Dual Retrospect servers with different versions - which client to use?

[Ramon88]

We've decided to take the plunge and upgrade from 7.6 > 7.7.

 

However we've hit a 'snag'. For this specific topology we use two Retrospect (multi) servers. One server is located at our office, the other is a remote system (datacenter) connected with a enterprise class leased line (fiber) to our office location.

 

The remote Retrospect server backs up the remote infrastructure and stores its data locally (at the remote location). The second Retrospect server backs up our office and development infrastructure. Besides that it also backs up the same remote clients as the remote Retrospect server does, using the leased line.

 

This gives us a couple of performance and redundancy benefits.

 

Now we want to start upgrading our local Retrospect server form 7.6 > 7.7. This is not a problem, but the question is if it can work with the remote clients that still need to run 7.6.106 instead of 7.7.106. Because those remote clients need to work with both Retrospect servers (and thus Retrospect versions).

 

Is this possible or do we need to upgrade our entire infrastructure in one go?

[Mayoff]

Yes, you can leave clients with the older version.

[Ramon88]

Great! I'll report back the results.

[Ramon88]

We have it running now. Only had problems with about 30% of our local clients when pushing Windows client update 7.7.106 resulting in the clients running said client, but the upgraded Retrospect server not seeing them, reporting error: "Sorry, can't change network access for XXXXX, error -560 (invalid private/public key)."

 

We solved it by uninstalling and reinstalling those clients on the client machines itself (so no push update).

 

We'll let it run for a couple of days and probably will update the remote infrastructure to 7.7 as well.

 

Used versions: Windows Multi Server 7.7.325, Windows client 7.7.106 and OSX client 6.3.028. Server OS used is Windows 2008 R2 STD x64. Client OS's are various: (OSX 10.2, 10.3, 10.4 and Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, Server 2003, 2008 and 2008 R2.

 

The error mentioned did occur on various (Windows) client machines running different OS's. We couldn't determine a common cause as to why the error occurred.