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+--- Thread: Retrospect Backup (/showthread.php?tid=25159)
Retrospect Backup - OWC Larry - 12-31-2006
Without talking about future backup software....... talking in the hear and now -
What do you think of EMC/Dantz Retrospect?
Anyone here using it?
Anyone who would use it or seek to use it if was available to them?
We ship a ton of solutions each month (literally speaking it's actually several tons) that have the Retrospect Express application included.
Curious for feedback on Retrospect... also interested in feedback, if have any too, on Prosoft Data Backup/Data Backup II.
Thanks!
Re: Retrospect Backup - mattkime - 12-31-2006
Nothing comes close to Retrospect - but I feel that way because I read the manual.
Many people are intimidated and confused by Retrospect. Its complex software. Many people give up on using it while shouting, "I just want to make a backup!!!" Unfortunately having a reliable backup system is more complex than people want it to be.
Honestly, I think most people would be better served by something simpler. SuperDuper and CCC do a good job making simple clones. This is what many people expect and unfortunately better than most have.
Re: Retrospect Backup - bazookaman - 12-31-2006
I give you my favorite EMC/Dantz error/alert...
Re: Retrospect Backup - davester - 12-31-2006
I use retrospect because it came with my OWC hard drive. However, I hate it. I believe I have it set up right, but I'm always getting inscrutable errors and when I go in to fiddle with it, I can never remember what I'm supposed to do. The UI is absolutely horrible. God help me if I had to do a restore. I keep meaning to get something else, but everything out there seems to be lacking in some way. Needless to say, Time Machine sounds very appealing...I hope that it can accommodate both hard drive and offsite backups.
Re: Retrospect Backup - Paul F. - 12-31-2006
After helping my boss set up Retrospect Express, and later having to help him restore from a backup...
I will never, EVER, recommend Retrospect to the average user!
The interface sucks!
And
Any backup program that uses a proprietary archive that is version specific will never get my "vote" for a reliable backup for MOST users.
Put a "front end" on it that the average user can use and understand, and I may change my tune.
Re: Retrospect Backup - rexrzer - 12-31-2006
I guess I'm just simple-minded, but I keep on using SilverKeeper v1.1.4 on both my studio's working Macs, and my iBook and the wife's iMac G3/700 SE, and it always works 100% for my uses. I'd have never even known about it but it came bundled with a La Cie external HD I bought back in the day, before I knew about 'rolling your own' backup devices. I just used it to clone my boot HD on my DC G5 to the new external FirmTek SeriTek 2e-EN4 RAID 0 array also, so it works great doing that also.
I am sorry but I don't have any respect for Retrospect, even though others swear by it, or swear at it! Its user interface is just unbelievably complex and convoluted, and I have no idea what I'm going to do next when I start setting up preferences. Call me stupid I guess, because I'm perfectly happy with something much more basic that works perfect every time.
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Re: Retrospect Backup - JoeM - 12-31-2006
I use it to back up all my mac FW drives and my OS9 system in work and it has been ok. Just recently checked the backup of my work projects, a few thousand files and well over 100 GB of data being written to over a years time and came up with 2 files that had problems - not perfect but not too bad. I have it automated to back up my projects every night and back up my system HD every Sunday nite.
Just started using it for my home mac with OSX and FW drives and I do get a few cryptic errors, which are scary as I have no idea what these files do in OSX. Verifying the backups seem ok but I wrote a bit back about file icons not showing up on some of the backups. Not sure if OSX is as dependable as OS9 version - we'll see.
I think the interface is not the most helpful for new users but I have no problems understanding it and doing what I want. wish I had time to do a complete restore just to see if it all checks out.
I have to say that the backup I use on my PC (I don't remember the name) blows it out of the water for ease of use and flexibility.
Re: Retrospect Backup - davemchine - 12-31-2006
I use retrospect backup at work in a mixed OS environment. I use an NT4 box to host the retrospect server software and then have the clients installed on both mac's and windows computers. As far as I know retrospect is the only software that is commercially available and supports multiple OS's.
Setting up retrospect properly does require an understanding of backup sets but their support people are happy to help you do this and explain everything. The interface is pretty simple considering the list of features available. I have used it to restore files and it works simply and efficiently.
The only downside that I have experienced is that the mac client and server software lags behind the windows version. For instance, you cannot use the mac server software to backup "server" versions of windows.
Dave
Re: Retrospect Backup - Silencio - 12-31-2006
BRU Server is the other major backup system that can run on a Mac server and back up Windows clients. A number of other enterprise-level backup systems offer Mac clients, at least.
OWC Larry, you might want to take a look at offering BRU LE for personal backup. Unfortunately, I haven't tried it in a while and can't directly vouch for any UI improvements they've made, but they are a very solid alternative to Retrospect.
http://www.tolisgroup.com/products/macosx/le/index.html
Speaking of Retrospect, EMC Insignia is long overdue to provide a Retrospect for Macintosh upgrade. I read here and there that one was in the works. My mom works for EMC, so I asked her to do some sleuthing for me. :p
Re: Retrospect Backup - OWC Larry - 12-31-2006
Definitely at a cross roads at the moment - so this feedback very appreciated.