Retrospect 6.1: What if volume's full?

[tantebootsy]

Hi,

 

I'm using Retrospect 6.1 and an external HD to backup files and just wanted to know what happens if this HD is full. Will Retrospect delete old files?

 

Couldn't find any answer here via forum-search or in the manual.

 

Thanks,

Michael

[twickland]

Retrospect will not delete files on the destination volume if it becomes full. What it will do depends on the type of backup set you have created on this external volume (and I will assume here that you are performing Backups and not Duplicates).

 

If you are using a File backup set, Retrospect will simply stop writing to the backup set and will log an error when the volume becomes full. File backup sets cannot span multiple volumes.

 

If you are using a Removable Disk backup set, Retrospect will ask for a second volume to add to the backup set when the first volume becomes full.

[tantebootsy]

 

If you are using a File backup set, Retrospect will simply stop writing to the backup set and will log an error when the volume becomes full.

 

I assume there will be an error-message on the screen, right?

File backup sets cannot span multiple volumes.

 

If you are using a Removable Disk backup set, Retrospect will ask for a second volume to add to the backup set when the first volume becomes full.

Alright, that's what I read in the manual already. At first I tried to use "Removable Disk backup" but the external HD didn't appear in the list of possible backup-volumes. So I had chosen to use file-backups which makes more sense anyway.

 

Thanks a lot for your quick reply,

Michael

 

[twickland]

I assume there will be an error-message on the screen, right?

There will always be an error message in the Operations Log and, unless you have unchecked the option (under Preferences> Unattended) to be notified for failures and media, you will also get a pop-up message.

 

At first I tried to use "Removable Disk backup" but the external HD didn't appear in the list of possible backup-volumes.

If you ever decide to go this route, you will need to check the option (under Preferences> Media Handling) to enable the use of HD volumes as removable disks. Because this capability in Retrospect 6.1 is a kludge, I don't recommend using it unless you have to.

 

One final comment: Remember that when you recycle your file backup set, you will no longer have any backed-up data during the time interval before you write your fresh data to the backup set. For safety's sake, I strongly recommend rotating between at least two backup sets (we use three) and keeping one off site, in the event that one of your backup sets becomes unreadable due to damaged media, fire, etc.

[tantebootsy]

There will always be an error message in the Operations Log and, unless you have unchecked the option (under Preferences> Unattended) to be notified for failures and media, you will also get a pop-up message.

Alright, unless we upgrade to the newest version which is capable of email-notifications this must be enough for the moment I think. Thanks for the info.

If you ever decide to go this route, you will need to check the option (under Preferences> Media Handling) to enable the use of HD volumes as removable disks.

 

Ah okay, couldn't find that info in the manual ..

 

Because this capability in Retrospect 6.1 is a kludge, I don't recommend using it unless you have to.

 

No, as I already said I don't think it would make much sense.

 

One final comment: Remember that when you recycle your file backup set, you will no longer have any backed-up data during the time interval before you write your fresh data to the backup set. For safety's sake, I strongly recommend rotating between at least two backup sets (we use three) and keeping one off site, in the event that one of your backup sets becomes unreadable due to damaged media, fire, etc.

 

Yes, thanks for the hint. We use two backup-sets: one monthly backup and one daily, and dditionally there's a RAID-system running. As we don't have super-important data to backup this is enough, I think. But I'll recommend to upgrade to the newer version of Retrospect to get a mail when the volume's full to the company I administrate the backups. I don't look at the server each day so the popup that backup-volume's full might not be seen for a few days ... That's risky.

 

Again thanks a lot for your information!

 

Bye, Michael

 

[rhwalker]

Alright, unless we upgrade to the newest version which is capable of email-notifications this must be enough for the moment I think. Thanks for the info.

 

...

 

But I'll recommend to upgrade to the newer version of Retrospect to get a mail when the volume's full to the company I administrate the backups. I don't look at the server each day so the popup that backup-volume's full might not be seen for a few days ... That's risky.

Email notification works fine in Retrospect 6.x if you use the Python version. We've been using it for years. Setup is sometimes difficult if you don't know the magic dance and can do it EXACTLY right, but the instructions are correct.

 

Search these forums for Python for the right steps. Here's the link to the email stuff:

Retrospect 6.x email notification (Python)

 

I don't know anyone who has gotten the SMTP AUTH stuff to work, though, but the python code looks right and so does the AppleScript call of the python code.

 

There are many reasons to switch to Retrospect 8 when it stabilizes a bit, but lack of email notification is not one of them.

 

Russ