BackupPC-users

Re: [BackupPC-users] rsync 3.0.x with Windows VSS-support

2009-06-06 22:41:10
Subject: Re: [BackupPC-users] rsync 3.0.x with Windows VSS-support
From: "Jeffrey J. Kosowsky" <backuppc AT kosowsky DOT org>
To: backuppc-users AT lists.sourceforge DOT net
Date: Sat, 06 Jun 2009 22:37:17 -0400
Alex wrote at about 03:34:44 -0400 on Saturday, June 6, 2009:
 > 
 > [quote="Leen Besselink"]Alex wrote:
 > 
 > > Sorry for the post, this is about  rsync 3.0.x with Windows VSS-support
 > > available here :
 > > http://www.consolejunky.net/cwrsync-vss/
 > > 
 > > (not used to post from this forum)
 > > 
 > > 
 > > Alex wrote:
 > > 
 > > > Hi, thank you for the post. This seem to be a great tool, hope we'll get 
 > > > it working with backuppc.
 > > > 
 > > > 
 > > 
 > 
 > Hi Alex,
 > 
 > 
 > > 
 > > > I've tried to use it with backuppc running rsync as a daemon on the 
 > > > backuped comp, but i get an error.
 > > > 
 > > > I think it comes from a protocol version compatibility problem (Backuppc 
 > > > use perl rsync implementation wich look for protocol 28, as far as i've 
 > > > seen).
 > > > 
 > > > If i use your rsync.exe as a daemon on the windows XP pc, it run great 
 > > > and i can connect without problem using rsync binary. But, when trying 
 > > > to backup with backuppc, using "rsyncd" method, i get the following 
 > > > error :
 > > > Got fatal error during xfer (Child exited prematurely)
 > > > 
 > > > 
 > > 
 > 
 > To be honest, I'm kind of surprised it works at all on Windows XP.
 > 
 > Even without testing it, I got the impression the first build wouldn't work 
 > on Windows XP.
 > 
 > Did you do your own build ?
 > 
 > I just did and it works with standard Linux rsync-client and Windows XP 
 > rsync-binary. I have some doubts about it
 > working with backuppc, if protocol 28 is the highest it supports.
 > 
 > Anyway the Windows XP-binary is:
 > 
 > http://www.consolejunky.net/cwrsync-vss/rsync-xp.exe
 > 
 > I usually also keep it together with the same cygwin1.dll, unless you 
 > already have a complete cygwin installation.
 > 
 > http://www.consolejunky.net/cwrsync-vss/cygwin1.dll
 > 
 > 
 > > 
 > > > I've tried using the "protocol=28" option in my rsyncd conf file, but it 
 > > > says "ignoring unknown parameter".
 > > > 
 > > > Did you get it working with backuppc already ?
 > > > 
 > > > 
 > > 
 > 
 > No I didn't, or atleast not test it and I didn't know until recently that 
 > BackupPC uses it's own implementation of rsync-client.
 > 
 > This is kind of still a bit of a development-release, I posted to this 
 > mailinglist in the hopes to get some idea of what
 > people need or want (first).
 > 
 > It seems some people wanted a Windows XP-binary, so I created one.  :-)
 > 
 > 
 > > 
 > > > Thank you in advance for any information ;)
 > > > 
 > > > Alex
 > > > 
 > > 
 > > 
 > > 
 > 
 > 
 > Hi, have to say that this is an ever wanted great tool, btw, i really thank 
 > you for that, as this might help a lot even out off the backuppc context ! 
 > 
 > I'm interested in it. As you say it works normaly as an rsync server, but 
 > with the backuppc rsync implementation, nope.
 > 
 > Hope someone who better knows backuppc will help telling us if this would be 
 > possible to run with backuppc rsyncd Xfer method. I'm not expert enough to 
 > help on developpment purpose (just good enough to compile and try :p ).
 > 
 > I'm sure a lot of people will be intrested in getting this wonderfull stuff 
 > working with backuppc (rsync with VSS inside) as it'll allow us to backup 
 > all the (open) files as most of Windows backup softwares do.
 > 
 > Thank you for your answer ;)

Definitely sounds like a very helpful tool and if it works it should
avoid a lot of the kludges associated with other methods (such as the
recursive script I wrote to automatically launch VSS and rsyncd based
on an arbitrary rsyncd.conf file). I too am a bit surprised it works
in XP since XP has a rather broken notion of VSS that does not allow
easy access to the shadow mounts (I had to use a separate program
called dosdev.exe to associate shadow mounts with accessible drive
letters). Also vshadow.exe for XP seems to have different parameters
and more limited functionality than versions for Vista and later
Windows Server releases.

That being said, I wouldn't think that the protocol=28 limitation
should affect your tool assuming that you are not making major changes
to the basic rsync source code -- i.e. I assume (hope?) you are just
wrapping the rsync source in code that uses something like vshadow.exe
to set up an equivalent shadow mount for the target backup module (as
read in from the rsyncd.conf file) and then runs rsync on the
equivalent shadow mount rather than on the original module. I also
assume you are using at least version 3.0 sources for rsync.

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