OS/2 Spezial/SPEZIAL2_97.zip/SPEZIAL2_97.iso/DEMOS/BM3DEMO/faq.txt

Text File | 1997-06-16 | 17KB | 344 lines

         ===================================================
             BackMaster Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
         ===================================================

Preface

This FAQ provides additional information toward problem solving
with BackMaster, your tape drive, your computer and OS/2.

These notations and suggestions answer many frequently
asked questions received about BackMaster and resolutions
produced by technical support.

If you have further questions or suggestions, please feel free to
e-mail us at:
                         [e-mail]

=======================================================

INDEX:

 1.0 - About BackMaster
 2.0 - Where can I get BackMaster?
 3.0 - How can I optimize BackMaster for the best backup performance?
 4.0 - What is the latest version of BackMaster?
 5.0 - Does BackMaster Support the Verbatim Extra Cartridges
 6.0 - Does BackMaster Support my new drive?
 7.0 - Does BackMaster work on IBM OS/2 Warp 4.0?
 8.0 - How do I configure High Speed Adapters card under BackMaster
        and OS/2?
 9.0 - When I booted from floppies, and ran BMREST.EXE I got an error
        message!
10.0 - Can I use my Promise controller as a floppy tape adapter?
11.0 - BackMaster General Troubleshooting Hints.
12.0 - Why do I get an error 59 (Tape is not formatted) when I'm
         using a new pre-formatted tape or a good tape?
13.0 - Why won't BackMaster read my Warp 4.0 HPFS file system drives?
14.0 - Can I use Advanced Power Management with BackMaster?
15.0 - How to Deselect files with File Selection Sets?

====== About BackMaster 3.0 - MSR Development Corporation =======

BackMaster 3.0 is a true 32-bit OS/2 backup software program
that offers floppy-interface, parallel-interface and SCSI support
in a single package.  Version 3.0 offers support for higher capacity
tape drives including Travan, QICWide, QIC 40/80/3010/3020, DAT and
extended length cartridges with storage capacities up to 8
GB.  BackMaster allows you to perform backup and restore functions
without interrupting other tasks.  Included with the product is a
utility program that enables PC users to create a floppy disk-based
disaster recovery "boot floppies" for recovering a complete system
from tape.

BackMaster 3.0 is available for $99.95 (MSRP).
Upgrades are available directly from MSR Development for $49.95 (MSRP).
(Registration Required)

MSR Development Corporation
4407 Manchester Avenue suite 104
Encinitas, CA  92024
    - Voice:        [phone]
    - BBS:         [phone]
    - Fax:         [phone]
    - WWW:         http://www.msrdev.com
    - FTP:         ftp.msrdev.com
    - CompuServe: GO MSRDEV


Q: Where can I get BackMaster?
A: Refer to our web site (http://ww.msrdev.com) for the latest resellers'
    list.  Below is a partial list of BackMaster resellers.

Resellers:
    - CompUSA            1-800-266-7872
    - IBM Direct            1-800-342-6672
    - Indelible Blue        1-800-776-8284 or 1-919-878-7479
    - J3 Computer Tech.    1-909-985-6786
    - MicroCenter        1-800-211-6949
    - OS+ Resource        1-310-804-6153 or 1-310-804-6154
    - Post Software Int.        1-919-556-6721
    - Software City        1-708-949-9210
    - Software Spectrum    1-214-864-7885

Distributors:
    - Micro Central        1-800-83-MICRO

Q: How can I optimize BackMaster for the best backup performance?
A: There are several items that you can change to optimize your
   software and your OS/2 system to get a reliable backup.

    - If you are using a standard ISA, EISA, VESA, or PCI system, the
      driver IBM2FLPY.ADD is unnecessary on your system and should be
      remarked out or deleted from the config.sys entirely.  This
      driver should only be needed for Microchannel machines.

    - If you have installed WARP from CD, then the device driver
      XDFLOPPY.FLT may be remarked out of the config.sys.  This driver
      adds support for the 1.88 megabyte diskettes that IBM uses for
      the installation diskettes.  The first two diskettes (the only
      two used for CD installation) are standard 1.44 megabyte files.
      Therefore, if you have installed from CD, the XDFLOPPY.FLT
      driver will not be of any benefit to you and may be remarked out
      or deleted.

    - OS/2 WARP has increased the standard sizes of the HPFS cache.
      On an 8 to 12 megabyte system, you may see some problems trying
      to use a 1024K cache with your HPFS.  The HPFS cache was set to
      64K standard in OS/2 versions 2.1 and 2.11.  Thus, reducing the
      size or even eliminating the HPFS cache under WARP may free up
      the necessary memory. Optionally, if you have 16 megabytes of memory
      or more use a 1024K to 2048K cache.

    - OS/2 WARP in some cases has also increased the DISKCACHE statement
      from 512K to 1024K.  You may want to consider lowering
      this cache to the standard 256K that was used in OS/2 2.1 and 2.11 or
      even lowering this to 64K if you have only 8 - 12 megabytes.
      Optionally, if you have 16 megabytes or more of memory use a 512K to
      1024K cache.

    - In some cases, increasing the default size of your SWAP file can
      improve system performance.  By preallocating disk space for the
      swap file, you can improve virtual memory performance by
      assuring the virtual memory is available immediately when
      needed, thus reducing the number of times the SWAP file must be
      extended and therefore reducing SWAP file fragmentation.  To
      change your default SWAP size, you will want to modify the
      SWAPPATH statement in your config.sys.  The SWAPPATH statement
      has two numbers directly after the statement.  These numbers
      are, respectively, the amount of room to leave free on the
      drive, and the second number is the default swapper file size.
      Increasing the default size of the SWAP file to about 12-16
      megabytes will make sure that the SWAP file is less fragmented.
      This will also insure that the system will have the resources it
      needs upon bootup and will not need to expand the SWAP file as
      often.

Q: What is the latest version of BackMaster?
A: The current version of BackMaster is 3.0.

Q: Does BackMaster Support the Verbatim EXtra Cartridges?
A: The Verbatim EXtra cartridges are currently supported in BackMaster
    version 3.0.  Previous versions (1.x and 2.x) do not support these
    cartridges. Refer to http://www.verbatimcorp.com/crossref.htm for
    Verbatim Corporations QIC Cross Reference Guide.

Q: Does BackMaster Support my new drive?
A: New hardware in terms of tape drives, computer CPUs and peripherals
   is always a challenge for backup software providers.  We are
   continually investigating ways to improve BackMaster and increase
   compatibility with hardware.  For the most current list visit our website,
   BBS, Compuserve forum or call.

Q: Does BackMaster work on IBM OS/2 Warp 4.0?
A: Yes, BackMaster was tested on Warp 4.0 during its complete beta
   cycle and also on the general release.

   BackMaster has proven to be very stable and reliable under Warp
   4.0.  Some of the changes in Warp 4.0 may prompt you to make some
   additional changes to your system and BackMaster settings to solve
   some problem issues:

   1. Sharing Violations: Due to some new files in OS/2 Warp 4.0 which
      are in use or locked, BackMaster might error with a "Sharing
      Violation".  To correct this, you can use BackMaster's Forced
      Read List option.  The Forced Read List enables BackMaster to
      read files that are locked.  You may select, via complete
      filenames or wildcards, files which are to be read even if
      locked.  The filenames or wildcards may be added or deleted from
      the list with this control.  On the backup page in BackMaster's
      configuration, enter " *.* " and ".*" by itself into the entry field,
      then select the "Add" button to add this to the drop down list
      of file extensions and wild cards for files to be forced read.

Q: How do I configure High Speed Adapter cards under BackMaster
   and OS/2?
A: High speed adapters are peripheral cards added to the machine to
   increase backup speed.  Transfer speeds can be doubled or tripled
   depending on the type of tape drive being used.  The standard
   floppy controller (1.44) runs at 500 Kilobits per second.  High
   speed adapters, such as the Colorado FC-10 or the Iomega
   Accelerator can run a tape drive at 1 Megabit per second. This
   usually equates to backing up 6-8 Megabytes per minute.  The FC-20
   and the Iomega Ditto Card can push transfer speeds to 2 Megabits
   per second for 3020 drives.  Some standard floppy controllers can
   support 2.88 floppy drives at 1 Megabit per second.  In BackMaster 3.0
   options and configurations, choose the "Automatic" transfer speed setting
   under the "Floppy" page.  BackMaster will automatically set the transfer
   rate for your specific tape drive.

Q: When I booted from floppies and ran BMREST.EXE, I got an error
   message that said "Cannot load physical format DLL.".  How do I fix
   this?
A: Copy \backmast\*.dll to the last boot recovery diskette.

Q: Can I use my Promise controller as a floppy tape adapter?
A: Promise Caching Controllers can cause problems with shoe shining and
   other issues.  They can cause bad offsets and other problems.  To
   fix these problems, insure you are using the Promise drivers for
   OS/2.  The /f switch must be on the in the driver statement.  The
   Promise controller must run in fast mode (/f parameter) in order to
   work with floppy tape drives.  Refer to the Promise documentation
   for more information.

Q: BackMaster General Troubleshooting Hints.
A: Timing or software problems are caused by a software or hardware
   component of your system interfering with the flow of data between
   the backup program and the floppy controller.

   Some of the symptoms are:

    - Tape drive seems to start normally but fails to read data from
      any tape.
    - Tape drive is very slow (normal data rate is 4MB per minute)
      and may exhibit continual back and forth tape motion.
    - Your system or the program may halt or "lock up" during a tape
      operation.

   SOFTWARE: If you are not able to resolve an error after following
   the suggestions given in the BackMaster Manual or the BackMaster
   Online Information Presentation Facility (the book icon in the
   BackMaster folder), it is recommended to do the following:

    - Move drivers to the bottom of the \CONFIG.SYS file.
    - Shut down all other background applications.
    - Change the Cache option on the Motherboard to Write-Through.
    - Make sure you have the current drivers from our BBS.
    - Try changing the memory aperture on your video card.
    - If you are using a High Speed Adapter, make sure it is not
      sharing the DMA channel with another device.  This can appear to
      work, but can cause problems later on.
    - Try changing the DISKCACHE line in your \CONFIG.SYS file to
      reserve less memory.
    - Clean your tape drive and retension it.
    - Enable TIME CRITICAL in the configuration notebook.
    - Try another tape.  Make sure your tapes are on the Approved
      Tapes List in the BackMaster or Manufacturer's manual.
    - Check the hard drive for lost clusters, bad sectors, and
      fragmentation.  If errors occur, correct them by running a OS/2
      disk utility or use `CHKDSK /F' See your OS/2 manual for more
      information.

   HARDWARE: If the drive does not respond when you try to access it
   with the software, do the following:

    - Remove the tape from the drive and examine it.  If the tape is
      damaged or un-spooled, try another tape.
    - Close down all programs, exit OS/2 and turn the power off on the
      computer.  If your tape drive plugs directly into the wall
      outlet, disconnect it from the wall outlet, wait a few seconds
      and then reconnect it.  Turn the power back on, reboot, and try
      again.
    - Place a tape in the drive and look to see if the LED is
      functioning normally.  The tape drive LED should not be on after
      the tape stops spinning.

Q: Why do I get an error 59 (Tape is not formatted) when I'm
    using a new pre-formatted tape or a good tape?
A:  - Possible causes:
      1) Unformatted tape.
      2) Dirty Read/Write head.
      3) Insufficient memory or a software conflict with tape
         software.
      4) Hardware conflict with DMA, IRQ, or Base I/O Address.
      5) Loose tape media or cartridge not seated in drive firmly.
      5) Motor Jam or Read/Write head failure.
      6) Floppy disk controller or System Timing.

    - Possible solutions:
      1) Make sure all your settings are correct in BackMaster, enable
         Time critical settings in BackMaster's configuration.
      2) Clean the tape device (after 8-10 hours of usage)
      3) Add the /M switch to the device driver BackMaster uses
      5) Reconfigure your system to not have any conflicts with DMA,
         IRS or I/O address ranges.
      6) Try another CMOS parallel port mode (on Pentium machines)
      7) Format the tape in the tape drive that it will be used in.
      8) If the tape has never been formatted, or if the tape is
         pre-formatted for a different type of drive, it will need to
         be formatted before use.

Q: Why won't BackMaster read my Warp 4.0 HPFS file system drives?
A: IBM has a trouble report on this problem.  At times a file system
   error is created which the HPFS system does not correct.  This has
   shown up as an error in BackMaster's ability to read the file
   systems file tree.  Running the "attrib" command has helped to
   identify where the error is located in the file structure.  By
   removing the offending file or directory the problem is solved.
   Alternatively, you can try running CHKDSK from an older version of
   Warp when booted from floppy diskettes.

Q: Can I use Advanced Power Management with BackMaster?
A: Some systems with APM enabled do not seem to allow the backups to
   be completed.  Make sure your APM setup allows IO access via the
   floppy interface or the parallel interface to resolve this.

Q: How to Deselect files with File Selection Sets?
A: BackMaster allows you to create and save backup file selections to
   the hard drive.  These File Selection Sets may be launched by menu or
   drag and drop, allowing you to start a routine backup in seconds.
   Additionally, you can edit or create your own custom *.fss files
   using wild cards (I.E., *.*, *.exe, etc. ... )

   When creating a file selection set to include DESELECTING files,
   there are rules you must follow to get the disired results.
   BackMaster supports wildcards in the Directory and File sections of
   an FSS.

  The following are examples of different wild cards used in an FSS

      \*.* (This example selects all files and sub-directories in the
      drive.)

      Note that the above wild card will not allow you to make changes
      along the rest of the file selection set.  By default, it has
      selected all files in the directory tree.  This means that if
      you have selected all the files of the root directory.  You
      cannot deselect the files unless you have stated the entire path.
      Adding a "+" (plus) or a "-" (minus) sign to the beginning of the
      path will add or remove the selected wild card on the files selected.

      Example:

      \*.* (This example selects all files and sub directories in the
      drive.)
      -\OS2\DLL\*.DLL (This example deselects all *.DLL files in the
      \OS2\DLL directory)

      Complete FSS Example:

      BACKMASTER VERSION 3.0
      SAVESET FILE C:\BACKMAST\example.FSS
      SOURCE DRIVE C
      ENDHEADER
      ENDCOMMENT
      \*.*
      -\os2\*.exe
      -\os2\dll\*.dll
      END

      The above example selects all files on drive C:, then deselects
      all *.EXE files in the C:\OS2 directory and deselects all *.DLL
      files in the C:\OS2\DLL directory.

MSR Development Corporation Document #MSRDOC0322-4 Last revised: 6-16-97