Shadow Protect "Failure"

[BobArch2]

Hmmm, I've never been quite sure how much "phoning home" SP does to make sure you're registered and active but I have to wonder after you and I having this problem: do you suppose that their server was "off the air" last night? Considering that there's no failure messages in my log or Event Viewer, I wonder if my SP just couldn't see its server and so, did nothing.

Hi Al,
In "catch-up mode"... so bear with me!

[In response to May 1, 2011 posting] SP does not call home. So that cannot be the answer to your issue. Looking at your SP screen display should show the "Activated" or "Deactivated" indicator... lower left. If Activated, you are good to go. If "Deactivated", the 30 day trial version clock will start and provide reminders. The only time a call-home is placed is when you enable/disable the activation process.

It is very possible that the SP service module somehow got disabled. More on that later.

Have you set-up SP to advise you via e-mail if the backup was successful or a failure? If not, selection Options | Agent Options and complete the fields as desired. Here's a sample of mine:

BAAgentOption.gif

[BobArch2]

Well, Shadow Protect has done it again! On 30 April the full image job failed to start and when I opened SP the next morning, the full image backup started.

Another catch-up... [May 15, 2011]

Is it possible that the external USB drive has somehow detached itself? Inactivity setting in the O/S?

Do you have any internal HD slots that could be used (test)? I use both internal and external HDs for backups. The internal drive being used for full weekly/daily incrementals and the external for monthly full backups only. The monthly's are performed on the 1st and I just have to remember to power them up on that day. If I forget, I get an e-mail message that the backup failed. In which case I'll power-up, then force the monthly backup.

[BobArch2]

...If I ever hear anything from the SP forum, I add more details to what I said there so mebbe the SP honchos might look to see what could have caused it all. If there is an "Edit" button in a job, that's what one should be able to do without possible corruption.

The Forum used to see SP staff frequent and address issues/concerns. Unfortunately, due to some internal issues/staffing they have had to cutback on participation in the user forum. They now ask that issues be addressed via an e-mail to tech support. That does not eliminate the possibility of receiving a reply from a user in the user forum.

There is an EDIT function...

SPEdit.gif

[Bigaldoc]

Thanks for your comments, Bob, I appreciate them.

My two USB drives are always active and ready. I've had NO occasions when one was not accessible. Since my problem is that the SP GUI does NOT fire up as scheduled, there's nothing I can look at that might indicate a failure.

I've not explored the email notification aspect but I will now, although as I've said, I don't know that there's anything to email if the job doesn't fire when it's supposed to. If it tries to start and fails, that would be a different matter, but it doesn't even try to start.

I do have an internal physical drive that I could use but I really don't think that's the problem since SP, once "fired" can access either of my USB drives without problems. I don't think the drives are "sleeping," thus preventing SP from accessing them.

I'm aware of the EDIT button and use it each week to change the destination drive. I guess the SP forum is going the way so many are...

[Bigaldoc]

Since Bob was kind enough to comment and suggest, I'm happy (but confused still) to report that today's full image backup started as scheduled at 5 pm, precisely.

The previous six days' incrementals had done as they're supposed to do. This morning I edited the SP "job" to change the destination as I always do. I closed the GUI with the EXIT command as usual.

I dunno and I'm not gonna waste any more time on the SP forum. If it happens again, it'll just have to be "one of those unexplained things."

[BobArch2]

I've not explored the email notification aspect but I will now...

Hi Al,

Did you try setting up the e-mail notification?

Here's a snapshot of a "success message":

BASuccess.gif

And a sample "failure message". I didn't double check but I would expect that the failure information should also show in SP's Backup History Log.

BAFailure.gif

[Bigaldoc]

I was gonna do it later Wednesday night and after supper I completely forgot. Doggone it, I'm gonna do it right now!

Well, at least it started and completed successfully with no interference from me this time.

EDITED: Up off my lazy butt and done! Test email sez: "12-Jun-2011 13:16:42 : The agent e-mail settings appear to be functional." Thanks for the reminder, Bob. However, it remains to be seen what would happen with these emails if, as in the past, SP just doesn't start. There wouldn't be a failure, so I don't know if it would email me or not. At least it's there and I can watch.

[Bigaldoc]

Did you try setting up the e-mail notification?

Here's another strange one, Bob, just in case any other users encounter this.

After my last post above (blush) I setup SP's email notifications EXACTLY as your earlier example, but obviously with my address and SMTP data. Like yours, in the "authentication" box I'd used "plain" and it's been working ever since, until ...

I realized over the weekend that my SP emails have STOPPED coming. When I checked on the SP setup box, it was just as I had left it. Tried a test email, twice, and it failed both times. Just for the heck of it, I changed the authentication box to "logon" and it now tested OK.

I have no idea and the only thing "new" is that a few days ago I updated my Thunderbird to the latest Mozilla release, although I can't understand why that would have caused a problem... Here's what mine looks like now.

[BobArch2]

Did you try setting up the e-mail notification?

Here's another strange one, Bob, just in case any other users encounter this.

Hi Al,
Just tried with my settings and all was well. Perhaps your update installation caused the issue?
I did run the Test Email function with the settings as indicated, and all was well. And NO, I ain't gonna move to TB to test!

BA_Agent7-4-2011.gif