Path: menudo.uh.edu!menudo.uh.edu!usenet From: jgrimm@sv025.torreypinesca.ncr.com (Jeffrey Grimmett) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.reviews Subject: REVIEW: MRBackup Professional, Version 1.13a Followup-To: comp.sys.amiga.applications Date: 2 Feb 1993 18:33:38 GMT Organization: The Amiga Online Review Column - ed. Daniel Barrett Lines: 372 Sender: amiga-reviews@math.uh.edu (comp.sys.amiga.reviews moderator) Distribution: world Message-ID: <1kmeq2INN8g2@menudo.uh.edu> Reply-To: jgrimm@sv025.torreypinesca.ncr.com (Jeffrey Grimmett) NNTP-Posting-Host: karazm.math.uh.edu Keywords: backups, hard drive, tape drive, commercial [MODERATOR'S NOTE: This review was modified slightly on February 5, 1993, to incorporate some comments from the program's author. - Dan] PRODUCT NAME MRBackup Professional, Version 1.13a BRIEF DESCRIPTION MRBackup Professional (MRB Pro) is an archiving program, usually used to back up valuable data from hard drives to floppies or other mass storage media, although it could also be used for backing up standard floppies, too. Programs of this type typically store the data in a format that makes maximum use of your backup media and can recover the data easily in the event of disaster. COMPANY INFORMATION Name: MRsoftware Address: 348 Indian Avenue Portsmouth, RI 02871 USA Phone: (401) 846-7639 LIST PRICE MRB Pro is available directly from the author for $25.00 (US). Those who purchased earlier versions of this program may upgrade for $10.00 (US) plus the original serialized diskette (offer good until 30 March 1993). Owners of the registered shareware version may also upgrade for this price, but need not send in the original diskette. SPECIAL HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS HARDWARE Requires 1 MB RAM. At least one floppy or SCSI streaming tape drive required. SOFTWARE Requires Workbench 1.3 or higher. Requires ARP.library (supplied with disk). Voice feature will not work with AmigaDOS 3.0 (no narrator!). (Note: it will work if you use the 2.04 speech software.) ARexx is not required unless one wishes to use the ARexx macro features. COPY PROTECTION None implemented. Hard drive installable. MACHINES USED FOR TESTING 1) A2500/020, 3 mb memory, A2091 controller, 150 mb hard drive storage, Wangtek 5050 streaming tape, 2 floppies, 2.04 OS. 2) A2000, 5 mb memory, GVP Series II controller, 150 mb hard drive storage, Insite 21 mb floptical drive, 2.05 OS. 3) A3000/16, 6 mb memory, 105 mb hard drive storage, Wangtek 5050 SCSI streaming tape, 2.04 OS. 4) A500, 2 mb memory, GVP Series II controller, 52 mb hard drive, 2 floppies, 1.3.3 OS. Systems 1 and 2 operate 24-hour Fidonet BBS's using DLG Professional BBS/OS. System 1 is a hub while system 2 is an end node. OVERVIEW In the beginning was QuarterBack, and I was quite happy with it until I got a hard drive bigger than my faithful old Rodime. At that point, I got my Wangtek with GVP's TapeStore software. I was still missing something: a good backup program with a documented ARexx interface that I could use to make automatic timed backups of important control files on my BBS. I literally stumbled across MRB Pro when I sent the author, Mark R. Rinfret, an e-mail regarding his former distributor. His answers to my questions (i.e., support of tape and full ARexx) prompted me to give the software a try. At the time, QuarterBack 5 was undergoing a few problems so I wanted to avoid Quarterback. :-) INSTALLATION I received my package and set straight to work. The version I received, 1.12, was installed by an AmigaDOS script. I was somewhat annoyed by its insistence that I have the logical assignment MRBackup: already existent; but other than that, installation went smoothly. There is one library (ARP.library), one handler (mrtape-handler) and one Mountlist file (Mountlist.mrtape), plus all of MRB's particulars to be copied. Update: The current version (1.13a) now uses Commodore's Installer utility. I wiped my 3000's copy and tried it out, and as usual it did an excellent job. Kudos to both Commodore and MRSoftware! Next thing to be done was the actual setting up of the program. There are numerous options from the main screen: Preference file, Home (source) path, Backup (destination) path, Voice on/off, Media Type (AmigaDOS, SCSI Tape, or special "fast" floppy), List file path, Log file path, Buffer Size, Floppy drives to use (up to 4 possible). * Note: all path-related operations may be typed in, or the ARP requester may be called by selecting a gadget. (ASL requester is used in AmigaDOS 2.04 and up.) In addition, you can select your screen mode and colors from a menu option. Besides the main screen, there are two other screens that can be invoked from buttons or menu options: Options and Filters. OPTIONS Test Date, Prefix (for volume names), Compression (none, 12-16 bit), Decompression, Formatting (normal, quick, none), FileSystem, Force Copy (overwrite during restore), Split Big Files, Test Archive Bit, Set Archive Bit, Preserve Empty Directories, Error Handling (automatic or interactive), Sorting, Verify Writes. Each backup may be tagged with a comment as it is made. This is definable in a text gadget. FILTERS Here you can define text filters to omit or include files from your backup or restore operation, as well as omit and include files for compression and decompression. Rather than specify a file pattern directly, you must create a text file containing your pattern(s). This is actually quite flexible but may be viewed as a pain by some. Using ARexx macros, this can be worked around, but that's beyond many potential owners, as well. To me, the optimal solution would be to have an interactive requester of some kind that would create the filter files. The average owner isn't left out in the cold, though. During backups and restores, items may be selected and deselected via interactive filtering, as my old Quarterback 2.x did. Once you have set up MRB as you like it, MRB can save your preferences as defaults. In fact, you can define separate preference files for different partitions -- I have, as each of my partitions has a different "flavor" to it. The ability to change the default screen colors is helpful in reminding me of where I'm at -- the purple one is FILES, the gray one is my SYS:..., and so on. BACKUPS Making a backup is pretty simple once all the work of defining your preferences is out of the way. To start a backup, simply click the BACKUP gadget on the main screen. You will see the OPTIONS screen again, but if everything is set up to your satisfaction, simply click OK. The hard drive will thrash a bit as everything is gathered, filtered, and sorted, and then you are presented with a screen showing a list of files that matched the path/pattern/archive bit criteria you have set. At this point you can delve into the directory structure and further refine your backup, apply further patterns for inclusion and exclusion, or trim entire branches from the directory trees. When all is to your satisfaction, click OK. THE NEED FOR SPEED... Differing backup philosophies yield different speeds. Depending on the backup media chosen, compression mode, and sorting style you can either get a fast backup or a slower backup that takes up less space. Some comparisons: Input Output Time Compression Throughput ~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ 2.1 M 2.1 M 0:38 0 % 62 KBPS SCSI tape direct 2.1 M 2.1 M 0:35 0 % 66 KBPS SCSI tape direct (unsorted) 2.1 M 1.5 M 3:27 27 % 7 KBPS SCSI tape 12-bit compression 2.1 M 1.4 M 3:32 32 % 6 KBPS SCSI tape 16-bit compression 2.1 M 2.1 M 7:45 0 % 4 KBPS AmigaDOS floppy (3) 2.1 M 2.1 M 7:05 0 % 5 KBPS FFS floppy (3) 2.1 M 2.1 M 5:14 0 % 7 KBPS Fast Disk (3) 2.1 M 1.4 M 13:49 32 % 1 KBPS AmigaDOS floppy (2) (16 bit compression) 2.1 M 1.4 M 13:45 32 % 1 KBPS FFS floppy (2) (16 bit compression) 2.1 M 1.4 M 6:21 32 % 3 KBPS Fast Disk (2) (16 bit compression) 2.1 M 2.1 M 1:45 0 % 30 KBPS AmigaDOS HD A few observations: First, it's apparent that unless you have a truly large hard drive partition to back up, compression is something you want to avoid when using tape. However, for floppies at least 12-bit compression (larger archives but faster than 16-bit) will help reduce the number of times you have to swap floppies. The proprietary Fast Disk format gives great speeds, although you MUST use MRB to recover your data. The MOST secure method is using standard AmigaDOS floppies, with no large file splitting. It takes time but you can recover your data no matter what happens. [MODERATOR'S NOTE: Mark Rinfret, author of MRBackup Professional, reports that the Fast Disk format is not "proprietary." He is happy to provide documentation on the disk format to anyone interested. It would be more accurate to refer to the disk format as "custom." - Dan] * Update: Version 1.13, which I received after this time trial, comes with a 68020-code version of the compressor. When I used it for a few test runs, I achieved MUCH better results with compression -- almost the same as plain floppy backups. I threw in a straight AmigaDOS hard drive value at the end just to give an idea of the speed of AmigaDOS in general. It in no way implies the tape is actually faster than a hard drive for most normal applications, rather that AmigaDOS slows things down a bit. It's a hard call to make when deciding, unless you already plan on using streaming tape, in which case your choices are more or less made for you. * Hint from the author: First of all, match your buffer to the size of the one in the tape drive, if using tape. This will yield the best results as neither the hard drive or the tape drive will spend much time waiting for each other. Each file is written with a preamble that makes recovery of corrupt archives more reliable. This is a nice touch for data security, a concern of mine. RECOVERY It goes against my very nature to wipe out a working hard drive partition to check the recovery options, but that's exactly what I did, cringing at every step until things were restored . Restoration is simple, actually. You read in the catalog and then select and deselect files to restore. The decompression mode must meet or exceed the compression mode that the files were compressed with, or else the file will be restored in its compressed mode. The same types of filters applicable to backups also apply to restoration. An added touch is the ability to read in a catalog of what is on a tape or set of disks and select which archive to restore. This is especially handy on a tape system with several volumes stored on one tape. I'm happy to report that my hard drive survived being formatted multiple times being restored from different backup formats. :-) One observation I'd like to make: the first time I began a restore operation, the throughput was utterly dismal. When I asked the author about this, he pointed out that restoring to a clean partition should be done with the FORCE COPY parameter set to ALWAYS. If set otherwise, MRB will check for EACH file before writing, which wastes a lot of time. Throughput increased VERY significantly after I did that :-) AREXX Everything I've done so far as been via the standard GUI interface. However, one reason I was looking for another backup program was to find something I could manipulate via ARexx for timed backups from a Cron [scheduling] program. Without going into great detail, the ARexx interface to MRB Pro is without a doubt one of the best I've seen in any type of program. EVERY function available from the GUI is available to the ARexx port. This makes it easy to invoke MRB, quickly switch a few parameters, and make a backup without having to play nursemaid to the system. Two thumbs up! Also, each ARexx command is well documented, and example ARexx scripts are included to get you started. I've already made a script that is launched via a Cron program to make incremental backups of certain key directories. I'm currently working on one that will allow me to log into my BBS, select an appropriate partition, and start a backup remotely. Another project on the back burner is a script that will allow my callers to retrieve files from the tape and download them -- This will allow me to keep less-used files offline but still available. DOCUMENTATION MRB Pro is currently in transition as the distribution switches from TTR to the author. As such, the author has had to "roll his own" packaging for this software. The manual is laser printed, and the content is clear and concise with illustrations. Aside from the cover, it looks very professional. All functions are covered except for a few more esoteric ones that are described in the on-disk documentation. [MODERATOR'S NOTE: According to Mark Rinfret, the author of MRBackup Professional, the product is now distributed and maintained solely by MRsoftware, not TTR. - Dan] With version 1.13, I received AmigaGuide documentation -- it matches the printed manual precisely _except_ where there were typos or changes due to upgrades. Here's another place where MRSoftware and Commodore both deserve a cookie. LIKES AND DISLIKES MRB has a lot going for it. During backups and restorations, much information is presented in a clear manner: throughput, compression ratio, and progress indicator. Backups are not corrupted, and the data appears to be quite secure. I do have a few things I'd like to see enhanced on the program; * I'd love to be able to iconify the program when it is running -- the AmigaDOS 2.0-style gadgets are present but they don't have the desired effect. * Also, many tape-capable backup utilities sport a "disk image" mode where the disk is copied verbatim, ignoring all references to AmigaDOS. This has the advantage of speed if the drive is full or near-full. However, as long as I used TapeStore I never used that option, so I don't feel it's a really deciding factor. * Some terminology is confusing. The backup source is referred to as the "home" path and the backup destination is referred to as the "backup" path. I definitely had to read the manual for that one. This is picking nits, however -- which goes to show that there's not really much wrong with this program! BUGS The first version I received, 1.12, had a minor bug that only showed during repeated (like 9 or 10) invocations, where memory was not being released when the program was shut down. Additionally, the ARexx port was not behaving as expected in certain situations. Both of these bugs were fixed for version 1.13. 1.13 has a slight bug as well, which I didn't notice until the author pointed it out to me. It shows up only during certain situations. However, a freely distributable patch file called "Patch_MRBackup113a.lha" has already been released. VENDOR SUPPORT My experience with MRsoftware has been very positive. The author has been very responsive the few questions I had. Bug reports have been followed up quickly, and feature requests have all been considered (although not always acted on -- I can dream, can't I?). He is available by US Mail, telephone, and e-mail. SUMMARY Hard drive backup software is fairly hard to get excited about. It's not a glamorous niche like a Video Toaster or OpalVision. Still, in this particular genre of software, MRBackup Professional can hold its electronic head up high. It may not have the flash of its competitors, nor the press, but it does the job and does it well and securely. And that's all that counts, in my book. Add the low cost of buying it, and it's a clear winner in my book. MRSoftware has released a demo called MRBKDemo112.LHA. I suggest you locate it and give it a try, then decide for yourself. I think you'll like what you see. ####################@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#####****************** Jeff Grimmett [SuperBitMap BBS] @ fido!1:202/739.0 [619-460-7290] jeff_grimmett@f739.n202.z1.fidonet.org @ jgrimm@TorreyPinesCA.ncr.com WAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGG!!!!! (tension breaker, had to be done) ******************************************************************************* --- Daniel Barrett, Moderator, comp.sys.amiga.reviews Send reviews to: amiga-reviews-submissions@math.uh.edu Request information: amiga-reviews-requests@math.uh.edu Moderator mail: amiga-reviews@math.uh.edu