How to retrieve files from old tapes

[t.bird]

I am fairly new to retrospect and am trying to pull some information off of old DLT tapes made with an older version of retrospect. How do I get to the data on a new system with the dlt tapes? I can write to a tape, but how can I pull files off of a tape if it was made years ago with a different computer?

[Lennart_T]

First you have to recreate the catalog file from the tapes. Use "Rebuild" under "Media Sets"

[rhwalker]

I am fairly new to retrospect and am trying to pull some information off of old DLT tapes made with an older version of retrospect. How do I get to the data on a new system with the dlt tapes? I can write to a tape, but how can I pull files off of a tape if it was made years ago with a different computer?

First, you haven't indicated what version (x.x.x) of Retrospect you are running now. If you are running some version of Retrospect 8, you will need at least 8.2.x in order to retrieve from older tapes.

 

Second, you haven't provided any information regarding how many years ago the tapes were made, or what version of Retrospect made them. If you are trying to retrieve from tapes made by Retrospect prior to Retrospect 6, you are out of luck. You will need to run Retrospect 6, convert the backup sets to Retrospect 6, then run Retrospect 8, convert the backup sets to Retrospect 8 media sets.

 

I suggest that you read the Roxio Retrospect 8.2 Read Me, paying attention to the section entitled "Restoring from Retrospect 6.x Backups".

 

Russ

[t.bird]

I have retrospect 6.1 and 8.1. This is on a PPC mac running 10.5.8. If I am just pulling files off of tapes I should just need to use 6.1 correct?

 

Also, 6.1 is not recognizing my DLT machine...but retrospect 8.1 does. I can see the SCSI card in 6.1, but there are no devices showing up. Any ideas?

[Daniels]

You have to stop the 8.1 engine and not just the console before running 6.1 otherwise 6.1 will not find the devices.

You should really upgrade to 8.2 which is what I am running on a Dual 867 MHz PowerPC G4 especially if you want to recover the files in 8.x

[t.bird]

Thanks! I got it rebuilding the catalog.

 

I realize I could search for this probably... but in 6.1, how do I then get the files out of the catalog and accessible on my hard drive?

[rhwalker]

Thanks! I got it rebuilding the catalog.

 

I realize I could search for this probably... but in 6.1, how do I then get the files out of the catalog and accessible on my hard drive?

You first need to understand the Retrospect paradigm. The backup set (Retrospect 6.x term) (Retrospect 8 terminology is "media set") is a database, and holds all of the backup information. The catalog is a database index into the backup set (media set). There are no files in the catalog - again, it's a database index.

 

To get files out of the backup set (media set), you restore. To do this in Retrospect 6, from the initial "Retrospect Directory" screen, click the "Immediate" tab, then click the Restore button, choose a snapshot (or add a snapshot - i.e., have the catalog updated to include a database index for earlier sessions), choose files to restore, choose a destination, and let it fly.

 

Russ

[egantner]

So you do not have to do a rebuild if you have lost the original catalog file?

 

From the restore screen can you initial an entire disk restore from a tape?

 

Thanks

[maxhowarth]

you have to do a rebuild in order to create a catalog file that r8 can restore from.

 

if you're working in r6.1 you can simply follow russ's instructions.