's fault that the product was released without a manual. It's now approaching a year since the product was announced in the first week of 2009. It's inexcusable that there isn't a manual.

 

Russ

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No. You never have the engine and client on the same machine.

 

[...]

 

As I understand it, your backups are attached to A. Then run Retrospect engine on A, have it chat to the client on B. Run the console somewhere, A, B, who cares.

 

Great. Now I got it. All the time up to now, I had engines on the two machines and a console on one. Which is wrong. The engine is on one, let's call it the "master", then all possible other machines are just clients. And all this happens "invisible". On any machine you have the console, as a machine - human interface. ...

 

[...]

 

I'm not trying to be rude here, but if there is this much confusion in your mind as to the process, I suggest that you call EMC support and have them walk you through the procedure. Your data is valuable, and it's important that you do the restore correctly.

 

Don't worry ! I fully agree with you ....

 

If there was a manual in existence, then it would have the steps set out. But no manual exists, so confusion is to be expected. It's EMC's fault that the product was released without a manual. It's now approaching a year since the product was announced in the first week of 2009. It's inexcusable that there isn't a manual.

 

Russ

 

You are so right with the manual. This is my only BIG point of critics here. For a freeware project done by a few kids, that is fine. But here we have paying customers, that use the software for professional reasons (including me). For such clients this is not acceptable - especially that one finds out about this AFTER one bought the product.

 

(So, now I calmed down again) : Thanks a lot for your help and support ...

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Yes. Exactly. Steps are either:

 

(1) attach a spare disk to B, install Mac OS X onto that disk, do software updates, then install Retrospect client onto B's spare disk. Boot to the spare disk, restore last B snapshot to the "real" new disk on B; or

 

(2) install Mac OS X onto the "real" new disk on B, do software update to the same revision level that was on B at the time of the last snapshot of B, install Retrospect client on B, restore on top of the live running system on B.

 

Or, you can do the procedure I suggested initially:

 

(3) put B into "Target Disk Mode", attach B as a firewire disk to A, do a full restore onto the Target Disk Mode B from A, using last B snapshot.

 

Procedure (1) is more foolproof than (2) because you aren't restoring on top of a live system, (3) is the easiest way and takes the least time and doesn't involve Retrospect client.

 

Russ

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Or, you can do the procedure I suggested initially:

 

(3) put B into "Target Disk Mode", attach B as a firewire disk to A, do a full restore onto the Target Disk Mode B from A, using last B snapshot.

 

Procedure (1) is more foolproof than (2) because you aren't restoring on top of a live system, (3) is the easiest way and takes the least time and doesn't involve Retrospect client.

 

Russ

 

One should always listen to wise men :-)) For me (3) seems to be the only way, as the update from OS X 10.4.11 to 10.5(.8) was done from an intranet where I don't have access anymore, so no way to get 10.5 back from DVD.

 

So, I will "target" machine B and then play back the backup via machine A.

 

I am very confident, this will work nicely !

 

Thanks ...

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  • 2 weeks later...

I am back and tried the "target disk mode thing". Here my problem:

 

On machine A, I have now also located the full backup for machine B - I see this Media set together with all of mine for machine A itself.

 

Machine B in target mode is connected via Firewire and is visible in the finder on machine A.

 

now in the conxole on machine A I run the RESTORE assistant. I selected "full backup to be restored".

 

Now I have to restore the backup I want to play back - here my problem: I only see all the backups for machine A. The media set for machine B is not listed and also via "more backups" I can only see older backups for machine A.

 

How can I access the media set for machine B ??

 

 

Thanks for any help ...

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Dear Russ,

 

Thanks a lot for your fast feedback. In fact I do see older backups - but only for machine A itself. The one mediaset for machine B (the one that I have to restore) that I have located from the console on machine A does not show up.

 

Is there any way to make the system "see" this media set ?

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The only workaround known now is to set your clock back a week, but that screws up a lot of stuff. I wouldn't do it; I'd just wait a few days for the fix.

 

There must be extremely junior people in the coding and testing groups. Daylight Savings Time issues have appeared with Retrospect releases for years and years, so this should have been high on the regression test list. Inexcusable.

 

Russ

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