Info Active Backup for Business 2.5.0 beta with macOS support

[Bill Wilder]

I had previously noted that restores were extremely slow. I've redone these tests and no longer see them same issue so suspect there must have been something else at play during the attempt I ran where the speed was very slow. Sorry about that. I believe, for some use cases, that ABB is much better than Time Machine to a Synology server.

I hate to contradict myself once, let alone twice, but I've now done a complete restore of a Data volume for a lightly used MacBook. It took 50 hours to complete (about 200GB) (using Gigabit wired ethernet connections and a lightly loaded DS1618). After 50 hours the log indicated: "The restore task for <machine> was partially completed" - I did not see any further log details as to what files may have been omitted. I suspect the restore process is not coping well with the rebuild of many small files. Restore speed of typical user documents seems quite a bit faster. I hope others will have a chance to test and report on restore speeds.

 

[Telos]

After 50 hours the log indicated: "The restore task for <machine> was partially completed

On. 1 TB PC with ~730 GB of content, I did a full restore in apx 4 hours with Macrium Reflect free. And this is an old CPU limited machine. 50 hrs is absurd.

This is why I recommend eveyuser run a full restore at the outset and not just a VM restore.

 

[Bill Wilder]

Does Macrium Reflect backup Macs? To a Synology NAS?

 

[Telos]

For Mac

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Veeam Agent for Mac: Purpose-built backup for macOS

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[Rusty]

The restore task for <machine> was partially completed" - I did not see any further log details as to what files may have been omitted

Be sure to report this via the app, as this is a beta version. So all test cases will help out.

Regarding alternate solutions in this topic, if we can keep them to a minimum, so as to not derail too much from the original topic theme? If needed, feel free to open a new thread.

 

[fredbert]

Officially released, ABB v2.5.0.

Version: 2.5.0-12631​

---

(2022-12-22)
What's new

1. Added support for the following macOS versions:
   • macOS Catalina 10.15.7
   • macOS Big Sur 11
   • macOS Monterey 12
   • macOS Ventura 13
2. Added support for Windows Server 2022 Hyper-V.
3. Added support for automatically discovering new virtual machines and including them in backup tasks.
4. Added support for Linux kernel 5.15 and the following distribution:
   • Ubuntu: 22.04

Fixed Issues (General Issues)

1. Fixed an issue where users could not power on the instantly restored virtual machine after a DSM restart.

Fixed Issues (Virtual Machines)

1. Fixed an issue where the connection information of virtual machines might not be updated after the ESXi certificate was changed.
2. Fixed an issue where the virtual machine restoration might fail if the restoration disk path included single quotation marks.
3. Fixed an issue where the restoration of virtual machines containing large amount of data might fail.

Fixed Issues (Servers and Workstations)

1. Fixed an issue where the agent might crash if the customized volume setting is configured more than once.
2. Fixed an issue where Linux backup tasks might keep restarting if the device contained a corrupted xfs file system.
3. Fixed an issue where the system might recognize a Linux device as a new device when it had no Internet connection and used MAC address as its UUID.

Fixed Issues (File Servers)

1. Fixed an issue where the system might incorrectly create an empty backup version of file server tasks.

Limitations

1. Mac devices that are boot from external devices are not supported.

Notes:

• This version is released in a staged rollout.

Release Notes for Active Backup for Business | Synology Inc.

Release Notes for Active Backup for Business | Synology Inc.

www.synology.com

 

[Rusty]

Just noticed this, but also no bare metal recovery as well

 

[tekguru]

Did it have bare metal recovery originally?

 

[fredbert]

Did it have bare metal recovery originally?

For Mac? No, support for Mac is new in v2.5.0 but how to do a full recovery? Personally I will be sticking with CCC to clone my Macs, but ABB is a candidate to replace Time Machine for incremental file recovery: on my 2014 MacBook Air the ABB task takes a few minutes so could reasonably be scheduled to be frequent; one my 2012 Mac Mini it takes anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes so hourly is out of the question (could be a clash with the MM still doing TM and the MBA not). A new Xmas MM M1 will be tested and I hope will be somewhat quicker.

 

[Rusty]

No, support for Mac is new in v2.5.0 but how to do a full recovery?

Migration assistant will be used (as they said) for full bare metal recovery. Guessing this will come in a later version.

While waiting for my Mac Studio, my iMac as it did in beta, completed the initial 110GB backup in 15min flat. Way faster than TM.

 

[tekguru]

Hmmm I might look at it as I find TM eats CPU on the NAS while backing up, if this works and works with a low CPU usage .......

 

[Rusty]

Hmmm I might look at it as I find TM eats CPU on the NAS while backing up, if this works and works with a low CPU usage .......

Synology Active Backup for Business 2.5 - support for macOS is here

After years of waiting, #Synology Active Backup for Business 2.5 finally supports #Apple #macOS

www.blackvoid.club

This is for the initial backup only, increments had no CPU impact at all

 

[tekguru]

Cheers, off for a read after Christmas! Ouch! One quick read later and yeah I think I'll forget it, it'll kill my forum....

 

[kharder]

Install, config, all good, backup failed:

Error,"Error code -1: Failed to run asr (Apple Software Restore) on Macintosh HD - Data, Macintosh HD.",2022-11-25 00:14:52
Error,"Failed to read and upload the volume content of Macintosh HD - Data, Macintosh HD.",2022-11-25 00:14:52

Passed it on and reported it. Waiting on Syno support

I have the same error on MacBook Pro but not on my Mac Studio.

 

[Rusty]

I have the same error on MacBook Pro but not on my Mac Studio.

Well, I just tested on Studio today with no issue, but also my mbp started working when I enabled the full disk access for the ABB agent. Have you done that in System preferences > privacy and security?

Also, is this Apple SOC mbp or Intel? Have you enabled the extension in Privacy and security > security element? Have you done the extension boot procedure?

 

[kharder]

Well, I just tested on Studio today with no issue, but also my mbp started working when I enabled the full disk access for the ABB agent. Have you done that in System preferences > privacy and security?

Also, is this Apple SOC mbp or Intel? Have you enabled the extension in Privacy and security > security element? Have you done the extension boot procedure?

It is a 2016 MBP and I have enabled the full disk access. The only thing is I am running Ventura using opencore patcher. But it should not make a difference on the disk volume. Also that means it is Intel not Apple silicon.

 

[tekguru]

Working great for me on my Intel Mac Mini. I had to block out some time periods when it won't run, so that is runs about every 3 hours.
This was done as when it runs and after it completes a backup it slows down the forum I host on the NAS. It also raises the CPU on the Mac from its usual 8% load to around 60% which turns the fans on and becomes somewhat noisy!

 

[Rusty]

It is a 2016 MBP and I have enabled the full disk access. The only thing is I am running Ventura using opencore patcher. But it should not make a difference on the disk volume. Also that means it is Intel not Apple silicon.

On my mbp (Intel) the only issue that was resulting in that error was the full disk option. Have you tried to uninstall the client? There is a specific process to do it, so be sure to check the link.

https://global.download.synology.com/download/www-res/products/2022/Active_Backup_for_Business_Preview_Program/Active_Backup_for_Business_2.5.0-macOS_Agent(1).pdf

 

[tekguru]

I'm now in the process on uninstalling it after it went rogue and took my forum completely offline. Not impressed in the end!

 

[fredbert]

I‘ve been setting up my new Mac Mini M1. I was planning to be efficient and build from new only to realise the absolute magnitude of work this would mean if I was to decommission the old Mac Mini. That has had so much evolution in setup and tinkering, not to mention re-entering all the accounts. I opted to do a Mac Migration Assistant.

I found it was less alert-y in ABB client if I just uninstalled it and reinstalled, so ABB really saw it as a new device. I have extensions and whatnot so have already done the reboot and security tweaks. I was finding that some ABB backup events failed even after reinstalling.

The asr error was common even though I’m only running backup tasks. I did find the help that the logged event pointed to was of no use, being solely for Windows and Linux (as is the Mac ABB client’s Help). The times that the backup task failed were not time scheduled events but activity scheduled: when the Mac went to Lock Screen, I think. Not all activity initiated backups caused a failure, but it was only activity related events doing this.

The Mac Mini M1 is around half the time to run a backup event vs the old Mac Mini 2012. Both have 16MB RAM and 1TB SSD.