Trying to schedule a backup to an external FW drive I keep getting a invalid path and no backup. This script did run about 2 months ago 1 time and none since then. I have tried typing in the path and dragging the folder into the field. Yes, I have a / after the address, and yes the drive & folders all have fmsadmin w/r rights. The backup to the local drive works just fine. The server is 8.0v4. Is this just a problem with the external FW drive? Help!

I had this problem, and I discovered that FW drives don't stay mounted when there is no user logged into the system. I couldn't figure out how to change this, so I just stayed logged in with the screen locked.

Now I just put more drives into my G5 with one of those mounting kits, so that's not a problem. Local backups with internal drives, and remote backups with scp.

Drive is not supposed to stay mounted when server is run. Use the UNC format to call it. And in any regard, this is not supported on Macintosh OS. See the white paper on backups on Wim Decorte's site:

http://www.connecting data.com

Steven

I'm pretty sure that FW drives won't auto-dismount unless the drive itself is configured to do that. I don't often run with no logged in users, so I may be wrong, but it sounds weird to me. Are these FW drives perhaps sleeping (instead of dismounting?)

Also, if you are running fmserverd w/o logging in, this suggests that you have set fmserverd to auto-open your databases upon boot. A number of us advise against that procedure, since it increases the chance of corruption upon a power failure or crash.

Much better to have fmserverd not auto-launch at boot, and manually log in and start it from a user account. If the server crashes, you basically want to boot it up, throw out the current db files, and revert to your most recent hourly (daily, whatever) backup.

Edited April 11, 200718 yr by Guest
changed 'fmserveradmin' to 'fmserverd'

Also -- I'm not running my server this way now, but in the past I had a server configured like this:

Internal Drive (backups)

External Firewire Drive (boot drive, OS + Apps + data)

External Firewire Drive (backups)

I had no problems doing backups using FMS to any of the drives. However, I always started fmserverd manually after logging in with a local user account.

Also, if you are running fmserverd w/o logging in, this suggests that you have set fmserverd to auto-open your databases upon boot. A number of us advise against that procedure, since it increases the chance of corruption upon a power failure or crash.

In no way does it suggest that. Auto start of server at reboot is a very bad practice as I have said. Server is supposed to be run at the logout prompt on both platforms. Server admins obviously have to log on to adminsiter the services and the server. They then log off.

Steven

You're right. I never auto start my service (not even the helper) I log in manually and start the server, then log off.

Good. I do much the same, although I do not think there is a danger for letting the helperservice start automatically. That could,of course, always change in the future.

Steven

This reply is actually to all three of you. Sorry I've been away a few days. Thanks for the interesting ideas, but I am still left with the basic problem. Why does the schedule say "nat a valid path" when I choose the backup location during config? The FW disk is mounted continuously, and am not having problems with it. This is a permanent ext b/u drive, not the offsite (which we run on demand and have not trouble with, btw)

It does not matter what the FW drive does when the schedule runs if the config itself says "not vaild" when I created/edit, right!? Also, when you all say "logged in/out" I assume you are talking about FMS Admin?

Now a few specific questions:

Old Advance Man (OAM) - Why do you say drive is not supposed to stay mounted when svr is run? I am not going to unplug it. In your link to the Decorte site I see no article/white paper on backups.

xochi - You mention running FMS without logging in (to the system or the server?). Obviously I am logged into the system and the server to be looking at the FMS schedule config. And NO, I do not have FMS auto starting at startup. Also, you are obviously running scheduled backups to external FW drives, which is what I cannot do. Because I can't set the path.

OK, I am not trying to stir anything up here, just get some answers. Fire back and let me know what you think.

Thanks,

Paul

Why does the schedule say "nat a valid path" when I choose the backup location during config?

and

xochi - You mention running FMS without logging in (to the system or the server?). Obviously I am logged into the system and the server to be looking at the FMS schedule config. And NO, I do not have FMS auto starting at startup. Also, you are obviously running scheduled backups to external FW drives, which is what I cannot do. Because I can't set the path.

Ok, sorry I think all the talk about dismounting of FireWire drives is a red herring.

It sounds like the basic problem is that you can't even get FM Server Admin to recognize the path as valid. I'd say a 99% probability this means the folder is not, in fact, valid.

Reasons for this are: (1) you don't have the proper permissions set (group must be 'fmsadmin' and must be R+W) or (2) you've mis-typed the path.

(1) Could also be caused by the improper setting of "ignore ownership on this volume" -- check by doing "Get Info" on the firewire drive itself from the Finder.

(1) Could also be caused by misinformation given by the Finder -- In 10.3 i've seen the Finder mis-display the permissions. I think this bug is fixed in 10.4, but it may not hurt to double-check.

(2) Remember that pathnames for external volumes are usually /Volumes/DriveName/XYZ/PDQ, whereas pathnames for the boot volume can be just /ABC/DEF. In other words pathnames for the boot drive can skip the /Volumes/DriveName/ part, but you can't do this for external drives.

Any of this help?

I was wondering if anyone solved this. I am trying to do it but still get invalid path. I have tried using

filemac:/Volumes/BU_firewire/hourlyBU/

Where BU_firewire is the mounted drive and hourlyBU is the folder at top level on the drive.

My second choice is to trigger an automator (Mac) script but even though I put the automator workflow/application in the script folder it doesn't show up in the drop down in FileMaker Adminstrator.

Any suggestions?

Ok, sorry I think all the talk about dismounting of FireWire drives is a red herring.

It sounds like the basic problem is that you can't even get FM Server Admin to recognize the path as valid. I'd say a 99% probability this means the folder is not, in fact, valid.

Reasons for this are: (1) you don't have the proper permissions set (group must be 'fmsadmin' and must be R+W) or (2) you've mis-typed the path.

(1) Could also be caused by the improper setting of "ignore ownership on this volume" -- check by doing "Get Info" on the firewire drive itself from the Finder.

(1) Could also be caused by misinformation given by the Finder -- In 10.3 i've seen the Finder mis-display the permissions. I think this bug is fixed in 10.4, but it may not hurt to double-check.

(2) Remember that pathnames for external volumes are usually /Volumes/DriveName/XYZ/PDQ, whereas pathnames for the boot volume can be just /ABC/DEF. In other words pathnames for the boot drive can skip the /Volumes/DriveName/ part, but you can't do this for external drives.

Any of this help?