Time machine backups last only a few months than need to be started again

[Gran_Maestro]

Hi everybody, in short: I have been making regular backups using Time Machine for the last 6-7 years

I started initially using a Time Capsule and those files are still perfectly ok after quite a few years
With ReadyNAS they become un-writeable after 2-3 months. I get an error message stating the backup is beyond repair and being locked into read-only mode hence, the whole process has to start again and again and again
About 4 times now in one and half year or so and this way you loose your back up history.
It's most annoying and I wonder if there is something wrong that can be fixed.

It appears to me be OSX related as it happens also with several other NAS makes.

Any idea as to how to reduce this issue?

I found some instructions online in order to repair a un-useable sparse.bundle here: http://www.garth.org/archives/2011,08,27,169,fix-time-machine-sparsebundle-nas-based-backup-errors.h... and would like to try give it a shot.

Time Machine however has automatically started a new file and there is not much I can do so far to retrieve the old data unless I can restore an old snapshot of the TimeMachine backup. If any was available.

I wonder if ReadyNAS makes snapshots also of the Time Machine sparse.bundle and if/how they could be retrieved for further investigation.

[mdgm-ntgr]

Which ReadyNAS model are you using and which firmware version?

Which version of Mac OS X?

Are you backing up to the NAS via ethernet or wireless?

No we don't take snapshots of TM backups. Snapshots aren't designed for that.

[Gran_Maestro]

My ReadyNAS is a model 102 running the latest firmware update, 6.2.5 that is.

2 x 3TB hard disks filling the disk bays.

Connection is via a 3rd gen TimeCapsule and WiFi network access in other words TC is both Gateway to the Internet as well as router of my Local Network.

ReadyNAS connected to TC with a short Ethernet Cable

TimeMachine is active over the air

Macintosh is running OSX 10.10 Yosemite

My apologies for late response, I just got notified of your request a few minutes ago.

Thanking in advance for the given attention

/P

[Gran_Maestro]

Dear Matthew, would it be asking to much for some follow-up on this issue by you or anybody in charge?

After all, I passed you the requested info two weeks ago, replying should be just a matter of being polite.

I wonder if this bug has been acknowledged by Netgear s/w developers or are you guys just left on your own? If yes, is there at least any kind of bug-squeezing activities carried on in the meanwhile? Just wondering.

It appears to me like this is a real issue affecting more than one customer, I don't think ignoring it is doing any good to Netgear's reputation..

I am not asking for much, at least give us users some kind of hope the problem is being looked into..

Thank you

P

[AlexPe]

Dear Gran_Maestro,

First, I want to thank you for your patience and your diligence in providing us with the data regarding this issue.

Matthew has been helping us out on some other issues.

Can you forward the logs to me?Send Logs to me

Put in the Subject: ATTN: Alex Timemachine backups issue

Thanks

Alex

[Gran_Maestro]

Dear Alex, thank you for the attention.

I have downloaded the requested Log file and sent it to the address given.

Hope it helps towards finding a solution.

Regards

Pieter

[AlexPe]

Hi Pieter,

I have received the logs and I am analyzing them now, please give me a few hours to see if there is something specific I can grab from them.

Thank you for sending this across.

Alex

[Gran_Maestro]

Hi everybody, unfortunately time has come for an update (from my side at least).

This morning I got the dreaded message again, this time after about 6 weeks from last update.

I could set my watch on it, the intervals appear regular. Nothing suspicious shows in the logs though.

This is a real nasty issue as it totally defeats the purpose of a costly investiment into such a backup device.

I might claim a new device from the vendor as warranty should still apply but, is that going to be a solution??

Netgear appears in complete denial as we are left into total darkenss as to what is going on behind the curtains of the delopment.

I must add that this is opposite to my experience with Apple Time Capsule which shows less fancy features but at least it just works.

Boy, this is really pissing me off.. 

/P

[AlexPe]

Hi Pieter,

I think you could be reaching the end of usable space on the system. The device does not allow you to fill the volume 100% with sparsebundles from timemachine, maybe this is the reason you are getting the error. while it appears you have available usable space for Time Machine, you in fact are hitting a hard limit,

=== filesystem /data ===
Data, single: total=1.09TiB, used=1.04TiB

Its worth a look. Also can you screenshoot your Time Machine setup screen?

Thanks,

Alexpe

[okulo]

As somebody who has had this problem constantly with ReadyNASs for about three years, the point is that Time Machine deletes the old backups when space is needed and it is my belief that the ReadyNAS does not permit Time Machine to do so.

So, the observation that Time Machine is running out of space is rather specious.

[Gran_Maestro]

Hi Alex, nice try but doesn't apply to me and my setup. 

I had allocated 700 GB of space in the settings and the sparse.bundle had reached just about ~ 300GB. Moreover, I can confirm what Okulo just commented i.e. TimeMachine is designed to never run out of disk space.

Think about it as a stack of a given height: by removing the bottom layer you make space available at the top for new, fresh, storage. 

I have surrended to reality and just started a new backup but I will have to completely re-think my backup strategy.  ReadyNAS just isn't suitable for a (reliable) TimeMachine backup. 

I wouldn't recommend it to anybody at this stage untill a fix is found for OSX users.

it's actually a shame as, as I previously mentioned, I quite like the overall approach of the control software as well as the hardware. 

[Gran_Maestro]

Hello everybody, just a quick update on the TimeMachine backup debacle..

Today I got a few error messages from Time Machine indicating it couldn't perform a backup.

I tried manually and eventually got the dreaded message again (corrupted sparse.image) .. 

It seems llike things are getting worse, this time about 2 weeks between a failure and another.

All this on top of the other OS 6.4 major issue that yesterday forced me to update firmware to 6.4.1 beta as the infamous btrfs-cleaner had kicked in killing de-facto the unit.

Oh boy oh boy what a disaster this is.. 

[notaknight]

Any update?  I have found that this problem happens regularly if Time Machine starts a backup while ReadyNAS is running a backup job to a USB drive.

I'd like to get some answers as I got my system just for TIme Machine backups too.