can't connect to server

[pbartoli]

In the last days I'm experiencing this problem.

Starting Retrospect console, I can't no longer connect to the server.

The Retrospect server machine is up and running, I can see it on the ethernet network, so what is wrong ?

I already rebooted the Macs, but nothing changes.

Any idea ? Thanks

[DavidHertzberg]

pbartoli,

You don't say what version of Retrospect Mac you are running.  The last time you made a post that mentioned it, you were running Retrospect Mac 12.

Page 19 of the Retrospect Mac 12 User's Guide says

Quote

If a local Retrospect engine is not present, you may add one or more remote Retrospect engines by clicking the plus (+) button in the bottom bar of the console. Tip:In the Server Address of the resulting dialog, you may enter the IP address of the machine with the running Retrospect engine, or, if the machine is on your local subnet, you may enter its Computer Name, for example, Server.local. You can find a machine’s Computer Name in the Sharing category of its System Preferences.

Have you recently changed the IP address or System Preferences -> Sharing -> Computer Name of your "backup server" machine?

[pbartoli]

On 6/29/2019 at 7:47 PM, DavidHertzberg said:

pbartoli,

You don't say what version of Retrospect Mac you are running.  The last time you made a post that mentioned it, you were running Retrospect Mac 12.

Page 19 of the Retrospect Mac 12 User's Guide says

Have you recently changed the IP address or System Preferences -> Sharing -> Computer Name of your "backup server" machine?

David, thanks for your answer.

I haven't changed recently the server's IP address, and trying to add a new server doesn't work either, Retrospect console hangs forever.

As shown in IP Scanner's window, the server machine is up and running, and reachable by the Mac Finder.

Working with Retrospect 15.6

[DavidHertzberg]

pbartoli,

This post from nearly 10 years ago is the only one I can find with an answer to your problem.  To stop and start the Retrospect Engine, go to System Preferences -> Retrospect on your "backup server" Mac.  Make sure you have downloaded version 15.6.1; 15.6.0 was a "bad release", especially for Retrospect Windows.

So what changed in your installation's Mac setup just before you started having this problem?

[pbartoli]

2 hours ago, DavidHertzberg said:

So what changed in your installation's Mac setup just before you started having this problem?

If I knew... Apparently nothing has been changed.

[pbartoli]

2 hours ago, DavidHertzberg said:

Make sure you have downloaded version 15.6.1; 15.6.0 was a "bad release", especially for Retrospect Windows.

 

I'm running 15.6.1 .

[DavidHertzberg]

pbartoli,

Have you tried stopping and restarting the Retrospect Engine, as I suggested in the first paragraph in this up-thread post?

When you look in Preferences -> General under the Retrospect menu in your console, is the Server Address field filled in—and is it the correct address for your "backup server" machine?  If not, I would suggest following the "Installing the Retrospect Console" instructions on pages 12-13 of the Retrospect Mac 15 User's Guide.

[Nigel Smith]

To add to David's sage advice:

Is Retrospect Engine running on the server? Check with Activity Monitor viewing "All processes" to be sure or, in the Terminal, "ps -axww | grep RetrospectEngine".

Is Engine's port open? In the Terminal, "sudo lsof -iTCP -sTCP:LISTEN -n -P | grep 22024" and you should see a line starting with "Retrospect", showing it listening on port 22024.

Can your Console Mac reach the server? Use Network Utility to "Ping" 192.168.2.50 or, in Terminal, "ping -c 10 192.168.2.50" (regardless of what IP Scanner tells you, it's worth a double-check). If you can ping the server, is the port visible to your Console Mac? On the Console machine use Network Utility to scan 192.168.2.50, setting both "ports between" fields to "22024" for speed. Or, since we're relaxing with Terminal 😉 , "/System/Library/CoreServices/Applications/Network\ Utility.app/Contents/Resources/stroke 192.168.2.50 22024 22024".

If the first two tests fail, troubleshoot Retro Engine starting up on the server -- it'll help to know your OS version for that.

If the first two pass but the last tests fail, check for firewalls or similar network security.

If they all pass, it might be something like a change of Retrospect Engine password or a problem with the Console install (re-install or try a different machine).

'Fraid that's all off the top of my head. Let us know how you get on.

[pbartoli]

Hello David & Nigel, thanks for your advices.
I'm running with Mac OS 10.14.5 on console and 10.11.6 on server: they were updated time ago, before this problem happened, therefore I doubt they can cause any problem.

@Nigel:

1. OK the server is running (on the server Mac, as I'm running the console from a client machine).

2. OK Engine's port is open

3. OK Ping works, the console can reach the server. Port 22024 is open on console Mac.

 

I restarted the Retro Engine, but the console on the client machine still doesn't connect neither add anew the server.

I'm going to double check the password for the Retro server.

I'll try to access server from another machine to test if the problem is machine-related or not.

[Nigel Smith]

1 hour ago, pbartoli said:

3. OK Ping works, the console can reach the server. Port 22024 is open on console Mac.

Hopefully that's a typo. You should be scanning *from* the Console Mac, checking it can see the open Port 22024 on the server Mac.

I've tried with a "clean" 10.14.4 Mac -- installed RS, checked it works, updated to 10.14.5 and it still works -- so I don't think it's the recent OS update that's the problem.

Try another machine -- if that works then uninstall/reinstall Console on the problem Mac. I'd also clear the relevant KeyChain password entries (Keychain Access and search for "Retrospect") before the reinstall, though I'm not sure that's necessary (have I borked my settings? I'm finding that *anything*, even *nothing*, in the password field allows me to connect!).

The only other way I've been able to replicate your never-ending "Connecting..." is by trying to add an IP that doesn't have RS Engine running. RS Console doesn't handle that gracefully -- you very quickly see a "...failed with error 61:Connection refused..." in system.log (launch Console.app, select "system.log", type "retrospect" in the search bar), but the wheels just keep on spinning... So you could try removing all servers from RS Console and quitting it, launching Console.app and setting it up as above, then launching RS Console and adding the server again -- see if the log gives any clues.

[pbartoli]

Nigel, that's not a typo.

Anyway I tried also to Ping *from* the Console to the Server, and yes, the port 22024 is open.

[Nigel Smith]

21 hours ago, pbartoli said:

Nigel, that's not a typo

That implies that you've also got Retrospect Engine running on the Console Mac. Is that deliberate? If not, try shutting that Engine down and see if the situation improves (I don't believe it should cause a conflict, but the fewer "unnecessary" processes running the better).

[pbartoli]

16 minutes ago, Nigel Smith said:

That implies that you've also got Retrospect Engine running on the Console Mac. Is that deliberate? If not, try shutting that Engine down and see if the situation improves (I don't believe it should cause a conflict, but the fewer "unnecessary" processes running the better).

Just to be clear, I have only one Retrospect Server running, on the Server Mac.

[Nigel Smith]

56 minutes ago, pbartoli said:

Just to be clear, I have only one Retrospect Server running, on the Server Mac.

Then I'm very surprised that you have something listening on port 22024 on the Console-running Mac. You might want to find out what that is, if only for your own peace of mind.

Check System Preferences first -- the clean Mac I did the test install on (above) *did* have Retrospect Engine running at the the end of the install process, even though I never asked for it or entered any license info etc, and was listening on 22024 until I turned it off (and unchecked "Launch on System Startup" to be sure it stayed off).

Otherwise, in Terminal on the Console-running Mac, enter "sudo lsof -iTCP -sTCP:LISTEN -n -P | grep 22024". The first word of the returned line is the reported name of the process, the first number is its Process ID (PID) -- you can use either in Activity Monitor to work out what is going on.

Again, if it is RS Engine I don't believe it would cause your problem -- but why spend the resources if you don't need it?