External backup to USB drive - hours spent on "Updates"?

[oyvindo]

Hi All,
I have a 1.8TB share on a RAID5 NAS configured to be backed up every night at 4am to an external USB drive.
I'm using the External Backup function in Backup Station to do the job.

What puzzles me is that after QTS update to 4.3.3. the job now suddenly takes almost 4 hours even though only one single file (a small file) has been changed (modified) since the last backup! It's been going on like this now for several nights. And even if no files are modified, it still takes over 4 hours to complete.

From the log I can see that the job spends a few seconds checking every single file in the share against the external USB Drive. This is called "Update" in the log. While the only modified file that actually needed to be backed up, is logged with "Create".

There is a checked setting under options named "Overwrite the file if the source file is newer or the file size is different". To me it seems logical to have this checked. What happens if I uncheck it? Does it mean that the modified file is skipped if an older file exist, or does it mean that I end up keeping both files?

I see no reason why the job should check every single file. What I want the job to do, is to follow the archive bit in the source files and simply back up only the ones that has been changed (just like Windows does).

I have studied all possible options in Backup Station, but I haven' been able to figure out how to achieve my goal. Not even what is actually going on and why? Is this function now a two-way sync and is that why every file on the USB drive is checked? If so, that's not what I want.

Any help is appreciated.

[horgaa]

Hi
I hit the exact same issue after upgrading to firmware 4.3.3 and have a ticket open with Qnap about it
My fix was to downgrade to firmware 4.2.5 which Qnap don't publicly support but if you speak to their Techs is ok ... you just might need to after the downgrade remove any upgraded Apps through App Centre and reinstall them
However, through these forums it was mentioned that unchecking "Detect sparse files" in the policy appeared to fix similar issues
I upgraded from 4.2.5 to 4.3.3 again as Qnap support asked me to as they thought the firmware upgrade hadn't worked properly ... Ahh no still stuffed
But it did allow me to try that fix which did seem to work on backups to a 1TB USB drive
However other backups to 2TB and 4TB USB drives didn't seem to benefit
So I have downgraded to 4.2.5 again ... and waiting on Qnap Support

[oyvindo]

Thank you very much for your feedback, and please update as soon as you get something more from QNAP Tech Support.

[horgaa]

I'm sorry but QNAP aren't being very helpful
They apparently can't reproduce the issue
Can you please raise a ticket with them as well as they seem to believe I am a one-off ...

[oyvindo]

Yes, I will

[se2k]

I am also having this issue. I have a TS-563 NAS and a daily backup job that backs up my 24TB of content to a Mediasonic USB RAID box with the "Overwrite the file if the source file is newer or the file size is different". If no files were changed, the job typically only takes 2-3 minutes. Ever since I upgraded to 4.3.3.0154, this job now takes almost 23 hours even with no files changed!

The only options I have checked are:
- Delete extra files
- Filter system-generated temporary files
- Overwrite the file if the file source is newer or the file size is different

I suspect one of two things is happening:

1) The "Overwrite the file if the file source is newer or the file size is different" option is being ignored and it's actually copying every file
2) The "Check file contents" option is being used even though it's not enabled

Either one of the above would explain the massive increase in backup job time.

I have also logged a ticket with QNAP on this issue. Hopefully they have a fix soon.

[peter247]

Looks like I`m not the only person with this problem !!!!!
It copies gigabytes of files even if no files have changed .

PLUS …. Found a new problem with backup station , if you reboot all your backup jobs just say terminated and you have to delete and start again.

[se2k]

Looks like I`m not the only person with this problem !!!!!
It copies gigabytes of files even if no files have changed .

PLUS …. Found a new problem with backup station , if you reboot all your backup jobs just say terminated and you have to delete and start again.

Please log a ticket with QNAP so that we can get this issue fixed as soon as possible. The more people who create a ticket with them for this issue, the faster it will be fixed.

[horgaa]

Hi
Qnap have given me an update on the ticket I raised that they have now been able to reproduce the issue
They have confirmed that "4.3.3 are indeed re-updating files only for some file types, even if they are not edited"
Their developers are working on a fix
Andrew

[oyvindo]

Excellent!
Thank you very much for the update.
Would you mind posting a copy of the answer along with the ticket# ?
(Or at least only the ticket number.)
That way, the rest of us can just make a reference to it so that we don't have to go through the same loops.
(Sometimes it seems these support people do not share information well)

[Hot Sauce]

I am having the same issue with backing up to a External HDD for my QNAP (TS-251 4.3.3 latest build).. Thanks for the heads up horgaa and oyvindo.. bump!

If you have or use it, also check the backup VM option in Virtualization Station 3.. I don't want to divert the current thread just an FYI for folks. I am unable to select a VM (all current VM's are listed too) or add a VM. My temp work around is just rsyn'ing directly to a directory for now. I'll monitor the threads to see if anyone is having the same issue or start a ticket with Qnap support if needed.


Thanks

[ensignvorik]

I had this problem in the past, and it was when I was using FAT32 as the file system on my backup drive. When I switched it to NTFS (obviously not ideal to everyone) it worked fine. Something about file attributes not being picked up on FAT32 so it can't compare when files were changed and just backed everything up over and over.

[oyvindo]

That cannot be it. I've always - and only ever - used NTFS. The external drive is the same and the file share on the NAS is the same. The only difference is the upgrade to 4.3.3. and this began overnight.
Having said that - I've seen that there is a Policy Option under setting in Backup Station called : "Replicate ACL and extended attributes", but that option is not available under External Backup which is used for backup to external USB drives.

[ensignvorik]

Admit, I haven't done a backup since upgrading a couple of days ago. Mine is NTFS too. So I'll kick it off and see how long it takes.

[ensignvorik]

25mins on a total storage of about 2.53TB, which is probably about right for the amount of data that has changed.

I'd ensure yo log a support ticket, it may be only affecting a certain family of models.