Moving to New Media-HELP

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Hello Folks,

 

 

 

Time to move from my old tapes to CDR media. I want to transfer all the media on the old tapes over, and am shocked to find that Retrospect does not have good tools for this. The best available is the TRANSFER function, but this only works if you transfer ALL Files in one senssion. If you need to do it over multiple sessions--which is reasonable for many gigs--it does not offer a matching function, so there is no way to manage the task short of manually selecting files...ugh! On top of this, it does not carry over any but the latest Snapshots.

 

 

 

I cannot be the first person needing this ability, my tapes are over 5 years old and time to be updates. How are others moving their archives sets to new media?

 

 

 

Thanks,

 

 

 

Lance

[AmyJ]

You are correct - the only way to move your backup to another medium is to use the Transfer feature. This feature was designed to copy specific files from one backup set to another, not to clone an existing backup set. There are limitations in the functionality, as you've discovered.

 

 

 

If you have the hard drive space, you can try restoring all the files at once, and then doing a new backup to tape. You would lose old snapshots.

 

 

 

You can set up the transfer to copy "Only most recent versions" which will dramatically cut down on the number of files needing to be copied from a 5-year old backup set.

 

 

 

You can use Selectors to cut down on the number of files you are transferring.

 

 

 

If you need to stop a backup set transfer, assuming you have multiple members (tapes) in the backup set, you can mark members as missing after the transfer. In other words, start the transfer and go through an entire tape (or two or three..etc.). When Retrospect asks to change tapes, stop the transfer. Mark the completed members as missing (Configure > Backup Sets > Configure > Members). When you start the transfer again, you can begin with the next member in your set.

 

 

 

 

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Amy,

 

 

 

Thank you for your info-filled reply.

 

 

 

The idea of course, is to make as close a copy as possible. The process is intended to prolong the life of the data that was backed up--which was done as intended in the original backup and does not need to be changed.

 

 

 

I am always reading about institutions updating their archival storage mediums and am surprised such a simple "Clone Set" function has not been part of Retrospect after all these years.

 

 

 

I would like your thoughts on the "Options" available at the bottom of the Transfer window. They are whether to include Snapshots or not (it seems they are all included in the first run-thru and this can be turned off after that, please confirm), and two other less likely options.

 

 

 

ANOTHER POINT: I have also notice that once the data has been moved to CR-R, it is unable to be copied using Toast or Nero. I had hoped to be able to make additional sets for off-premises and I do not wish to be put through the same Transfer process yet again (even though it would be CD to CD this time and a bit faster). Any thoughts on this step?

 

 

 

Thank you very much,

 

 

 

Lance

[AmyJ]

The three options are pretty straightforward:

 

 

 

Copy Snapshots copies the most recent snapshots from the backup set catalog.

 

Only most recent versions will save space, as you won't be copying every revision of every file - only the newest copies.

 

Merge sessions is a way to organize the end result in the new backup set. If, over the course of 5 years, you 1500 sessions (1500 backups), the new backup set will have 1 consolidated session.

 

 

 

I don't have opinions on any of them, really - they all serve a purpose. If you need to do a full system (or volume) restore from the old set, having snapshots is required.

 

 

 

Backup discs created by Retrospect are accessible only by Retrospect; they do not mount on the desktop for use with the Finder or other software. NOTE: You cannot use CD-ROM drives to restore from CD-R backup sets.

 

 

 

Until recently, creating a compact disc required you to make an exact image of the desired CD on a hard disk then transfer the data from the hard disk drive to the CD-R drive in a single operation. While creating a CD, any interruption of data flow, such as a screen saver launching or new e-mail

 

arriving, would cause the CD to fail to "master" properly, resulting in the loss of the entire CD. This unreliability made CD-R unsuitable for backup.

 

 

 

Dantz has overcome this challenge by implementing packet writing, a technology used in some CD-R and CD-RW drives, as specified in the Orange Book, a compact disc technical standards document. Packet writing allows incremental storage of files, making CD-R technology appropriate for backup.

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Amy,

 

 

 

Thank you for your replies. Much appreciated.

 

 

 

Regards,

 

 

 

Lance