BlackArmor NAS Network Storage Server

[huntsk]

I really appreciate the help, arth1....however, what you are saying does not make much sense to me. If it were truly an issue with Samba lacking the necessary "modify" permission, then I should not be able to go into Windows Scheduler, right click a scheduled backup, and select RUN and have it work perfectly....albeit taking twice as long to backup (and with no "verify" selected) than backing up a folder under the C drive on the domain controller.

Plus, Cybermax reports he is not having any issues overwriting....granted, I do not believe he is backing up anything on a DC....just individual workstations....

The fact that the NAS uses Linux and Samba was my first hunch that this is a "rights" issue between the NAS and Windows 2003. I now think that it may very well be a problem....somehow....with "Task Scheduler" and not NTbackup.

When you go to Scheduled Tasks and click a task and RUN NOW, you are using the currently logged in user to do so...and in my case...this is the built in Domain Controller Administrator.....and there is no problem during the initial creation of the backup file nor the subsequent overwrite of that same backup file.

As you know, when you set up a scheduled NTbackup, it asks for the "run as" user name and password twice during the creation of this task...and I always give it the same Domain Controller Administrator credentials. And it is this scheduled task scenario where the "overwrite" fails.

But....as you have suggested, I need to try some other backup software....something that does not depend on the Windows "task scheduler" to schedule backups...and certainly there are some programs out there to use on a trial basis to see if it will work.

So, as a last resort before throwing myself off of the nearest top floor of a one story building, I will give that a shot and report back.

Actually, if that doesn't work, my last hurrah will be to trash the NAS and simply install a SATA card in the server, attach a regular old SATA drive so that it simply sits on top of the server (backups are meant to be portable somehow...right?), and leave it at that with a lesson learned.

[CyberMaxX · Accepted solution]

huntsk -

Actually I do a full backup daily from a Windows 2003 DC using the OS's own Backup Software found under the Accessories, System Tools Folder  and the Windows Scheduler (I had thought I mentioned that somewhere in the thread, maybe not)

Backup names are Win2003srv-Monday.bkf thru Win2003srv-Friday.bkf (No backups on Saturday or Sunday)  which are then each overwritten on the following subsequent weekday. I created a Schedule for Each Day Monday thru Friday as well.  The Schedule was setup to use the Domain Admin Account as well.

One thing - I backup to a Folder on the NAS that I created specifically for the Server/DC to place the backups in, but I have it set to Public.  It's on a small internal network with no exposure at a Clients office so security for me isn't a concern.

Never had an issue with doing it this way - in fact honestly I had less of a headache dealing with my Server/DC then the workstations that are running the included Blackarmor Backup (Licensed from Acronis) Software.

Cheers

[huntsk]

Cybermaxx, your set up is virtually identical to mine with this exception:

My folders for backups....labeled "Monday", "Tuesday", etc.....were created as sub folders under the defaul "Public" folder on the NAS.

So, I have done what you have done and created a new test share on the NAS and made it Public..... No subfolders under this new share.

I am now watching an overwrite remotely which appears to be working...so unless the ntbackup reaches the end and quits with the same error, I am hoping that this, in fact, is the solution.

I will report back.....

[arth1]

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huntsk wrote:

I really appreciate the help, arth1....however, what you are saying does not make much sense to me. If it were truly an issue with Samba lacking the necessary "modify" permission, then I should not be able to go into Windows Scheduler, right click a scheduled backup, and select RUN and have it work perfectly....albeit taking twice as long to backup (and with no "verify" selected) than backing up a folder under the C drive on the domain controller.

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Actually, that's the expected result if it's the modify rights that are checked for.  When you make a new backup, it doesn't need to modify -- it creates new files, which doesn't require modify permissions.  So the first backup will work well.

However, when you try to make an incremental backup in the same folder, the backup software wants to modify already existing indices, checks for the modify permission, and fails because this isn't a Windows drive that has a separate modify permission.

Note that not all versions of MS NTbackup have an issue with Samba shares.  Early Vista and 2003 appear to have this issue.  Updated Windows Server 2008 and Windows 7 do not, as far as I can tell.

(The speed here is a red herring -- the NAS has an ARM CPU similar to what you'll find in cell phones, only 256 MB total RAM and runs software RAID, so, yes, it's going to be far slower than your domain controller.)

[CyberMaxX]

arth1 -

Thanks, explains why I never got my incremental backups to work consistently - I just do Full backups each day Monday thru Friday . Works for me

Cheers

[huntsk]

While I do not do incremental backups either, it is good to have that information, arth1...

Cybermaxx, I believe you have led me to the resolution of this as I have finally had a successful overwrite!

While I created folders under the default PUBLIC to hold my backups (Monday, Tuesday, Etc), it may very well be that Windows does not recognize any "rights" that should have filtered down from the PUBLIC folder....perhaps because of the linux operating system.

So I created a folder share and made it a "Public" folder with full NTF rights. I directed NTbackup to place the backup file directly under this new folder....no subfolders....and it worked (knock on a big piece of wood).

Tonight I will do a manual backup of one that is scheduled for tomorrow in the wee hours, and see if it overwrites it again, but I think it will.....and this would therefore be the solution at least as far as Domain Contoller backups and the Seagate NAS go.

[huntsk]

Thank you Cybermaxx and Arth1 for hanging in there with me. It appears that creating public folders with full NFS rights is the solution .....NO subfolders though!

I think I am now good to go and can actually devote some time to more important issues. Hopefully, other poor souls out there will benefit....

[CyberMaxX]

Good to hear everything is now working for you and I'm sure this thread will probably help others as well

Cheers