Windows Multi-Server and OS X Clients

[pressgrunt]

Hi,

 

I've been searching and researching for a way to exclude the standard OS X system files and folders from our backup on a Win2k-based version of Retrospect Multi-Server. It seems like the easiest way for me to do it would be use Unix paths (i.e., starting with a '/' to designate the root volume, because all of the hard drives have mostly different names.) Unfortunately, it doesn't look like Retrospect wants to see OS X as a *nix, so it won't let me use those path rules. The Mac OS path rules require a volume name (again, which are non-standard on our network.) If I don't specify the path rules, (to look at only the root volume or the specific directory) there is a possibility that it will mess with those folders that are replicated in OS X application packages and User folders (Library, etc), leading to all sorta messes come restoration.

 

The instructions for excluding the OS X System files all seem to be geared toward the OS X Server software, which seems to understand these things better. Is there any way to get the Windows version to play nice with the clients we're putting in? (server version 6.0.206, btw)

 

Any help you can give would be gratefully appreciated.

 

Thanks.

Len

[natew]

Hi,

 

It may make more sense just to define the folders you want as subvolumes and just back up those - that will save you time on the scan as well.

 

What data do you want to back up?

 

Nate

 

 

[pressgrunt]

Unfortunately, we're slowly (very slowly) migrating to OS X from a large installed base of classic Mac OS, so there are plenty of files that the users work on, spread throughout the hard drives (so they're not in one set folder.) It makes it tough to clearly define what folders to back up, at least until more of the clients get organized into their own user folders. (As it is, we back up the whole hard drive with many, many exclusions.) It's not the best system, or even a good system, but unfortunately it is what is required because of the diverse nature of the users', er, organizational system in OS 8 and 9.

 

I guess this problem could be approached from another direction, and just filter it to do separate selectors for each version of the OS. (If X, select folder that name exactly matches "Users", etc.) Does anyone know of a good way to define the OS version as a requisite for a selector? File system is out, because both Classic and X use HFS+. I'm not familiar enough with the other parameters to be confident that I'm doing things right.

 

Thanks for the help,

Len

[natew]

Hi

 

I'm no expert at this on the mac so laugh if you like...

a)You could boot into OS9 on these machines and apply a label to the folders you don't want to back up. You can't create labels in OSX but Retrospect can still detect them and use them as selector criteria

 

b)Looking at my dual boot system- my OS9 system folder is owned by me and my OSX system folder is owned by system. You could combine those two attributes into one selector rule.

You could also use folder name + create date.

 

Wild guesses of course but hey - you gotta try

Nate

[pressgrunt]

I as actually trying out option a earlier this week, and it (generally) works, but it'll probably be too cumbersome to maintain for all of the computers. (We're a small/medium-sized non-profit with around 150 machines, about 90% of them Mac, which are slowly to be upgraded to OS X.)

 

The huge amount of possibilities for those attributes is probably why b won't be too effective either...

 

:sigh:

 

Oh well, thanks for the help. I'll keep testing theories. ^^;;

 

-Len