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Questions List

What is the Biology Backup System?
Can I have my computer(s) backed up?
Is my computer already on the system?
Is the Retrospect Client installed and running on my Windows 95/98/NT computer?
Is the Retrospect Client installed and running on my (pre-OS X) Mac?
Is the Retrospect Client installed on my Linux box?
Client installation: Mac (classic)
Client Installation: Mac OS X
Client Installation: Windows 95/98/ME
Client Installation: Windows NT
Client Installation: Windows 2000
Client Installation: Windows XP
Uninstalling the client: Mac (classic)
Uninstalling the client: Mac OS X
Uninstalling the client: Windows
Have I been backed up recently?
How often will my computer get backed up?
What about laptops?
I'm environmentally conscious. Can I use the Energy Saver control panel on my Mac?
How come my laptop never gets backed up? It's plugged into the network.
What network ports does Retrospect use?
If I were to use ICF (Internet Connection Firewall) on Windows XP, what would I have to do?
Will all my files get backed up?
Will file-locking prevent files that are open from getting backed up?
I have confidential files on my computer. Can I exclude them from the backup?
Error 541 and multiple ethernet cards
Why are drive volumes missing from my Windows NT client?
3 execution errors: what does that mean?
What if I'm working at my computer when it tries to backup?
How can I set up my Mac to automatically turn off Retrospect when my computer is acquiring data?
How can I get my Windows computer to automatically turn the Retrospect Client off when I start acquiring data?
I accidentally overwrote a working draft of a paper. Can I retrieve the old version?
The system HD on my Mac died. How do I restore my old configuration?
My Mac OS X system HD died. Can you help?
My C: drive with my Windows system on it died. How do I get my old configuration back?
Do you make backups for archival purposes?
Who pays for all this?
How much will it cost me?
What are my other options?

Questions and Answers

Q: What is the Biology Backup System?
A: This is a client-server backup system using Retrospect. There is a central server with a tape drive (as of May 2001, two tape drives), and approximately 220 clients are backed up over the network to tape once a week.

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Q: Can I have my computer(s) backed up?
A: Yes, if you belong to or are somehow affiliated with one of the following groups in the Life Sciences
- Biology
- Biochemistry
- Neuroscience
See also below under "Who pays for all this?" and "How much will it cost me?"
Approximately 20 lab groups and offices currently participate in the program.

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Q: Is my computer already on the system?
A: See below for detailed instructions. Basically,
1. Check to see if the Retrospect Client is installed
2. If yes to above, open the Retrospect Client control panel and see if you've been backed up recently.
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Q: Is the Retrospect Client installed and running on my Windows 95/98/NT computer?
A: Look under "Settings, Control Panel". There should be a control panel named Remote (older versions) or Retrospect Client (newer versions).
illustration 1 illustration 2
Open the panel. The client needs to be turned on, and the status should indicate "Ready".
illustration 3

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Q: Is the Retrospect Client installed and running on my (pre-OS X) Mac?
A: Look in your Control Panels folder. There should be a control panel named °Retrospect Client. If it's not there, you're not getting backed up.
Double-click the °Retrospect Client control panel to open it. Make sure that it's turned on, and that the status is "ready".
aside: The degree sign in front of the words Retrospect Client puts it last in the alphabetical list of control panels, and ensures that it loads last at startup.

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Q: Is the Retrospect Client installed on my Linux box?
A: No, and if it is, it won't do you much good as far as this system is concerned. As of October 2001 the Retrospect Client for Linux is still in beta testing, and I don't have it (because it only works with the Windows version of the Retrospect Server). See the Biology Backup System - Amanda FAQ for another alternative.

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Q: Client installation: Mac (classic)
A: Connect to the "Public Files" share on "MacStuff Public" in the "Kalman" zone (afp://macstuff.bio.brandeis.edu).
Look for the installer inside the "Retrospect Client" folder. Run it. If possible, install the "Retrospect client for TCP/IP" rather than the "AppleTalk" version. When the installer asks for a password, make one up and make a note of the password. Restart your computer when the installer is done.
E-mail Steven and tell him:
1. The IP address of your computer (help)
2. The password you typed into Retrospect
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Q: Client Installation: Mac OS X
A: We are now in a testing phase with the released 5.0 version of Retrospect. Get the 5.0 client from MacStuff Public (afp://macstuff.bio.brandeis.edu).
After installing, E-mail Steven and tell him:
1. The IP address of your computer (help)
2. The password you typed into Retrospect (don't use a system password!)
Notes about the now-expired beta test version
Get the beta-test Retrospect Client from Squirrel Public (afp://squirrel.bio.brandeis.edu:12001). You need to talk to me about potential problems and expiration dates.
That said, it appears to work ok on the 4 machines we've installed it on (as of 10/26/2001).
The real Mac OS X client will probably be released not too long after OS X 10.1 comes out. (well, I'm still waiting...)
We had one problem with the Retrospect installer being unable to change the ownership and permissions on the application after installing it. The symptoms were that after clicking the "on" button to activate the client, it asks for a password, then turns back "off". The fix was to manually update the permissions as outlined in the readme file. As root:
```
chown -R root.admin /Applications/Dantz\ Beta/RetroClient.app
chmod u+s /Applications/Dantz\ Beta/RetroClient.app/pitond
```
Yes, that does make pitond setuid root. Yes, that does make it worth worrying about from a security standpoint

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Q: Client Installation: Windows 95/98/ME
A: Connect to \\SQUIRREL\PUBLIC, the Biology public Windows file server (get help connecting), and open the Retrospect folder.
Double-click and run the Client Setup program. When the installer asks for a password, make one up, and write it down. Restart your computer when the installer is done.
E-mail Steven:
1. The password you typed in
2. The IP address of your computer (help)
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Q: Client Installation: Windows NT
A: First, log into Windows NT with administrator privileges.
Connect to \\SQUIRREL\PUBLIC, the Biology public Windows file server (get help connecting), and open the Retrospect folder.
Double-click and run the Client Setup program. When the installer asks for a password, make one up, and write it down. Restart your computer when the installer is done.
E-mail Steven:
1. The password you typed in
2. The IP address of your computer (help)
You will also want to set up the supplied Registry Backup Manager. Dantz's instructions are:
To activate the registry backup manager, log in with Administrator permissions, go to the C:\Program Files\Dantz\Client folder. Double click on Regcopy.exe. Set the time and click On. This will activate it. The program's help has detailed instructions on its use.

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Q: Client Installation: Windows 2000
A: See the instructions above for WIndows NT.
One glitch with WIndows 2000 clients connecting to a Mac server is that there are certain items in the Registry that we can't backup. To quote Dantz:
The Registry Backup Manager can not back up Windows 2000 specific state information (COM+ Class Registration, Active Directory, Certificate Services). You must use Retrospect for Windows to back up these items.
Those registry keys are probably inconsequential for lab computers.

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Q: Client Installation: Windows XP
A: I haven't tried it yet. I expect the situation to be very similar to that with Windows 2000.

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Q: Uninstalling the client: Mac (classic)
A: Remove the control panel °Retrospect Client from System Folder:Control Panels. The Extension Manager control panel is a convenient way to do this.

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Q: Uninstalling the client: Mac OS X
A: New 5.0 client Run the installer (see above) and choose "uninstall". However, this doesn't appear to remove the existing password. To remove the existing password (hint from "CallMeDave" on the Retrospect Backup Forum):
```
The password for the OS X Client is in the file:

/private/var/root/Library/Preferences/retroclient.state

There have been many posts on this board related to using Terminal to remove files owned by root. But in brief, type:


sudo rm /var/root/Library/Preferences/retroclient.state

and return, and enter your password at the prompt.
```
OS X Beta client: From an e-mail from Dantz Support:
To uninstall the Retrospect client beta for Mac OS X, you will need to log in as root, manually quit the "pitond" process, and then run the Retro. To do so, follow these steps:
1. Open the terminal application and su to root, then type:
```
  ps -cx | grep pitond
```
  If pitond is running this will show you basic information about the pitond process, the first field is the process number. You will need to enter this number in the next step.
2. Now kill the process by typing:
```
  kill <pitond process number>
```
3. Launch the RetroClient Beta installer, then run the Uninstall operation.
4. The Retrospect client beta for Mac OS X is now uninstalled.
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Q: Uninstalling the client: Windows
A: Use the Add/Remove Programs control panel. There should also probably be an "Uninstall Retrospect Client" shortcut under Programs in the Start Menu.
If using Windows NT, you should also remove the Regcopy service (see the Retrospect manual)

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Q: Have I been backed up recently?
A: Look in the History section of the Retrospect control panel (see q. 4,5 if you can't find the control panel). You can tab through a history of recent events.
In addition, the default control panel settings are to nag the end-user if backups have not occurred for more than a pre-set time (usually, a week). You'll get a message saying you should contact your network adminstrator (me)

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Q: How often will my computer get backed up?
A: My scripts are set up to attempt to backup every computer once a week. Desktop computers will be assigned a night of the week for backup. Desktop backup scripts start at 9-10pm and run through the night until they finish their list, or until morning.
Sometimes events intervene and backups get delayed. Often I use the weekend to play "catch-up" on scripts that haven't finished.
I try not to run too many desktop backup scripts during the day, as it can have unpleasant side-effects on the older networks, especially on network printing.
If backups are incomplete, then the server may repeatedly attempt to contact the client and finish the backup.

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Q: What about laptops?
A: Laptops can be backed up if they are directly connected to an ethernet port at Brandeis, at least occasionally.
We understand that you probably don't want to leave your laptop plugged into the network overnight. We've set up a special "laptop" backup script that runs as a low priority task during the day on weekdays and searches for laptops that need to be backed up. It attempts to back up each laptop about once a week, but this is difficult to rigorously enforce.

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Q: I'm environmentally conscious. Can I use the Energy Saver control panel on my Mac?
A: Not if you want Retrospect to have access to your computer. If you use the Energy Saver control panel and it puts your computer to sleep, Retrospect can't wake it up. It's ok to let the display go to sleep (and that accounts for at least half the power on most computers). Don't let the CPU go to sleep.
Note that Retrospect has a convenient "wait at shutdown" feature. In default installations, you tell your Mac to shut down, Retrospect will put up a screen saver and wait until the next backup, then shut down your computer for you.
On Mac laptops, you may wish to use the Location Manager to create a special setting for your office to prevent the laptop from putting itself to sleep.

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Q: How come my laptop never gets backed up? It's plugged into the network.
A: Is the CPU asleep? Retrospect can't wake sleeping laptops. This seems to be the leading cause of laptops not backing up.

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Q: What network ports does Retrospect use?
A: TCP port 497 and UDP port 497.
On OS X, to spy on the server (for example, to see why the server is unresponsive), try:
tcpdump -i en0 port 497
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Q: If I were to use ICF (Internet Connection Firewall) on Windows XP, what would I have to do?
A: I don't recommend using ICF. That said, here is some contributed advice on how to do it:
Programs like Retrospect Backup require ports to be manually opened in Windows XP so it can function properly when Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) is in use. This How To contains the steps to manually open the port in ICF to allow Retrospect Backup access to the client machine.
To manually open the Retrospect port on the Client machine:
1. Click Start, and then click My Network Places.
2. Under Network Tasks, click View Network Connections. (Alternatively, you can right-click My Network Places and click Properties.)
3. Right-click the connection you use for the Internet and click Properties.
4. Click the Advanced tab, and then click Settings.
  NOTE: If the Settings button is unavailable, ICF is not enabled on this connection and you do not need to open any ports (they are all already open).
5. Click Add to open a new port.
6. Type Retrospect TCP: Port 497 in the Description box.
  NOTE: If the Backup Server doesn't have a static IP address, use 127.0.0.1 instead.
7. Enter the IP address of the Retrospect Server computer (e-mail Steven to ask what this is)
8. Type 497 as the port number in the External port and Internal port boxes.
9. The TCP radio button should be selected. Click OK.
  NOTE: If needed, you can repeat Steps 5 - 9 to create an "open" UDP port with this process. Where you were asked to type or click "TCP", enter UDP instead.
10. Click OK. Click OK.
You should now be able to "see" the client from the Retrospect Server.
See also http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q308127

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Q: Will all my files get backed up?
A: No.
But almost all of them will be.
I try to exclude files that clog up the backup system and have no lasting value. The current exclusion list consists of:
1. files in the Netscape cache folders
2. files in folders named "Temporary Internet Files" (the Internet Explorer cache)
3. The swap files on Windows computers
4. a few other random files
5. mp3 files (either in folders named "mp3", or ending in ".mp3", or in a folder named "iTunes Music Library")
If you have experimental data in mp3 format, let me know by e-mail and give me details so I can figure out how to back them up.

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Q: Will file-locking prevent files that are open from getting backed up?
A: Possibly so. It depends on what operating system and what application software you are running. These problems are rare in our environment, but it'd be nice to investigate this issue more closely.
Programs known to cause problems:
- Lotus Organizer
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Q: I have confidential files on my computer. Can I exclude them from the backup?
A: Yes.
Look in the Retrospect Control Panel for options on excluding files.
On the mac, typing a bullet (OPTION-8) at the beginning or end of a file or folder name will mark it as private, and it will not be backed up.
On older windows clients, the control panel is named "Remote", not "Retrospect". You should add folders you don't want backed up in the list of "Private Files/Folders/Volumes" under the "Access" tab in the control panel.
This logic also applies to "junk" files not otherwise filtered (say, if your personal music collection is stored not as .mp3 but as .wma files).

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Q: Error 541 and multiple ethernet cards
A: Error 541 is the Dantz error for "that computer is there, it's just not running Retrospect". A main cause of this error is that Retrospect is listening in the wrong place. I've had this a few times with computers with 2 or more ethernet cards (HPLC controllers, etc.).
See Dantz's answer>.Here's the procedure for Windows NT/2000:
1. From the Services control panel get properties on the Retrospect Client service.
2. Stop the Retrospect Client Service.
3. Close the Services control panel
4. From the Start menu, choose Run and type "Regedit" (no quotes).
5. Open the path HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Dantz\Retrospect Client\5.0, and highlight the 5.x folder. You should see a "BindListener" value set to 0.0.0.0. If the ethernet card you want Retrospect to use has a fixed address, change the BindListener value to that address. If the ethernet card you want Retrospect to use has a dynamic address, set the BindListener value to the network portion of your IP address. For example, if the current IP address is 192.168.6.241 with Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0, use 192.168.6.0.
6. Close the Registry
7. Restart your computer
I haven't seen an official answer for Win 95/98/ME, but a poster on the support forum suggests:
The solution is to remove all the additional adapters, before you install the Retrospect client. Once the client is installed and working, then you can reinstall the drivers for all the additional garbage that you want to appear in the Network Control Panel--the Retrospect driver will remain bound to what was the only network adapter when it was installed, and will continue to work.

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Q: Why are drive volumes missing from my Windows NT client?
A: See the entry in the Dantz Knowledge Base about Windows volume not visible which says...
If you cannot see all the volumes or directories on a Windows NT client when configuring the client volumes try the following:
1. Confirm that the drives have not been made private from within the Retrospect Client.
2. Confirm that the Retrospect Client was installed while logged in with full Admin. level privs. This does not mean logging into the Administrator account. It means logging into the Administrator account that has C,full controlC. over all directories and volumes on that computer.
3. If items 1 and 2 have been checked but there are still problems, then you need to get properties on the volume that Retrospect does not see and confirm that the Administrator has "full control"' over that volume.
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Q: 3 execution errors: what does that mean?
A: One execution error = one file not backed up "successfully"
But it's not even that bad. Sometimes files change between the time Retrospect copies the file, and the time Retrospect verifies its copy (maybe you left a program running). Sometimes files are locked in use and can't be copied.
If you get more than 10 execution errors, worry and e-mail me

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Q: What if I'm working at my computer when it tries to backup?
A: Your computer will seem less responsive than usual while it's being backed up, and you might get frustrated. It won't hurt the backup if you continue working, although files you currently have open might not get backed up due to file locking (see below). In most circumstances, you should let the backup proceed
The exception: I would not recommend that you acquire experimental data during backups, though. You can turn your Retrospect Client off temporarily using the control panel. Remember to turn it back on when you're done. See next 2 answers for how to do this automatically.

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Q: How can I set up my Mac to automatically turn off Retrospect when my computer is acquiring data?
A: Use applescript.
See http://www.dantz.com/index.php3?SCREEN=applescripts for details, or look at the user manual. Basically, I would suggest writing one applescript to turn the client off when you start taking data, and putting a second in "Startup Items" in your System Folder so Retrospect gets turned by on when you restart the computer.

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Q: How can I get my Windows computer to automatically turn the Retrospect Client off when I start acquiring data?
A: You can issue the following command from the command line to inactivate the Retrospect client:
NET STOP "RETROSPECT CLIENT"
You could put this in a .BAT file that you use to start your data acquisition software. Restart the client by issuing the following at the command line:
NET START "RETROSPECT CLIENT"
Whether you do or not, the Retrospect Client will start up again at the next reboot; the NET STOP command doesn't affect the startup preference.

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Q: I accidentally overwrote a working draft of a paper. Can I retrieve the old version?
A: Maybe. We do incremental backups, so old versions of files are retrievable, up until the point where we re-use the tape. Usually we have at least 3 months worth of data stored, and sometimes as much as a year. However, only versions that existed at the time of a backup can be retrieved.
To find out if your file exists, e-mail me with the file name and the approximate date it existed, and I'll check it out. The more information you give me about the file (exact name, name of the folder it was contained in, date it was created or modified, file size, etc.), the more likely I am to find it.

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Q: The system HD on my Mac died. How do I restore my old configuration?
A: There are a few steps:
1. Obtain a replacement drive
2. Install an operating system on the new drive. With new hard drives these days, I like to partition the drive into at least 2 HFS+ (Mac OS Extended) volumes. I then install a clean operating system onto one partition, and restore the old system to another.
3. Set up TCP/IP networking on the computer. Please assign a new name and IP address to the computer, if possible.
4. Install the Retrospect client on the computer.
5. E-mail me.
6. Wait for the restore to occur. You may wish to go run a triathlon while waiting.
7. Restart the computer. You'll want to change the setting in the Startup Disk control panel, and you'll probably need to rebuild the desktop.
You should be back in business.

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Q: My Mac OS X system HD died. Can you help?
A: Not really tested with the new 5.0 version of Retrospect yet. It's not clear from reader reports how well this works.
Reinstall Mac OS X from your installer media. When you're all done with that, we can try restoring the data from your backup.

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Q: My C: drive with my Windows system on it died. How do I get my old configuration back?
A: There are a few steps:
1. Obtain a replacement drive
2. Install an operating system on the new drive. Install it to a non-standard location, such as C:\WINTEMP.
3. Set up TCP/IP networking on the computer. Please assign a new name and IP address to the computer, if possible.
4. Install the Retrospect client on the computer.
5. E-mail me.
6. Wait for the restore to occur. You may wish to go run a triathlon while waiting.
7. If using NT, restore the Registry before restarting the computer.
8. Restart the computer
9. Delete C:\WINTEMP
You should be back in business.

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Q: Do you make backups for archival purposes?
A: Not as a general rule. It would cost me too much to do it with DLT tape.
In a couple of cases I've made archival copies on CD-R, since the media are very cheap. I won't know for a while whether it'll be practical to do it on a larger scale. Note, you'll require a copy of Retrospect in order to be able to retrieve files from such backups.

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Q: Who pays for all this?
A: The Grad Program in Neuroscience paid for the tape drive. The Biology Department bought the computer. The Biology Department pays most of Steven's salary. The Biochemistry Department contributes to Steven's salary.
The rest of the costs (software and tape media) are paid for by assessing user fees, see next question.

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Q: How much will it cost me?
A: The current price to participate as of Fall, 2000 is a one-time fee calculated as follows:
- $15.00 per computer for the software
- $8.00 per GB of total hard drive space on the computer, up to a maximum of 6 GB.
In other words, a maximum of $63.00 per computer.
This price is subject to change, and we reserve the right to assess yearly fees if it becomes necessary.
Compare this price to how much it would cost to buy your own backup drive and media. Personally, I think it's a fantastic bargain.
As of Spring 2002, the one-time assessment system still applies. We got a windfall in surplus tapes, but are facing upgrade costs for the software. I still think it's a fantastic bargain.

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Q: What are my other options?
A:
- Put your trust in the Fates and your hardware.
  Not recommended.
- Back up your data yourself
  Either manually, or with some software program. running on your own computer. I personally recommend writing on CD-R or CD-RW if you're going to do this, and making at least 2 copies of everything. Most new computers come with a CD-RW drive these days. I don't really trust Zip or Jaz disks (too expensive, and I've seen a number of bad disk problems arise). Retrospect Express works fairly well for this purpose (I haven't actually tried it on Windows, but we've used it on several stand-alone Macs).
- Buy a really big hard drive
  (on your own or a separate computer) and run a script to mirror the contents of your desktop hard drive to this second hard drive. This is fast, works well for recovery, and isn't too expensive, but doesn't allow you to archive multiple copies of data very well.
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