How to use your NAS with Time Machine

[stevebow]

i get an error. unable to backup..

Does this error appear when TM tries to backup? At what phase of the backup? What error is logged in the System log exactly - check via the Console Application (Applications/Utilities) in the All Messages section. Enforce a TM backup and see what is logged.

Sorry, without anything more specific I can only make guesses.

[riri]

hi

here's my error log. hope this might shed some light on the error.

19.10.08 22:57:52 com.apple.launchd[1] (com.apple.netauth.sysagent[3943]) Exited abnormally: Segmentation fault
19.10.08 22:59:06 com.apple.KernelEventAgent[33] KernelEventAgent: sysctl_queryfs: No such file or directory

thanks a lot

riri

[stevebow]

19.10.08 22:57:52 com.apple.launchd[1] (com.apple.netauth.sysagent[3943]) Exited abnormally: Segmentation fault
19.10.08 22:59:06 com.apple.KernelEventAgent[33] KernelEventAgent: sysctl_queryfs: No such file or directory

Oh, that looks serious, launchd is trying to access memory it shouldn't.

Are there any lines in the log with "/System/Library/CoreServices/backupd" in them? This is actually the Time Machine process and any logged TM related errors should have that line in them.

What is the displayed error exactly in the Time Machine preferences pane?

A Segmentation fault usually points to a bug in software (Apple's launch daemon, in this case), or perhaps something has gone screwy in your OS X installation? Because this error is very unusual.

Also, please double-check you have followed all instructions exactly. The slightest error can prevent backups from working.

Are you connecting to the NAS share via SMB or AFP, out of interest?

[riri]

19.10.08 22:57:52 com.apple.launchd[1] (com.apple.netauth.sysagent[3943]) Exited abnormally: Segmentation fault
19.10.08 22:59:06 com.apple.KernelEventAgent[33] KernelEventAgent: sysctl_queryfs: No such file or directory

Oh, that looks serious, launchd is trying to access memory it shouldn't.

i attached a whole bunch of logs. it looks like this is the entire log from start to error message. (i'll write my email maybe we can get to the bottom of this and then paste the solution here. riri07@gmail.com). thanks again... riri

Are there any lines in the log with "/System/Library/CoreServices/backupd" in them? This is actually the Time Machine process and any logged TM related errors should have that line in them.


20.10.08 22:41:58 /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[328] Backup requested by user
20.10.08 22:41:58 /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[328] Starting standard backup
20.10.08 22:41:58 /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[328] Network mountpoint /Volumes/TimeMachine not owned by backupd... remounting
20.10.08 22:42:00 kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_mount: /Volumes/TimeMachine-1, pid 329
20.10.08 22:42:00 /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[328] Network volume mounted at: /Volumes/TimeMachine-1
20.10.08 22:42:00 /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[328] Backup requested due to disk attach
20.10.08 22:42:00 /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[328] Creating disk image /Volumes/TimeMachine-1/Nati_001ff3522c3c.sparsebundle
20.10.08 22:42:28 kernel hfs: Initializing the journal (joffset 0x1ca1000 sz 0x5000000)...
20.10.08 22:42:45 /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[328] Backup requested due to disk attach
20.10.08 22:42:48 /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[328] Error 45 creating backup disk image
20.10.08 22:42:48 /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[328] Failed to create disk image
20.10.08 22:42:53 /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[328] Backup failed with error: 20
20.10.08 22:42:54 kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_unmount: /Volumes/TimeMachine-1, flags 0, pid 363
20.10.08 22:42:54 /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[328] Ejected Time Machine network volume.
20.10.08 22:44:00 com.apple.launchd[1] (com.apple.netauth.sysagent[329]) Stray process with PGID equal to this dead job: PID 332 PPID 1 check_afp
20.10.08 22:44:28 /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[328] Network mountpoint /Volumes/TimeMachine not owned by backupd... remounting
20.10.08 22:44:29 kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_mount: /Volumes/TimeMachine-1, pid 369
20.10.08 22:44:29 /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[328] Network volume mounted at: /Volumes/TimeMachine-1

What is the displayed error exactly in the Time Machine preferences pane?
the image of the backup could not be created.. (translation from german..)

A Segmentation fault usually points to a bug in software (Apple's launch daemon, in this case), or perhaps something has gone screwy in your OS X installation? Because this error is very unusual.
hm. it was preinstalled from the shop. i know one should never trust what they do in the shops. but i was too lazy to reinstall and so far everything worked swell.

Also, please double-check you have followed all instructions exactly. The slightest error can prevent backups from working.

i followed them to the word or at least i tried to

Are you connecting to the NAS share via SMB or AFP, out of interest?

via SMB

[stevebow]

20.10.08 22:41:58 /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[328] Network mountpoint /Volumes/TimeMachine not owned by backupd... remounting

There's an ownership problem somewhere. A few questions:

1) Is the Mac account you set this up with an Admin account?
2) Do you have an account on your NAS that EXACTLY matches the username and password of the Mac account used to set up the Spasrebundle on the NAS?
3) Please telnet to your NAS and cd to the directory where your TimeMachine share is located (eg. cd /share/MD0_DATA for TS-409, but don't confuse it with the link to TimeMachine at /share/). Do an ls -alF, you should see something like:

Code: Select all

drwxrwxrwx    3 admin    everyone     4096 Aug  7 15:00 TimeMachine/

4) Does the TimeMachine share have both the administrators and everyone groups with Full Access assigned to it? See Network Share Management->Access Control.

20.10.08 22:42:00 kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_mount: /Volumes/TimeMachine-1, pid 329
20.10.08 22:42:00 /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[328] Network volume mounted at: /Volumes/TimeMachine-1

In fact, it looks like a volume called "TimeMachine" has already been mounted (perhaps under a different user?) and it tried to mount it a second time as "TimeMachine-1". This really messes up TM (which of course has been set up to use "TimeMachine" and not "TimeMachine-1"), which is why I recommend Fast User Switching be disabled. If there is already a "TimeMachine" volume mounted that can't be ejected ie. it is locked by something, best cure is to simply reboot the Mac.

20.10.08 22:42:00 /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[328] Creating disk image /Volumes/TimeMachine-1/Nati_001ff3522c3c.sparsebundle

So TM tries to create its own Sparsebundle...

20.10.08 22:42:48 /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[328] Error 45 creating backup disk image
20.10.08 22:42:48 /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[328] Failed to create disk image

Which fails, because this Sparsebundle (should!) already exists and is locked...

20.10.08 22:42:53 /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[328] Backup failed with error: 20

So the backup fails because it cannot write to the Sparsebundle...

20.10.08 22:42:54 kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_unmount: /Volumes/TimeMachine-1, flags 0, pid 363
20.10.08 22:42:54 /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[328] Ejected Time Machine network volume.

TM ejects "TimeMachine-1" (normal when a TM session completes)...

20.10.08 22:44:28 /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[328] Network mountpoint /Volumes/TimeMachine not owned by backupd... remounting
20.10.08 22:44:29 kernel AFP_VFS afpfs_mount: /Volumes/TimeMachine-1, pid 369
20.10.08 22:44:29 /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[328] Network volume mounted at: /Volumes/TimeMachine-1

Looks like the backup process started again a few minutes later.

Are you connecting to the NAS share via SMB or AFP, out of interest?

via SMB

Actually, TM is connecting to your NAS via the AFP protocol, according to the logs.

If you want to use AFP, does your NAS have the very latest firmware installed? Apparently, Apple tightened up on AFP security (or made some other changes) with Leopard which became problematic for the QNAP NASes, which a recent firmware update fixed.

Anyway, something for you to think about.

[chaa]

I had difficulties to apply your tricks (astuce) on my Mac minni.
( I stil have. ) One of the things that reavealed the disk to TM was to reboot + another was to mount the volum with AFP* just to select it as target for TM than unmount it.
*: Even though It seems to access it via smb after.

Question : How will I input a Quota to that sharepoint not affecting the others (sharepoint) for the same L/P ?


Xcuse my english - French is my 1st language.

Macmini+ Qnap TS209 II

[stevebow]

Question : How will I input a Quota to that sharepoint not affecting the others (sharepoint) for the same L/P ?

Just limit the size of the Sparse Bundle in step 2, that will effectively be your quota.

[Kemik]

How reliable are Sparse Bundle images? I don't want it getting corrupted and I lose my whole TimeMachine setup

[stevebow]

I've not ever had a problem with Sparse Bundles myself. In any case, they are HFS+ images and there are recovery tools available from both Apple and third party companies if it concerns you.

[blaggard]

Great guide, thank you

[stevebow]

Great guide, thank you

You're welcome, thanks.

[FoxtrotRU]

Stevebow!! Thank you very much for this great guide!

I've made a mistake when simply copy/pasted MAC address into the file's name and didn't remove the colons (:) in it - that's why it took me 20 minutes longer to get my TS-209PRO to work with TimeMachine

The first (big) file was sent to the TM drive through ethernet cable (WiFi N from MacBok PRO to Apple Airport Extreme Base Station to which TS-209PRO is connected with ethernet was very slow).

Would like to ask you - what max speeds I can get with WiFi N when using TM on NAS?

Thank you again for such a great idea and your guide!!
Best regards,
Yuri

[stevebow]

The first (big) file was sent to the TM drive through ethernet cable (WiFi N from MacBok PRO to Apple Airport Extreme Base Station to which TS-209PRO is connected with ethernet was very slow).

The very first backup takes a long time because all your existing data has to be backed up. Subsequent backups consist only of changes made since the last backup. If your connection is only WiFi start the initial backup in the evening and leave it overnight, otherwise connect the Mac via an ethernet cable just for the first backup as it will be much faster than WiFi.

Would like to ask you - what max speeds I can get with WiFi N when using TM on NAS?

I have 802.11g (54Mb/s) and max. data throughput is 3MB/s. That's around 10GB per hour.

802.11n should in theory be twice as fast, but I don't have it and can't confirm. In any case, 802.11n is not a ratified specification so your "results may vary".

Thank you again for such a great idea and your guide!!

Thanks for your kind words.

[jrui]

Very nice Guide.

All Working for 30 days without a problem !

[stevebow]

Thanks for the feedback.