mgardi@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (M.Gardi - ICR) (08/15/89)
I'm trying to make a decision between QuarterBack and SuperBack. If anyone has any experience with either of these, I'd appreciate a note giving me your opinion. If there's another program I should consider, let me know. Having the program saves files in AmigaDos format is not something that I want or require. Joe deSousa Mutual Life of Canada Waterloo, Ontario [C/O mgardi@watdcsu.waterloo.edu] [Please include the words "Att: Joe" in the subject line of any Email replies.]
mks@cbmvax.UUCP (Michael Sinz - CATS) (08/15/89)
In article <6220@watdcsu.waterloo.edu> mgardi@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (M.Gardi - ICR) writes: >I'm trying to make a decision between QuarterBack and SuperBack. If >anyone has any experience with either of these, I'd appreciate a note >giving me your opinion. I usually tell people to use SuperBack. But then I also wrote LV-BackUp (which then was redone as SuperBack) I do know that I have always gone through MANY months of testing. It also has a better user interface. It also comes, in the same package, in three languages: English, German, and French. (CANADA loves this...) The biggest reason I have, however, is that I TRUST IT with my 160+ Megs of data... -- Michael Sinz (of MKSoft Development)
jdm@gryphon.COM (John Mesiavech) (08/17/89)
>In article <7669@cbmvax.UUCP> mks@cbmvax.UUCP (Michael Sinz) writes: >In article <6220@watdcsu.waterloo.edu> mgardi@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (M.Gardi - ICR) writes: >>I'm trying to make a decision between QuarterBack and SuperBack. If >>anyone has any experience with either of these, I'd appreciate a note >>giving me your opinion. > >I usually tell people to use SuperBack. But then I also wrote LV-BackUp >(which then was redone as SuperBack) I do know that I have always gone >through MANY months of testing. It also has a better user interface. >It also comes, in the same package, in three languages: English, German, >and French. (CANADA loves this...) So, you COULD say that he has a vested interest.....B-> > >The biggest reason I have, however, is that I TRUST IT with my 160+ Megs of >data... > > -- Michael Sinz (of MKSoft Development) Being an owner (legally) of both Quarterback AND Superback can say this: Superback is a nice program WITH THE FOLLOWING LIMITS: 1) SuperBack takes up lots of RAM for it's operations, and as such has limits...For example: Had a 40MB hard disk that was roughly 89% full. Me Amiga 1000 was 1MB in memory size. Backed up 1790 files OK in that configuration. Next time came, and I had over 1800 files to backup, according to LIST. Started up SuperBack, told it to go to DH0:, and do a full backup. GURU. THere wasn't enough memory for THAT many files. Quarterback went to 1974 files, and aborted cleanly. 2) Superback has no way to disable archive-bit setting on backed-up files. WHich makes it impossible to use in an emergency-backup situation. Say you have a HD that's developed a validation error. You try to use SuperBack to back it up, so's you can reformat/restore. SuperBack WILL back it up, but you have to click the "Volume dhx is Not Validated" requesters off for EVERY FILE. This can be quite annoying. With QuarterBack, you can disable the archive-bit setting. With LV-Backup (still one of the best!), you could disable the archive-bit. Why you can't with SuperBack, I'll never know. So, to sum up: Superback is a Nice Program, I LOVE it's UI...but it dies have drawbacks in a memory-tight situation. THat Guru was with NOTHING, not even t the Workbench running. John -- 0-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-> All disclaimers apply; I didn't write this <-=-=-=-=-=-0 | ----------------------|------------------- | | "I want a New Duck | John Mesiavech | | One that won't try to bite | net.soldier.of.fortune | | One that won't chew a hole in my socks | {backbone}!gryphon!jdm | | One that won't Quack all night" | Go Purdue! (by req) | | Weird Al Yankovic, "I Want a New Duck" | | 0-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-0
Ata@multics.radc.af.mil (John G. Ata) (08/18/89)
I have purchased Superback and am extremely satisfied with it. I can
vouch for the fact that the backups and the restores do indeed work
properly. With a great user interface I would heartily recommend it.
The only enhancement that I can think of that could be done is to make
restore replace directories with the original date/time stamp.
Currently, only file date/time stamps are recreated.
John G. Atajdm@gryphon.COM (John Mesiavech) (08/20/89)
In article <21919@louie.udel.EDU> mgardi@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (M.Gardi - ICR) writes: >Thanks for your information John. > >What kind of speed are you getting from Superback? Just a rough estimate >would be fine. Eg. 1 minute per disk; that type of thing. Where does >it store it's catalog file and can files be recovered without the catalog? > >Joe deSousa >Mutual Life of Canada Waterloo, Ontario I dunno, does the rest of the net think that there is something cosmically appropriate in the notion of an insurance company employee asking about HD backup programs? I mean, after all, HD Backup IS insurance! B-> Kidding aside, the version of Superback I have (got it when 'twas first on the market, your mileage may differ) has the same write speed as LV Backup did...approx. 1.1 minutes per disk, with a variation of about +- 10%, depending on what files were getting moved, the controller, etc. It's catalog file is on disk #1, which is NOT in DOS Format. I always use wiht SuperBack the "Verify while Writing" option, and have never had the catalog go bad on me. The disk brands I use are Sony, SKC, and TDK. John -- 0-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-> All disclaimers apply; I didn't write this <-=-=-=-=-=-0 | ----------------------|------------------- | | "I want a New Duck | John Mesiavech | | One that won't try to bite | net.soldier.of.fortune | | One that won't chew a hole in my socks | {backbone}!gryphon!jdm | | One that won't Quack all night" | Go Purdue! (by req) | | Weird Al Yankovic, "I Want a New Duck" | | 0-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-0
ins_adjb@jhunix.HCF.JHU.EDU (Daniel Jay Barrett) (08/20/89)
In article <19033@gryphon.COM> jdm@gryphon.COM (John Mesiavech) writes: >[SuperBack]'s catalog file is on disk #1, which is NOT in DOS Format. Just FYI, "QuarterBack" stores its catalog on both the first disk and last disk of the archive, for extra safety. Dan //////////////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ | Dan Barrett, Systems Administrator barrett@cs.jhu.edu (128.220.13.4) | | Dept. of Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 | | E-mail addresses: ARPANET: barrett@cs.jhu.edu | | BITNET: ins_adjb@jhuvms.bitnet | | UUCP: ins_adjb@jhunix.UUCP noog | \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\/////////////////////////////////////
halo@cognos.UUCP (Hal O'Connell) (08/22/89)
Just a word of thanks to Matt Dillon on this particular subject. His Backup and Restore programs may not have a flashy interface, but they are fast, reliable and free. I just went through a re-partitioning of a 40M disk and relied totally on Matt's programs to keep my rather custome disk structures (I could have re-created everything from the original floppies, but that would have been very painful). I got them as part of the DNET posting and they have been a life saver. Thanks Matt! -- Hal O'Connell Cognos Incorporated UUCP: uunet!mitel!sce!cognos!halo P.O. Box 9707 VOICE: (613) 738-1338 x5933 3755 Riverside Dr. FAX: 738-0002 Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA, K1G 3Z4
esker@abaa.uucp (Lawrence Esker) (08/24/89)
In article <21912@louie.udel.EDU> Ata@multics.radc.af.mil (John G. Ata) writes: >I have purchased Superback and am extremely satisfied with it. I can >vouch for the fact that the backups and the restores do indeed work >properly. With a great user interface I would heartily recommend it. >The only enhancement that I can think of that could be done is to make >restore replace directories with the original date/time stamp. >Currently, only file date/time stamps are recreated. The AmigaDOS changes the date/time on directories whenever anything is changed within it. Even if the backup program did what was requested, when it started to fill the directory with files, AmigaDOS would go an change the date to today. BTW. I'm not sure this is a fact, but I have seen it occur with such consistancy that I am sure. -- ---------- Lawrence W. Esker ---------- Modern Amish: Thou shalt not need any computer that is not IBM compatible. UseNet Path: __!uunet!mimsy!rutgers!citi!itivax!abaa!esker == esker@abaa.UUCP
new@udel.EDU (Darren New) (08/25/89)
In article <1636@abaa.UUCP> esker@abaa.UUCP (Lawrence Esker) writes: >>The only enhancement that I can think of that could be done is to make >>restore replace directories with the original date/time stamp. >>Currently, only file date/time stamps are recreated. > >The AmigaDOS changes the date/time on directories whenever anything is >changed within it. Even if the backup program did what was requested, when >it started to fill the directory with files, AmigaDOS would go an change the >date to today. Of course, the obvious solution is to create the directory, put the files into it, and THEN set the date on the directory to what it should be. I suspect that if there is a combination of protection bits that prevent you from adding files to a directory, a directory backed up with those bits set may not restore properly. One should really think about these things when doing a backup program! -- Darren
Ata@multics.radc.af.mil (John G. Ata) (08/26/89)
Date: 23 August 1989 19:42 edt
From: Lawrence Esker <esker at ABAA.UUCP>
Subject: Re: Hard-disk backup programs.
The AmigaDOS changes the date/time on directories whenever anything is
changed within it. Even if the backup program did what was requested, when
it started to fill the directory with files, AmigaDOS would go an change the
date to today.
You are correct that the directory date changes whenever a file is
modified within the directory. However, I would imagine that the backup
program would set the directory date/time AFTER loading the files within
it. I have seen another backup program advertize that it does retain
directory date/modified (Quarterback?), so it definitely looks possible.
John G. Ataesker@abaa.uucp (Lawrence Esker) (08/28/89)
In article <22523@louie.udel.EDU> Ata@multics.radc.af.mil (John G. Ata) writes: > From: Lawrence Esker <esker at ABAA.UUCP> > The AmigaDOS changes the date/time on directories whenever anything is > changed within it... > ...I would imagine that the backup >program would set the directory date/time AFTER loading the files within >it. I have seen another backup program advertize that it does retain >directory date/modified (Quarterback?), so it definitely looks possible. >John G. Ata The trick is "after loading all files within it". How do you know when this magical point is? Sort of like getting on a bus and asking a passenger where the exit for Rainbow street is and they tell you: "just watch me and get off two stops BEFORE I do." If a directory is divided between two backup disks... I would imagine its possible, but the restrictions and hassles it must cause. I would protest the use of such self limiting code. -- ---------- Lawrence W. Esker ---------- Modern Amish: Thou shalt not need any computer that is not IBM compatible. UseNet Path: __!mailrus!sharkey!itivax!abaa!esker == esker@abaa.UUCP