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Retrospect 6.1+ and OS-X v10.4.3 and beyond


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Since upgrading the servers from 10.4.2 and beyond, running Retrospect causes a collection of catastrophic failures on at least two of my client's file servers. Not only does Retrospect crash, but it brings down the whole server to boot. When you get going again, the catalogue has also been damaged and you have to repair this again to get retrospect to run again, only to crash the server and continue the vicious cycle.

 

Is this yet another Apple vs the little guys war going on or is this the official end of the line for Retrospect and Macintosh? Please let me know because I don't have the time of day to second guess what is happening here and interface with my clients who have systems that did work until a few months ago and now a backup system that apart from not backing up, crashes their server.

 

To be helpful, the details are: Servers - G4 and G5 both with SCSI cards and external DAT tape drives {Sony}

Software: Retrospect Server version 6.1.124 doh.gif

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Quote:

To be helpful, the details are: Servers - G4 and G5 both with SCSI cards and external DAT tape drives {Sony}

Software: Retrospect Server version 6.1.124
doh.gif

 


Hi.

 

That's no "details" wink.gif

 

Detailed information contains EXACT information about brand, model, driver version, CPU speed, RAM etc etc.

Specifically Adaptec has NO support beyond Mac OS 10.2.x.

 

Regards

Lennart

 

PS. Please do NOT post the question more than ONCE.

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Thanks for your response. I am trying to be helpful but am only expressing my frustration at apparently getting nowhere. You asked for Brand, model, driver version, CPU speed, RAM etc and even though you have not been specific, I will try to guess what it is you need.

 

SCSI card -

Brand - Parallel Domain

Model - 65536

 

Backup Unit -

Manufacturer - HP

Model - C1533A

Revision - A812

 

CPU - Power Mac G4 dual processor

Speed - 1.26 Ghz

RAM - 768 Mb

Version - 10.4.3

 

If you like, Timbuktu can generate a multi page list of all sorts of parameters. If you like I can generate it and attach is that can help. I have also produced a system profiler report that goes to 60 pages which I am sure will contain any fact that may interest you. I cannot see how to post attachments to your forums however.

 

I purchased a single incident "paid" support item to handle this, but cannot work out how to actually "spend" it on this. If you can tell me how, I would be happy to proceed with using it for this purpose. I write software for a living and know that support is essential to any business and must be funded. I have no problem with the concept, only its execution.

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Peter, sorry you are frustrated. Could you post the appropriate section from your Apple Hardware Profiler report? I think that you may be confusing the "Parallel Doman SCSI" tree set up by Open Firmware with the brand of card. You should see something like the following, which is excerpted from our Xserve G5:

Quote:

PCI Cards:

 

LSI,523:

 

Name: LSILogic,raid

Type: scsi-2

Bus: PCI

Slot: SLOT-2

Vendor ID: 0x1000

Device ID: 0x1960

Subsystem Vendor ID: 0x1000

Subsystem ID: 0x4523 Revision ID: 0x0001

 

ATTO ExpressPCI UL4D:

 

Name: ATTO,ExpressPCIProUL4D

Type: scsi-2

Bus: PCI

Slot: SLOT-3

Vendor ID: 0x117c

Device ID: 0x0030

Subsystem Vendor ID: 0x117c

Subsystem ID: 0x8013

ROM Revision: 1.5.0

Revision ID: 0x0008

 

ATTO ExpressPCI UL4D:

 

Name: ATTO,ExpressPCIProUL4D

Type: scsi-2

Bus: PCI

Slot: SLOT-3

Vendor ID: 0x117c

Device ID: 0x0030

Subsystem Vendor ID: 0x117c

Subsystem ID: 0x8013

ROM Revision: 1.5.0

Revision ID: 0x0008

 

bcom5704:

 

Type: network

Bus: PCI

Slot: SLOT-4

Vendor ID: 0x14e4

Device ID: 0x1648

Subsystem Vendor ID: 0x106b

Subsystem ID: 0x005a

Revision ID: 0x0003

 

bcom5704:

 

Type: network

Bus: PCI

Slot: SLOT-4

Vendor ID: 0x14e4

Device ID: 0x1648

Subsystem Vendor ID: 0x106b

Subsystem ID: 0x005a

Revision ID: 0x0003

 

Parallel SCSI:

 

SCSI Parallel Domain 0:

 

Initiator Identifier: 7

 

SCSI Target Device @ 16:

 

Manufacturer: MEGARAID

Model: Logical Drive 0

Revision:

SCSI Target Identifier: 16

SCSI Device Features: Wide, Sync

SCSI Initiator/Target Features: Wide, Sync

Peripheral Device Type: 0

 

SCSI Logical Unit @ 0:

 

Capacity: 50 GB

Manufacturer: MEGARAID

Model: Logical Drive 0

Revision:

Removable Media: Yes

Detachable Drive: No

BSD Name: disk4

OS9 Drivers: No

SCSI Logical Unit Identifier: 0

S.M.A.R.T. status: Not Supported

 

SCSI Target Device @ 17:

 

Manufacturer: MEGARAID

Model: Logical Drive 1

Revision:

SCSI Target Identifier: 17

SCSI Device Features: Wide, Sync

SCSI Initiator/Target Features: Wide, Sync

Peripheral Device Type: 0

 

SCSI Logical Unit @ 0:

 

Capacity: 417.42 GB

Manufacturer: MEGARAID

Model: Logical Drive 1

Revision:

Removable Media: Yes

Detachable Drive: No

BSD Name: disk5

OS9 Drivers: No

SCSI Logical Unit Identifier: 0

S.M.A.R.T. status: Not Supported

Volumes:

disk5s3:

Capacity: 417.29 GB

Available: 398.8 GB

Writable: Yes

File System: Journaled HFS+

 

SCSI Target Device @ 63:

 

Manufacturer: MEGARAID

Model: MEGARAIDDUMMYDEV

Revision: 1.00

SCSI Target Identifier: 63

SCSI Device Features: Wide, Sync

SCSI Initiator/Target Features: Wide, Sync

Peripheral Device Type: 31

 

SCSI Logical Unit @ 0:

 

Manufacturer: MEGARAID

Model: MEGARAIDDUMMYDEV

Revision: 1.00

SCSI Logical Unit Identifier: 0

 

SCSI Parallel Domain 1:

 

Initiator Identifier: 7

 

SCSI Target Device @ 1:

 

Manufacturer: SEAGATE

Model: ST34520N

Revision: 1487

SCSI Target Identifier: 1

SCSI Device Features: Sync

SCSI Initiator/Target Features: Sync

Peripheral Device Type: 0

 

SCSI Logical Unit @ 0:

 

Capacity: 4.24 GB

Manufacturer: SEAGATE

Model: ST34520N

Revision: 1487

Removable Media: Yes

Detachable Drive: No

BSD Name: disk0

OS9 Drivers: Yes

SCSI Logical Unit Identifier: 0

S.M.A.R.T. status: Not Supported

Volumes:

disk0s10:

Capacity: 4.11 GB

Available: 4.09 GB

Writable: Yes

File System: Journaled HFS+

 

SCSI Target Device @ 6:

 

Manufacturer: SONY

Model: SDT-7000

Revision: 0300

SCSI Target Identifier: 6

SCSI Device Features: Sync

SCSI Initiator/Target Features: Sync

Peripheral Device Type: 1

 

SCSI Logical Unit @ 0:

 

Manufacturer: SONY

Model: SDT-7000

Revision: 0300

SCSI Logical Unit Identifier: 0

 

SCSI Parallel Domain 2:

 

Initiator Identifier: 7

 

SCSI Target Device @ 0:

 

Manufacturer: EXABYTE

Model: VXA 1x10 1U

Revision: A10B

SCSI Target Identifier: 0

SCSI Device Features: Wide, Sync

SCSI Initiator/Target Features: Wide, Sync

Peripheral Device Type: 8

 

SCSI Logical Unit @ 0:

 

Manufacturer: EXABYTE

Model: VXA 1x10 1U

Revision: A10B

SCSI Logical Unit Identifier: 0

 

SCSI Target Device @ 1:

 

Manufacturer: EXABYTE

Model: VXA-2

Revision: 210D

SCSI Target Identifier: 1

SCSI Device Features: Wide, Sync

SCSI Initiator/Target Features: Wide, Sync

Peripheral Device Type: 1

 

SCSI Logical Unit @ 0:

 

Manufacturer: EXABYTE

Model: VXA-2

Revision: 210D

SCSI Logical Unit Identifier: 0

 

SCSI Target Device @ 3:

 

Manufacturer: SEAGATE

Model: ST373405LW

Revision: 0003

SCSI Target Identifier: 3

SCSI Device Features: Wide, Sync, DT

SCSI Initiator/Target Features: Wide, Sync, DT

Peripheral Device Type: 0

 

SCSI Logical Unit @ 0:

 

Capacity: 68.37 GB

Manufacturer: SEAGATE

Model: ST373405LW

Revision: 0003

Removable Media: Yes

Detachable Drive: No

BSD Name: disk1

OS9 Drivers: No

SCSI Logical Unit Identifier: 0

S.M.A.R.T. status: Not Supported

 


The Apple System Profiler ("System Profiler.app") can be found in your Applications/Utilities folder. You can do a "Save As" and save the profile as a .txt file, and copy and post the appropriate stuff here. The different "Parallel Domains" are what appear to the OS as separate SCSI channels.

 

Russ

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Dear Russ,

 

I think this is the data for which you yearn.

 

OSXServer

3/6/06 10:12 PM

 

 

Hardware:

 

Hardware Overview:

 

Machine Name: Power Mac G4

Machine Model: PowerMac3,6

CPU Type: PowerPC G4 (3.3)

Number Of CPUs: 2

CPU Speed: 1.25 GHz

L2 Cache (per CPU): 256 KB

L3 Cache (per CPU): 1 MB

Memory: 768 MB

Bus Speed: 167 MHz

Boot ROM Version: 4.6.0f1

Serial Number: YM3251B7NWP

 

Network:

 

Built-in Ethernet:

 

Type: Ethernet

Hardware: Ethernet

BSD Device Name: en0

IPv4 Addresses: 192.168.0.100

IPv4:

Addresses: 192.168.0.100

Configuration Method: Manual

Interface Name: en0

Router: 192.168.0.1

Subnet Masks: 255.255.255.0

IPv6:

Configuration Method: Automatic

AppleTalk:

Configuration Method: Node

Default Zone: *

Interface Name: en0

Network ID: 65367

Node ID: 35

DNS:

Search Domains: internode.on.net

Server Addresses: 192.168.0.100, 192.231.203.3

Proxies:

FTP Proxy Enabled: No

FTP Passive Mode: Yes

Gopher Proxy Enabled: No

HTTP Proxy Enabled: No

HTTPS Proxy Enabled: No

RTSP Proxy Enabled: No

SOCKS Proxy Enabled: No

Ethernet:

MAC Address: 00:03:93:d2:23:0c

Media Options: Full Duplex

Media Subtype: 100baseTX

 

Software:

 

System Software Overview:

 

System Version: Mac OS X Server 10.4.3 (8F46)

Kernel Version: Darwin 8.3.0

Boot Volume: HHDS System

Computer Name: OSXServer

User Name: hhdsadmin (hhdsadmin)

 

PCI Cards:

 

pci9005,62a0:

 

Type: SCSI Bus Controller

Bus: PCI

Slot: SLOT-2

Vendor ID: 0x9005

Device ID: 0x0080

Subsystem Vendor ID: 0x9005

Subsystem ID: 0x62a0

Revision ID: 0x0002

 

pci9004,7850:

 

Type: SCSI Bus Controller

Bus: PCI

Slot: SLOT-5

Vendor ID: 0x9004

Device ID: 0x5078

Subsystem Vendor ID: 0x9004

Subsystem ID: 0x7850

Revision ID: 0x0003

 

Parallel SCSI:

 

SCSI Parallel Domain 65536:

 

Initiator Identifier: 7

 

HP C1533A:

 

Manufacturer: HP

Model: C1533A

Revision: A812

SCSI Target Identifier: 2

SCSI Logical Unit Identifier: 0

 

Hope this helps.

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I can't see any data like you are asking for in the Apple System Profiler. There is no way I can tell whose card is installed into the computer. The boxes were tossed away a long time ago and even if I pulled the lid on the card there is often nothing on the card to identify it. I guess you are going to suggest that even though it worked fine under OS-Xv2, now that we are using the "modern" OS, it will not work.

 

Can you guarantee that if I now recommend to my client to throw away his SCSI DAT tape unit and SCSI card and replace them with a FireWire based DLT unit, will the crash memory problem stop occurring under OS-X v10.4+? Do you have any experience that such a combination will actually work?

 

I guess I can try this combination out on one of my other machines, but I do not have an OS-X v10.4 server in my own office. I have seen too many disasters amongst my clients who have bought new OS-Xv10.4+ servers to want to upset what is basically a working office. I will try to test this out on an OS-Xv10.4+ workstation, but that may not unmask the true problem with this combination. Please at least tell me that somewhere in the world something actually backs up running Retrospect on an OS-Xv10.4+ server to a tape storage unit of some kind, preferably by FireWire.

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If you took the time to Google "SCSI Vendor ID: 0x9005" you'd find the manufacturer is Adaptec. This suggests to me that you have an Adaptec card

 

Adaptec cards are not supported for use in the Xserve and Adaptec stopped supported OS X some time ago. Every post ever written about SCSI and OS X says "Don't use Adaptec cards" and your case is no different

 

If you want to stay with SCSI I suggest using an ATTO UL4S. It works well and their support is good

 

By trying to get an Adaptec card to work - if it is an Adaptec - you're wasting your time and that of others on this Forum. That's what "Unsupported" means

 

There are no guarantees with Firewire. In some ways it's more flakey than a well-sorted SCSI setup

 

If you're still using a DAT drive I'd dump it and get something with a future - AIT or VXA, something like that. DAT is dead & buried now and the drives always tend to fail between 2 and 3 years

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Yes, my personal experience with the eight or more tape systems I have used over the years is that they all fail around 3-4 years. This goes back for about three generations of tape systems over fifteen years.

 

Isn't it just a little arrogant to blandly say to chuck something in the bin and relace it with the latest gizmo which has only been around for a few years. What's to say the same comments will be coming out about AIT drives in a couple of years. Sales people think the rest of the world has only a short term memory which gets erased once the cheque clears the bank.

 

Thank you for politely decoding the gobledegook - of course I should have recognised that 0x9005 was code for Adaptec - how stupid of me. I will go out and flog myself for allowing that little mistake to happen.

 

ATTO - is that a brand name with a distribution outlet in Australia? Do they actually support their cards on Mac OS-X and what is their anticipated lifetime - six months or five years?

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Quote:

If you took the time to Google "SCSI Vendor ID: 0x9005" you'd find the manufacturer is Adaptec. This suggests to me that you have an Adaptec card

 


Yeah, It's easy to Google if you know exactly what to type to get the right answer on top of the millions of pages you normally get.

 

One thing is odd, though: My Adaptec SCSI card has vendor ID 0x9004. I thought it was just a slot ID or address and that you had your card in the slot beside mine.

Why would Adaptec have two vendor IDs?

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Quote:

Isn't it just a little arrogant to blandly say to chuck something in the bin and relace it with the latest gizmo which has only been around for a few years.

 


Yes it is. But if you're using DAT you're on borrowed time. In my experience, changing systems takes time and you may not have enough time to implement a new system in a planned way before a failure. So I cut to the chase

 

Quote:

ATTO - is that a brand name with a distribution outlet in Australia? Do they actually support their cards on Mac OS-X and what is their anticipated lifetime - six months or five years?

 


You'd have to ask ATTO that. They do support their carsd on OS X and are very responsive to tech queries. It seems as though, for them, OS X is an OS on equal footing with others

 

www.attotech.com

 

and also

 

Lan 1 Pty Ltd

Head Office

Unit 4, 50 McEvoy St

Waterloo NSW 2017

Sydney

Tel: +61-2-9319-6411

Fax: +61-2-9319-6797

info@lan1.com.au

www.lan1.com.au

 

Best of luck - let us all know how you get on

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