Switch to Time Machine?

[mstark]

Hey there. I have been using Retrospect since version 4. It has been great.

 

I just upgraded to snow leopard (10.5.8) and I am now faced with the question: use time machine for free or upgrade to retro 8.1.

 

All I need backup for is work files produced on the one mac. I have been doing that for years to an external USB drive.

 

Has anyone out there made this move? What was it like restoring all the files (years worth) and then archiving with time machine?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

best,

 

m

[cpguru21]

hi mstark!

 

I had a recent call to Apple tech specialist who informed me that for my servers, time machine is not recommended.

 

To give you the run down, apple said for our mail server with files that are constantly being changed, time machine may have a problem backing up and/or restoring. They recomended Retrospect.

 

However, I have another server that is simply file sharing, and was told (again by Apple) that time machine would work fine.

 

Based on what you said you will be backing up, looks like Time Machine may work fine for you. In my scenario, even on the file server, was a headache to get TM to backup to my NAS devices, where as Retrospect is working with minor (if any) errors.

 

Hope this helps you :-)

[cpguru21]

ps:

server specs:

2 10.6 servers

X serve

12GB Ram

terabyte raid array (internal)

backup to Thecus N7700 via seperate ethernet port on server.

Retrospect V8.1 with latest build at time of this posting.

[rhwalker]

To give you the run down, apple said for our mail server with files that are constantly being changed, time machine may have a problem backing up and/or restoring. They recomended Retrospect.

That's not a complete answer. In order to back up a mail server (or an Open Directory master, etc.), you need to shut down the service, replicate the database (cyrus mail store in the case of Tiger Mail Server, etc.), restart the service, then back up the replicated database. Otherwise, there's not a consistent set of database files to restore. Retrospect 6 can do this because it can be scripted; Retrospect 8, which currently lacks scripting to coordinate with service shutdown/replicate/restart, cannot.

 

However, I have another server that is simply file sharing, and was told (again by Apple) that time machine would work fine.

Not true, for the same reason as above. It all depends on what files are being shared, and how. It also depends on your backup policy, such as how transient your data is, data retention policy, etc. For example, Time Machine might not meet HIPPA standards for data retention/modification, etc.

 

For example, if the file sharing is acting as the database store for an accounting service, or as the database store for another server, etc., all of the issues discussed above are in play.

 

Based on what you said you will be backing up, looks like Time Machine may work fine for you. In my scenario, even on the file server, was a headache to get TM to backup to my NAS devices, where as Retrospect is working with minor (if any) errors.

Just because the backup doesn't give errors doesn't mean that it's successful. Test metadata restoration. Test bare metal restore. Etc., etc.

 

Russ

[cpguru21]

Thanks for the input Russ!!

 

I am 3 days into my retrospect install, with some bumps but mostly all have been resolved by retro support. Have plans to set up test e-mail accounts for backup-restore verification, but again am just starting.

 

According to Apple, dovecot does not need to be shutdown for backup, but I will check back in with them, and probe further.

 

I will look at the other recommendations you make post back any useful information I get from retro support.

 

Thanks!

[rhwalker]

According to Apple, dovecot does not need to be shutdown for backup, but I will check back in with them, and probe further.

Ok. Our mail server is still 10.4.11 (Tiger Server), running cyrus.

 

The usual problem is that, for performance, there is cached stuff in memory for database programs (and a mail server is a database program) and the set of files on disk need to be consistent if you hope to do a restore that will not be corrupted. Been there, done that, in my testing on cyrus (Mac OS X Server 10.4 mailsystem).

 

In 10.6 Server, note that there are multiple interacting services that handle the email - dovecot (POP/IMAP) (replacing 10.4's cyrus), postfix, amavisd and clamav and SpamAssassin (virus and spam, etc.). All of these have their own databases.

 

Dovecot is pretty resilient in handling recovery, but it's not perfect. Testing of your backup strategy under failure conditions is left as an exercise.

 

And you may have mysql stuff going, too.

 

Have fun testing.

 

Russ