Topic: [Solved] How do you configure a Workstation Backup?

[LANMonkey]

I've tried everything that I figure you should have to do to make this work, but I get nothing but errors returned that are impossible to decipher.

I've tried using shares that should be available in Windows Home Server.  I've tried making shares available in Windows XP.

Very basically it seems like it should go like this:
 

• Go into Windows XP and make sure that you have File and Printer Sharing enabled.
• Find the file wish to share (we'll call it MyFolder.), right click it and open Properties.
• You should see a tab for "Sharing".  Select this tab and check the radio button "Share this folder".  Click OK to close the window.
• If you go to Network Places, you should be able to see the new folder there.  Using your computer name (we'll call it MyComputer), you should be able access the folder with //MyComputer/MyFolder.  If you open MyFolder in Network Places, that's what it will say in the address window.

 
That should be it for the XP machine.  In SME server, you enter either MyComputer or the IP address of MyComputer and MyFolder in the share folder space and choose a user that can log into the XP machine.
 
Is there anything else to do?  When I do this much, I get the error back,  "No directory for your host in shared folder. Maybe your host name is different from backup ones."  I don't understand this.  There should be a directory for my host in the shared folder?  The host name is different from the backup hosts?
 
Any and all tips or clues would be appreciated.

[David Harper]

What shows up in the logs when you try to run the backup?

[LANMonkey]

Which logs should I look in?

[mercyh]

In the Configure Workstation Backup screen in the Backup workstation settings field put the IP address of the workstation or server where the share is located.

In the Backup share field put in the share name this should be the same name you see in network neighborhood. (on a windows machine this is not necessarily the folder name you see in Explorer.)

Be sure to use a user on the workstation or server that has access to the share location for the Login Name and Password is fields.

It seems like it usually takes me a couple of tries to get the stars aligned and everything working correctly.

You did click allow network users to change my files when you set the share on the Windows machine?

[LANMonkey]

In the Configure Workstation Backup screen in the Backup workstation settings field put the IP address of the workstation or server where the share is located.

In the Backup share field put in the share name this should be the same name you see in network neighborhood. (on a windows machine this is not necessarily the folder name you see in Explorer.)

I think I understand that the share name can be different from the folder name.  Do these instructions contradict the outline I provide above?

Be sure to use a user on the workstation or server that has access to the share location for the Login Name and Password is fields.

How do I make sure that I've done that correctly?

You did click allow network users to change my files when you set the share on the Windows machine?

Where do I find that setting?

[Bud]

LanMonkey

sorry for the noob question, what backup application are you refering to, to use for the backup procedure: backupc ??

[LANMonkey]

What is backupc?

The backup procedure I am referring to is the one found in the remote interface, "http://<your server>/server-manager" under Administration where it says "Backup or Restore".  It is an option in the drop down menu at that page where it says "Select an Action" and the choice I make is "Configure Workstation Backup" and to confirm this type of backup, "Verify Workstation Backup".

[Bud]

Thanks for your reply LanMonkey

Did not see this option. great tool but it seems to be used for sme config backup only.

my question is that i need to backup 5 xp workstations with 4 shares each over a lan to the sme server. what in your opinion is the easiest way to do this without installing a client on each workstation. 

[mercyh]

FROM POST #1

That should be it for the XP machine.  In SME server, you enter either MyComputer or the IP address of MyComputer and MyFolder in the share folder space and choose a user that can log into the XP machine.

FROM POST #4

In the Configure Workstation Backup screen in the Backup workstation settings field put the IP address of the workstation or server where the share is located.

In the Backup share field put in the share name this should be the same name you see in network neighborhood.

Just wanted to make sure you were putting the IP address in WORKSTATION IP OR HOST NAME field and then the share name in the BACKUP SHARE FIELD


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The allow network users to change my files tick box is located on the Share tab in windows.

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When I do this much, I get the error back,  "No directory for your host in shared folder. Maybe your host name is different from backup ones."

When do you get this error? Is it whithin the configuration screen or is it in an e-mail when the job tries to run?

It sounds like for some reason the Backup program is not able to write to the share.

[LANMonkey]

The allow network users to change my files tick box is located on the Share tab in windows.

Where are you seeing this Share tab?  When I look for the Share tab, I right click the folder to be shared, select Properties and I get a new window with a "Sharing" tab.  I see no tick box there labeled "allow network users to change my files".  This is in Windows XP Pro.

All the error messages I am getting are on the configuration screen.  It never occured to me to look in the email for errors.  Whose email would I look in?  Admin?

[hawk]

Hi not sure if this will help i am assuming you are trying to backup a workstation to your sme server.

i have been using a dos comand called robocopy (similar to xcopy) very sucessfully for many years, you can create a batch file with the robocopy command to backup your files to the users mapped drive. then run the bat file in your schedule task, if interested i will send a copy of the bat file, the robocopy needs to be downloaded from microsoft and copied to the windows system32 folder works with XP or vista - very handy when replacing or changing users / computers very easy to restore / import email & data.

once all the workstations have finished backing up i then use dar2 to backup the server to another computer on the network and  / or an external hdd.

john

[LANMonkey]

Hi not sure if this will help i am assuming you are trying to backup a workstation to your sme server.

....

No, sorry.  I am trying to back up the SME server to a workstation (or windows server).  Thanks anyway.

[mercyh]

I cannot reproduce what you are seeing.

I have tried putting in an IP that does not have any shares. The backup configuration screen will accept this with no errors, however if I go into Verify Workstation Backup, it will show that there is no share available.

I have tried deleting all files from the backup share and then reselecting it in the backup configuration screen. This works fine and backups run.

When you create a backup it creates a directory on the share named tmp_dir This is where the backup job is stored until the backup completes. The job is then moved into a folder that is named the domain name of the server.

I still "think" your problem is that the share is mounting from the server but it does not have Write privileges.

Where are you seeing this Share tab?  When I look for the Share tab, I right click the folder to be shared, select Properties and I get a new window with a "Sharing" tab.  I see no tick box there labeled "allow network users to change my files".  This is in Windows XP Pro.

I am also using Windows XP pro. I have Simple File Sharing turned on in this case and that may be why I have this option. I would suggest using Simple File Sharing until you get this ironed out to eliminate this as the problem. Another thing to be aware of is if you have a firewall on the Windows workstation that could be blocking this.

All the error messages I am getting are on the configuration screen.  It never occured to me to look in the email for errors.  Whose email would I look in?  Admin?

When a backup attempts to run, an e-mail is sent to that admin account with either a success report or an error of why the backup didn't run. I was trying to understand how far in the process you were before you got the error.

[LANMonkey]

...

I am also using Windows XP pro. I have Simple File Sharing turned on in this case and that may be why I have this option. I would suggest using Simple File Sharing until you get this ironed out to eliminate this as the problem. ...

....

Where do you turn on Simple File Sharing?

[mercyh]

Where do you turn on Simple File Sharing?

Double Click My Computer go to Tools-folder options (in the "file" menu). Click the view tab and scroll clear to the bottom. Tick the Simple File Sharing (Recommended) tab.

This setting is not as secure as what you are currently using. It allows shares with no login accounts on the windows machine.

SME requires a valid user name and password on the windows machine before it will mount the share.