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Way to view tape contents?


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Hi all,

 

Working with a customer using Retrospect Workgroup v 6.1.230, and they have a backup set consisting of 9 tapes. It seems tape #9 has failed, and the customer wants to see what was on that tape, so they can try to recover the data from elsewhere, or at least know what they lost.

 

I tried setting tape #9 as missing in the Backup Set options, and then started a restore and looked at the snapshots in that set, thinking Retrospect would *NOT* show me any snapshots on tape 9 (since I set it as missing), but it did not. Retro still shows me all the snapshots in the entire backup set, including those on tape 9, even though I set it as missing.

 

Is there any way to see what was on that tape? Or if I could even see the last snapshot on tape #8, that would be helpful too.

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

 

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You are asking two questions.

 

First, get the correct mindset for the Retrospect paradigm. The catalog is a database index into the database (backup set).

 

Is there any way to see what was on that tape?

Well, you can see what is in each session:

Reports > Contents, select a session, Browse

 

Someone more skilled than I might be able to answer your specific question. I don't use Retrospect to see what is on a specific tape - I let Retrospect tell me which tape to put in when restoring.

 

Or if I could even see the last snapshot on tape #8, that would be helpful too.

By default, Retrospect only shows the most recent snapshot for each volume, but you can cause other snapshots to be shown as well:

 

Configure > Backup Sets,

Select the backup set,

Configure > Snapshots > Add

Choose desired session(s), Retrieve

 

Now the older snapshot will be visible and usable.

 

Russ

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Russ -- the attempt at help is appreciated, but once again, you show yourself to be someone who doesn't read questions very carefully (no offense meant by this). :)

 

I understand how to add snapshots and how to do restores, and the concept of the Retrospect catalog. Not sure where you're getting that I don't.

 

The problem is -- we lost a tape, and need to know what was on it. I know Retrospect doesn't have an easy or automated way to view data this way (but IMHO, it should).

 

So the question is: has anyone found a method to see what info was on a certain tape, or, alternatively, to see what the last session was on the last good tape?

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Russ:

 

I take that back -- some info you posted was pretty helpful.

 

I was able to view the backup session contents, and compare those to the dates each tape was started (in the backup set options), and this gives us a pretty good idea of what was on the tape.

 

It's worth noting that this is only because the data being backed up was in numerically incremented folders (i.e. we can see that folder 345 was the last session backed up to the last good set member, so we know folders 346, 347, etc. are all on the lost tape.

 

This is helpful -- thanks!

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Russ -- the attempt at help is appreciated, but once again, you show yourself to be someone who doesn't read questions very carefully (no offense meant by this). :)

and none taken.

 

I understand how to add snapshots and how to do restores, and the concept of the Retrospect catalog. Not sure where you're getting that I don't.

Ok. Understood. However, many posters don't, and I had no way to know what you knew, and you didn't post anything about your experience level that would have been helpful - you just asked for some help, and I tried. Also, these forums are not just for your personal assistance, but others trying to solve the same problem, so I often answer generally so that others learn something.

 

Often I do an initial answer to see if we are moving in a direction toward a solution. I apologize in advance if my answer now seems condescending, but I'll be more explicit in the solution, seems that you want exact steps. Again, I can't read your mind. I don't know what your level of expertise is with the product.

 

In my post upthread, I indicated how to add snapshots, and I was trying to be brief to avoid a treatise. I apologize that you now say you understand how to add snapshots. If you have that level of familiarity, then you also should know how to see the date of the last backup to a particular member. Again, I apologize in advance if you already know this, but:

 

Configure > Backup Sets (just as before),

Select your backup set (just as before),

Configure > Members,

 

and you will see the last session date for each member. Then, go to the "Add Snapshot" (see previous post of mine, upthread), and add the snapshot session for that date. You are at the point now where you can view the last snapshot on the tape.

 

The problem is -- we lost a tape, and need to know what was on it.

I understood that part, and I contributed what I could toward the solution.

 

So the question is: has anyone found a method to see what info was on a certain tape, or, alternatively, to see what the last session was on the last good tape?

I indicated that I didn't know how to do the first part, but I believe I answered the second part.

 

Russ

 

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Is there any way to see what was on that tape?

Here's what we do:

 

1. Go to Configure> Backup Sets. Find the starting date and time for the member in question, and also for the following member (not necessary in your particular case, as you're looking at the last member).

 

2, Prepare to run an Immediate Backup, using Search for Files. Use as your search criterion the files between the two dates/times. This will find the files on the tape member in question, which you can view by clicking on "Preview."

 

Kind of klunky, but we find it to be the best available approach, given the limitations of Retrospect.

 

We have taken to writing the exact starting date/time on each tape's label to expedite the process.

 

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