backup over network shares (samba)

Use this forum to post questions and information specific to using AISBackup on Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10.
Post Reply
rodscholl
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 2:58 pm
Location: MN, USA

backup over network shares (samba)

Post by rodscholl »

I'm still having trouble backing up to the networked drives... behavior isn't consistent. If I reset the backup, it will work for a while -- but starts failing again later. I'd like to resolve this once and for all, or abandon AISBbackup -- I've been monkeying with it for months now...

*I note that i'm in Vista x64 (boo)
*UAC is disabled
*VSS Enabled shows on the bottom of AISBackup -- though i'm not VSS or search indexing or who--knows-what could easily be disabled via service.msc
*There is only one account (so its administrator).
*In the title bar for AISBackup is says (running as administrator).
*I'm running version 3.2.0.428
*Backup job is titled: wdtoharrierusb
*My source drives come up readily if I highlight the job and select Manage Backup > Modify File and Folders list
*The destination drive is a samba share mapped as Q: on machine \\harrier The total path is \\harrier\iosafe where a few folders are the target of different AISBackup jobs.

Here's a log file of me trying to run the backup. Depending on when I last remapped the drive, reset the backup, rebooted, etc -- the jobs get to different places sometimes failing to even find the backup destination drive (even though it is available through explorer.exe). But let's start with the current state as shown in log file below. The warning message (with abort/retry) says the network location is no longer available... this happens each time.

I look forward to any suggestion on how to go forward. Thanks so much!

Rod Scholl

AISBackup started: Tuesday, August 13, 2013 2:18:11 PM
Backup integrity check started on: Tuesday, August 13, 2013 at 2:18:45 PM. Version: 3.2 (428)
Platform: Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Edition, 64-bit Service Pack 2 (Build 6002)
Path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Aquarius IS Consultancy\AISBackup\AISBACKUP.exe
User Account: scholl
Running as Administrator
Repairs will be made and saved (R)
Integrity check set to prune excess files in backup (P)
Integrity check testing backup data (D)
Rationalising Volumes
Files checked: 0
Files okay: 0
Files repaired: 0
Files that cannot be repaired: 0
Invalid database entries removed: 0
Files pruned from backup: 0
Files missing and removed from backup contents: 0
Backup integrity check finished: Tuesday, August 13, 2013 2:18:45 PM
Backup Session: 1 Started on Tuesday, August 13, 2013 at 2:20:23 PM Version: 3.2 (428)
Platform: Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Edition, 64-bit Service Pack 2 (Build 6002)
Path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Aquarius IS Consultancy\AISBackup\AISBACKUP.exe
User Account: scholl
Running as Administrator
Location:
Exception: EIdSocketError: Socket Error # 10106 -
Component: fAquariusBackup
Location:
Exception: EIdSocketError: Socket Error # 10106 -
Component: fAquariusBackup
Re-instating backup
Opening: C:\ProgramData\Aquarius IS Consultancy\AISBackup\Database\AdamtoIosafePictures.bdb
Calculating backup
Files Selected For Backup: 437 (939.59 MB)
Already Backed up: 0
Excluded From Backup: No files or folders have been excluded.
Backup destination: \\harrier\iosafe\Video_Backup\My Pictures\Adam_backup\BACKUP.zip, Volume ID: [IOSAFE]
Test Method: File Integrity Method.
Backing up: 437 Files of 939.00 Megabytes
Excluding: 0 Files (See Modify Files and Folders/Exclusions)
Already on Backup: 0 Files
Compression Level: None
Using Media: [PASSPORT] on server \\harrier
77 Files were backed up and tested successfully
The backup was aborted - A full restore using this session may not be safe
Backing up Backup Contents File Database Files
Time Calculating Backup: 13 Seconds
Backup Aborted: Tuesday, August 13, 2013 2:35:30 PM
Barry
Site Admin
Posts: 1529
Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2002 3:16 pm

Samba network backup problem

Post by Barry »

What Linux is the Samba drive running on?

Is the OS hosting the Samba drive fully up to date?

Is it possible that Linux is falling asleep during the backup? I know there was a problem with Windows sleeping during a backup and this has been fixed in the current version.

VSS enables open exclusive file backup. We used to support something called AISFAM and the message was used to show which open file system was being used. The problem you are having is nothing to do with VSS (Volume Copy Shadow Service).

Is there a message in the Windows error logs about the EIdSocketError: Socket Error # 10106? Socket errors are in the networking components of Windows, but the description does not help me:

WSAEPROVIDERFAILEDINIT 10106
Service provider failed to initialize.
The requested service provider could not be loaded or initialized. This error is returned if either a service provider's DLL could not be loaded (LoadLibrary failed) or the provider's WSPStartup or NSPStartup function failed.

Barry
rodscholl
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 2:58 pm
Location: MN, USA

Post by rodscholl »

Hmm, those aren't encouraging questions :( I was hoping you would say something like, "Oh, I know that one, just click on this box...".

It predominately gets stuck on "Attempting to wake: \\harrier:".

I don't think its a sleep thing -- I can bring up a file on \\harrier, write to the directory and all sorts of stuff, while AISBackup is trying to "wake it".

The samba drive is on a Centos 4.8 -- and is a valid version of samba, but admittedly older. Updating it would be a real swamp, though. Everything else seems to work fine accessing it, including other windows programs that write directly to the directory, so Idunno.

I did have something hosed in my registry for windows explorer opening new windows when I double-clicked a folder. If you google it, apparently this gets a lot of people, and there are several fixes... My fix was to delete bad keys in HKEY_Local_Machine\software\wow6432Node\Classes\Folder\Shell I wonder if there is some registry command that AISBackup uses to open a folder, and that is messed on my machine? Just spit-ballin'.
rodscholl
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 2:58 pm
Location: MN, USA

Post by rodscholl »

okay -- I'm making progress... it seems when I mess around in the registry area with shell commands, it definitely changes AISBackup behavior.

Maybe you can tell me exactly what registry key it is using and what it should read?

Meanwhile I'll continue my testing. I think I got it on the run.

Rod
Barry
Site Admin
Posts: 1529
Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2002 3:16 pm

Accessing network drives

Post by Barry »

AISBackup does not do anything fancy when accessing network drives. It uses the standard Windows API WNetUseConnection or WNetUseConnection3 to map a drive that has not been already mapped.

The wake PC option was added in the latest version of AISBackup; so if previous versions of AISBackup worked (over 80% of the time) you may disable Wake On LAN for \\harrier by using Tools / Wake on LAN, select the domain and de-select Enable wake on LAN for this domain

I am not sure when UAC is disabled the distinction between running as an administrator or not is valid, you could try sharing the connections by making a DWORD registry value called EnableLinkedConnections with the value 1 under the registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

A reboot is required.

If this does not work then simply remove the EnableLinkedConnections value.

Barry
rodscholl
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 2:58 pm
Location: MN, USA

Post by rodscholl »

Thanks Barry.

EnabledLinkedConnections was already set -- presumably on your advice earlier. Even through the night and this morning the behavior is not consistent which is odd... only for a short while did I get the popup with the blue dotted circle AISbackup shows while processing. It no longer pops up...

I also now get that winsocket error referenced above.

You've given me more clues so I'll keep trying some stuff...
rodscholl
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 2:58 pm
Location: MN, USA

Post by rodscholl »

FYI, I'm getting the same behavior when backing up to another linux box (Centos 5.9). It is, however, the same samba version of 3.033-3.39.e15_8

...BUT -- I don't get any problems when backing up to a networked WinXP machine.

Hmmm... SAMBA!!!! (shakes fist at sky)

I'll see what a samba upgrade would involve... its just strange how AISBacklup used to be working flawlessly with that same machine/OS/samba version.
Barry
Site Admin
Posts: 1529
Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2002 3:16 pm

SAMBA

Post by Barry »

That's why I asked if the problem started with the latest release.

The Wake on LAN feature may be disabled.

I will look at setting up Centos / Samba here; I have a Virtual PC with Centos 2.6.18 on it, so I'll look for version 4.8.

Barry
rodscholl
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 2:58 pm
Location: MN, USA

Post by rodscholl »

I hate to have you go through that trouble, Barry -- and I don't think it is samba drive related, honestly. I think it is some sort of network protocol/explorer.exe issue.

After a LOT of messing around this last week, I thoroughly broke my network settings! I finally got it all running again a couple days ago. I pretty much broke everything incuding explorer.exe, my registry, TCP etc. all in trying to get AISBackup to recognize drives.

After fixing a lot of what I broke, the only remaining issue was I could write easily, but reading was difficult to the samba drives as indicated by LAN Speedtest.exe, and accordingly AISBackup would choke during verifciation. After much trial and error to pinpoint the problem, This I resolved by (wait for it) taking network swich A and putting it in the spot for Network switch B -- and putting B in the spot for Switch A. Voila... speed tests were fine, and Aisbackup was working like it used to -- flawlessly! And I proceeded to start rebacking up everything... worked like a dream... for about 1.5 days...

And now Aisbackup has returned to old behavior --

One clue is this -- now, when I try to run a AISBBackup network job and it tells me: Please attach the external drive \\harrier\iosafe I note that it doesn't have that blue dotted circle thinking icon like when it was functioning normally. Similarly if I try to remap the destination drive, specify a network location, and thus bringing up the window titled: AISBackup: Map Network Drive -- and when I click "search" next to the computers window in lower left, it also does not seem to search, or show the blue dotted wait thing like it did while functioning. No computers are found (in explorer everything seems to be working normally).

So its like AISBackup doesn't even try to find the connection.

Is that missing blue-dotted circle timer a clue?

Thanks for the hlpe Barry,

Rod
Barry
Site Admin
Posts: 1529
Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2002 3:16 pm

harrier ip?

Post by Barry »

Has harrier got a static IP address?

Maybe \\nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn\iosafe will work, just in case it is a dns problem.

AISBackup uses the standard API WNetOpenEnum and WNetEnumResource to search for computers and I noticed that this does not always work - I'll look at this problem again.

I always assign static IP addresses to NAS and servers, just make sure that they are outside of the scope of DHCP (but in the same subnet).

On my router DHCP starts at 192.168.1.60 with a pool of 50 addresses, so I make sure my servers and NAS use addresses between 192.168.1.2 and 192.168.1.49

Barry
rodscholl
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 2:58 pm
Location: MN, USA

Post by rodscholl »

That's interesting, Barry. I think the servers (including harrier) are static right now (I've gone back and forth). But I do have them within the range -- I never thought to do otherwise, but if it will accept it outside the range, that could help.

BUuut, everything is working again. I noticed I could get changed AISBackup behavior by stopping and restarting networking services in services.msc. I turned a bunch of services (that I THOUGHT were unrelated) from manual to automatic. Vista is such a dog! The host machine is a laptop and I'm afraid to change OS's because of driver issues. Might just throw the whole damn thing in a lake though. My previous laptop was Windows Millenium. I guess I'm out of sync with Microsoft's quality team :(

I have some good restore points and registry backups with it fully functioning, so maybe if it breaks again, I will get more clues as to why. So please don't waste time on it... sounds like it must just be something with me, and might not contribute to AISBackup's robustness overall.

Thanks again, Barry...
Post Reply