I have a problem to backup one ReadyNas Duo to another one using Rsync. When I launch the backup, I got the task running without ending but no file is copied. The rsync works in on way but not the other.
The NAS are connected through LAN. The setup is a follow NAS1 == Switch 10/100 (Netgear) == NAS2
I have tried two backups from NAS1 frontview. The rsync backup works fine from NAS 2 (distant) to NAS 1 (local) using rsync. However on the other way from NAS 1 (local) to NAS 2 (distant), the backup starts but no files are copied. no errors are recorded in the logs. Obvisouly I would like to make the sync works from local to distant.
Have you ensured that you've set appropriate permissions for Rsync on the remote NAS to allow writing to the shares on the remote NAS you wish to write to? I assume you're running the backup job always on the local NAS?
Am doing the same thing right now. Got a shared folder that I am pushing onto another Netgear Duo on the same subnet. "From" and "to" are both X-Raid and "to" was just Factory Reset and clean except for configuration settings of course.
I enabled RSync on the "to" unit but did not like the configuration default access selection I had to do to enable the check boxes and text boxes but I guess it is OK. It does, later down, ask for sending host and requires userid/password.
It claims to be running now. Will know in a few hours, I guess. I see "In Progress" flashing on the sending Duo's Backup screen and I see the activity lights flashing on both from and to units. The "from" unit seems more busy than the "to" unit but... who knows...
Did make sure that the Rsync userid and password match between sender and receiver and it started up first time. This is my first time to use RSync so I hope IT knows what it is doing because I surely don't!! Certainly NOT an expert here but will be glad to share what I did if it all seems OK after a while of running. Will be setting up a second one after the Factor Reset runs its course.
The only thing I thought of was to set one pair for 12 hours and the other pair for a different 12 hours after the initial Full Backup is done so they will not put the switch into a nervous breakdown. I am really glad the Duo is GB and so is the switch. Hoping for good speed on the Full Backup overnight.
Have you ensured that you've set appropriate permissions for Rsync on the remote NAS to allow writing to the shares on the remote NAS you wish to write to? I assume you're running the backup job always on the local NAS?
thanks for your answer. I set the the permissions read/write for all users and groups. I have not defined any login/password for the rsync share. When defining the backup, the connexion test works fine.
I am using in the rsync parameters of the backuo tasks, the same user/password combination in the 2 setup. I have read in the user guide that anyway the user/password are useless if there is no rsync user/password setup.
I run the backups on the local NAS since I want to keep control and logs on the local device
RSync is running. and Running... AND RUNNING!!!!!!!!! It has been running for 54 hours and managed to move only 320 GB. That a pretty anemic transfer rate. 5.9 GB/hr, 98 MB/minute or 1.6 MB/sec or around 16 Mb/sec on a 1Gb/sec switch. VERY underutilized!!!
This is on a 1 Gb spigot on the Duo connected to a 1Gb switch. They do OVER 100 Mb/sec to/from an XP machine that uses that same switch and ports and is yet another switch distant so this is really terrible.
Something is way wrong with RSync running this slow. At this rate, it will take an additional 5 days to get the 1 TB copied for a total of over a week for this one full backup.
Is anyone else seeing these slow times? These were blast loaded and no changes so there is certainly no risk of fragmentation jerking the heads around.
The other odd thing is that the sending unit flashes the top LED about 6 times and the receiving Duo flashes once. Seems like they should be about the same. I am doing two simultaneous RSync's between 2 pairs of Duos and all 4 have jumbo frames enabled.
Rsync is great for incremental backups and not so great for full backups.
Rsync uses lots of CPU as it performs a number of calculations. The Duo has a fairly slow CPU.
I would use recommend using NFS for full backups and using Rsync for incrementals.
Do note that just because a device has a gigabit port, it doesn't mean that it will saturate a gigabit connection. Take a look at ReadyNAS Performance Expectations.
I appreciate that the CPU is slower than one would want but 15 to 16 Mb/sec is way below what it will do straight up (about 130 Mb/sec) so it is running about 10% of what it can do just transferring files in/out via Windows. You are correct, RSync is not a good choice for full backup!
I am not sure what NFS is but will check. I don't think this is available on Windows XP but I may be wrong. I do see that it may be available Duo to Duo. Sad that someone did not mention using this instead of RSync if it is better. Live and learn...
The backup is now 4 days in and i don't want to crash it out completely. It might finish some time in the next week. Thank goodness they are only 1/2 full right now.
Question 1: If I stop the RSync Full Backup, what will happen to the current file in progress? If it comes up incomplete and the next pass will fix it, then all is well but some implementations are not so intelligent and an incomplete file will never be fixed. And I don't see anywhere to know what exact file it is doing at any particular time.
Question 2: However if NFS will use the available bandwidth and will be 10 times faster then should I restart the backup by doing it this way. I think I might get there sooner even if I have to restart from scratch.
Question 3: When enabling NFS on the Duo, how many threads?
As an aside, I did not create a user in the Security tab. I did create a username/password on the RSync panel. I now cannot create that same username in the Security tab and cannot connect to that username, either. So stopping and fixing would be good so I can get access and see what is going on inside.
Thanks for continuing this thread. We might come out with something useful on how to use RSync and, maybe, NFS.
I can now answer my own questions. The 1TB backup took over 7 days. Do it with something else, such as Windows and then let the unit take care of its own incrementals. NFS may help. I never tried it since I was afraid to interrupt the backup. Thank goodness, it stayed cool enough here to let me continue backing up all my data for an entire week+.
Q1: If you stop the backup, it will delete the currently in progress file. The file is named without filename, then dot, then some unique characters. It is renamed upon successful file transfer. They did that one right.
Q2: I stopped the backup, found the answer to Q1 and finished it by driving it from Windows and getting 10 times the speed. RSync is doing the daily incremental.
Q3: Only use 1 NFS thread to eliminate head thrashing. There is no need to do more than 1 and it will run faster with only 1. Not sure about fragmentation but running 2 would increase it, if it happens.
Be sure to setup your login user names before setting up the RSync name/userid pair or you cannot create the username until the backup is finished and you remove the RSync username, create your login username, then put back the RSync username. That's a bug as I see it but as long as it is done in order, no problem. I just wanted access to I could see what was going on during the week long wait. But the Volumes tab showed me that all was probably OK.
This was actually rather painless except for the long wait...
