What Does This Update Alert Mean?

[SGSchneider]

Every time I boot up Retrospect 8 I get an Update Alert that reads "Please update the console and server to the latest version. 127.0.0.1" and I see 2 buttons Cancel or Update.

 

When I select update it takes me to the EMC Retrospect update screen. I have updated every available option for a Mac I see on the screen - and I still get this message.

 

What does it mean? What am I supposed to do?

[rhwalker]

Sounds like you aren't running the current version of Retrospect console and Retrospect engine.

 

What version (8.x.x) of Retrospect console are you running?

What version (8.x.x.x) of Retrospect engine are you running?

 

Russ

[SGSchneider]

I am confused: I don't know which version of the console or the engine I am running. I installed Retrospect from the original file and updated the program. Retrospect itself is version 8.1 build 626.

 

When I search for Retrospect it does not return an engine or a console file. Searching for Console or Engine does not return anything that relates to EMC or Retrospect.

 

So I have no idea what is going on here.

 

Prior to installing Retrospect 8, I did have an earlier version of the program

[CallMeDave]

Russ asks:

What version (8.x.x) of Retrospect console are you running?

You answer:

[color:purple]8.1 build 626

[/color]

Russ asks:

What version (8.x.x.x) of Retrospect engine are you running?

That can be found by Getting Info on the file:

[color:purple](Engine Host Macintosh)/Library/ApplicationSupport/Retrospect/RetrospectEngine.bundle

[/color]

[Maser]

Sounds like you updated the console to 8.1.626, but maybe not the engine.

 

 

Stop the engine via the System Preference. Start the engine again.

 

Then open the console app and check the Log -- that will tell you the version of the Engine you have installed.

 

[SGSchneider]

Following your instructions - it appears the Console is 8.1.622.1 and the Engine is 1639

[Maser]

"1639"?

 

Sounds like you don't have the current version. You can get the 8.1.626 installer here:

 

 

http://www.retrospect.com/supportupdates/updates

 

 

Updating is a two-part process -- you replace the console app and *install* the engine update.

 

There's also an 8.1.1.103 "Driver Update" you might download and install as well...

[SGSchneider]

I downloaded the 8.1.626 installer again and reinstalled and that cured my problem. For one reason or another I had not seen the second step on the prior download - I either must have made the Window too small or interrupted the download. Thanks for your help.

[rhwalker]

There seems to be general agreement that the engine and console update process could be improved, and that better reporting is needed to the console of what version of each engine is running.

 

Russ

[SGSchneider]

I would think that if the install process could be consolidated to one step the engine and console version would become unimportant to 99% of users.

 

By and large Retrospect has become more powerful over time - but less user friendly. EMC has a great story to tell relative to Time Machine and other back-up tools. The how-to-use videos are a great help - but the program is complex to use and figure out and the website is very stand-offish for the new user until you figure how to reach the forums.

[rhwalker]

I would think that if the install process could be consolidated to one step the engine and console version would become unimportant to 99% of users.

Unless the console (and the console-engine communication protocol) can be re-architected to do a "push" install of the engine, that doesn't seem possible.

 

Consider the case of a console on a different machine than the engine. Consider also the case of multiple consoles accessing multiple engines. Consider also the case of the iPhone console app.

 

I believe that many of these issues could be solved by:

 

(1) console GUI change to show version of each connected engine (perhaps a status page showing versions); and perhaps

 

(2) significant feature addition to allow a console to "push install" to an engine. This can be difficult because of proactive backup, backups in progress during install, etc.

 

Admittedly, (2) is not simple.

 

Russ

[Tree]

What if it was the other way around, where you primarily update the Engine, and "push install" to update console(s)? Perhaps the host for the engine can keep track of which console(s) communicate with it. Or, say, when you update the engine, the necessary data for the console's update is kept at the engine host and so, when you try to communicate to that engine with an outdated console, it auto-updates by fetching data from the host, rather than hunting online. Of course, the console still has to notify the user of the engine version and prompt for an engine update when one becomes available... but it could just place the engine update on the host, ready to be installed, and then let you know that you need to run the update from the host machine. Running the update would upgrade the engine, and then the next time the console tries to talk to that engine, the outdated console would complete its auto-update based on the already downloaded update package that is resident at the host.

 

This way, nothing gets updated until the Engine is processed, and the console update happens afterwards and automatically. If you never process the Engine update, the console doesn't change either, so they stay in sync. Can that work?

[hudsontalbot]

I have having the same problem, but my retrospect is currently up to date. However in the download folder, there is a "install retrospect engine" does this need installing?? will overwrite what's already on there? Is it worth re-installing the EMC Retrospect 8 Management Console again, and will it overwrite what's already installed ie all my current backup sets, scripts etc?

 

Help appreciated.

[Maser]

Short answer:

 

Retrospect comes in *two parts* -- the console app and the *engine* software.

 

While the auto-update notification is certainly not perfect, when you install upgrades to the product, you have to upgrade *both parts*. The engine update requires a manual installation, so if you haven't applied that -- you need to.

 

A quick and easy way to determine if things are updated? If you open the console app you can select "About Retrospect" from the Retrospect menu to see the *console* version.

 

Then, the *log file* should show you the *engine* version if you stop/start the engine.

 

 

 

But to answer your question: Reinstalling the console application (or the engine software) should not touch your scripts, etc...

 

But to be safe, back up the following file on the engine computer before doing any upgrade.

 

/Library/Application Support/Retrospect/Config80.dat

 

 

*That's* the file that contains your configuration information.