In Network Computing's lab at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, I upgraded our existing Retrospect 3.0A server (on an Apple WorkGroup Server 8550) to the second beta of 4.0. The transition went smoothly, and I was quickly enjoying twofold (or more) gains in network backup performance. Dantz has added support for larger volumes, MacOS 8.0 support, improvements in Win95/NT long file name support and tape cleaning reminders, among other added features.

Over a TCP/IP link, my Apple PowerMac 8500 was backed up in half the time it took the previous version of Retrospect. Your exact numbers will vary, depending on your network, machine and tape speed. During performance testing, I used a hard disk as a backup medium for benchmarking purposes because our DDS-2 DAT drive (bundled with the WGS 8550) wasn't fast enough to keep up with one really fast client.

Getting Started Installing any software on a Macintosh should be quick and simple. Dantz's backup software is no exception. After answering a few questions about my needs, the software was configured and backing up my Mac in no time. Based on my answers to a few questions, I received a configuration that requires tape rotation every other week.

Going a bit further, I installed Retrospect's Backup Server script. This gem lets you automatically back up machines that aren't always on the network. I installed the client on my Apple PowerBook Duo 2300c. Now when I connect to the network, Backup Server contacts me to ask if it's OK to back up my laptop.

I also added a co-worker's Toshiba laptop to the backup s erver pool. The Windows Client 1.1 that's currently shipping does not need to be upgraded for this server update. With the simple addition of his laptop, he was enjoying the same, hands-off backups.

I also added my desktop PowerMac 8500 to the daily backup script. When I upgraded my Mac to the new client, I immediately switched over to TCP/IP for backup transport. Running an immediate backup, I found performance (as reported by the backup software) of around 45 MB per minute. Previously, I was hovering around 15 MB to 20 MB per minute over AppleTalk.

What's Happening? Although considered only a minor addition to Retrospect Network Backup, the e-mail reports are the most useful improvement. By using AppleScript, you can configure the software to do almost anything you want for certain events. Dantz has bundled scripts that will e-mail reports via QUALCOMM's Eudora or Claris E-mailer.

I downloaded a copy of Eudora Light 3.1 from QUALCOMM's Web site and configured my e-mail AppleScript to report everything to me via e-mail. In the reports, I receive updates on which volumes got backed up and whether there were errors. In addition, the script sends me mail when the server needs a different tape.

I have suggested a few improvements to Dantz for the next release. In particular, the reports aren't organized to accommodate a quick glance at the activities. However, since Retrospect uses standard AppleScript, you can change the scripts to suit your reporting needs.

My biggest disappointment with Dantz Retrospect Network Backup is a lack of features on the client side. On Windows95, Windows NT and Macintosh platforms, it installs as a very simple control panel. The client offers a few configurable option, such as files to skip, performance slid er (user versus backup) and scheduling. I would love to see any indication of backup status reporting on the client. The only indicator says "in use," which doesn't tell you how far along the backup is or when it's expected to finish.

With 4.0, as with past versions, restores can happen only at the server console. I would like to have a client on my PowerBook to initiate restores remotely. Letting users restore their own files takes a lot of burden off the network administrator.

Rob Kohlhepp can be reached at rkohlhepp@nwc.com.