Moving From CrashPlan Plugin to Iohyve/bhyve

[nello]

Based on this recommendation, I decided to drop the CrashPlan Plugin and try to run CrashPlan from a Ubuntu Virtual Machine (VM) created with iohyve/bhyve.

You can follow the steps I took in these threads:

• Creating VM and installing Ubuntu including GUI via VNC
• Install CrashPlan based on Code42's instructions
• Mounting existing CrashPlan archives via NFS3 shares

Unfortunately, I ran into these additional roadblocks.

1. Change Permissions on Existing Archives
   The archives created with the CrashPlan plugin are owned by root:root. You need to change them to the ownership used by your NFS client in Ubuntu. Obviously, you do this from the FreeNAS side while the share is NOT mounted in Ubuntu. (Obvious now after making several mistakes along the way.) For example
   Code:

   chown -R crashPlan:backup  667359794921210220

   
   
   
2. Clear Cache
   In my case, apparently the cache for prior backups was interfering with backing up to this new Destination. I got incomplete backups and an inconsistent status until I followed the Code42 instructions for clearing the cache.
   
   
3. Ubuntu Updates 2016.10.30 Update
   Attempting to upgrade packages resulting in the error: E: You don't have enough free space in /var/cache/apt/archives/. I fixed this by editing /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/20archieve and changing/adding the following:
   Code:

   APT::Archives::MaxSize "1000000";
   APT::Cache-Limit "100000000";

And now it seems to work perfectly!

Thank you to everyone who helped me along the way, in chronological order: @Nick2253, @dlavigne, @m0nkey_, @danb35

- nello


2016.08.29 Update
Unfortunately, there appears to be at least one problem. I looked at trying to restore a file or two. It appears that the CrashPlan backup on Ubuntu has only the most recent version of each file. In other words, all the previous versions that were backed up by the CrashPlan plugin are gone. Apparently CrashPlan is treating Ubuntu as a first-time backup.

2016.10.30 Update
CrashPlan updated all by itself from ver. 4.7 to 4.8 on October 27. Don't ask me why it waited so long to do the update; apparently the update was available on September 27. I'm just glad it did it at all.

 

[m0nkey_]

Good to hear you got it up and running! Now, how about writing a how-to for the rest of the community? ;-)

 

[fracai]

2016.08.29 Update
Unfortunately, there appears to be at least one problem. I looked at trying to restore a file or two. It appears that the CrashPlan backup on Ubuntu has only the most recent version of each file. In other words, all the previous versions that were backed up by the CrashPlan plugin are gone. Apparently CrashPlan is treating Ubuntu as a first-time backup.

Did you try to "adopt" the previous backup? Each time I've reinstalled Crashplan, the default is to create a brand new backup, but you should be able to adopt an existing backup.

https://support.code42.com/CrashPlan/4/Configuring/Replacing_Your_Device

If you need to specify an encryption key, be sure to use the correct key or you'll invalidate all the old backups and will need to start over.

 

[nello]

Did you try to "adopt" the previous backup?

I thought about Adopting but it didn't seem appropriate to my situation.

All the examples I're read about Adopting have been about reconnecting new source/client files to an existing Destination/server.

I'm trying to reconnect a new Destination/server to the existing source/client files.

In other words, I'm trying to replace a destination computer while preserving the archive. So I think that need to Attach the new Destination/server to the existing source/client files as described here:

https://support.code42.com/CrashPla..._Or_Drive#Manually_Copy_And_Attach_An_Archive

Am I misunderstanding what Adopt vs. Attach does?

 

[nello]

Following @fracai 's suggestion, I configured autofs so that my CrashPlan backup archive is automatically mounted as needed.

I followed this guide:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Autofs

The only problem I had that wasn't covered in the guide is that I had to comment out these two lines in /etc/auto.master:

Code:

...
#+dir:/etc/auto.master.d
...
#+auto.master

 

[Stux]

In other words, I'm trying to replace a destination computer while preserving the archive. So I think that need to Attach the new Destination/server to the existing source/client files as described here:

That sounds like what adopt would do :-/

Ie the replacement computer would adopt the archive. If you don't adopt you start a new archive, which is exactly what happened

 

[nello]

Am I misunderstanding what Adopt vs. Attach does?

I'm thinking that Adopt and Attach are two sides of the same coin.

• Adopt
  Used from the client (source) side.
  
  
• Attach
  Used from the server (Destination) side.

Comments, anyone?


2016.09.27 Update

Here's the answer I got to this question from Code42 Community Support:

Every computer has a unique identify. See this article for details:

https://support.code42.com/CrashPlan/4/Configuring/Computer_Identit...

Adoption is taking a computer with a random identity and assigning it a previous identity. If you re-install your OS, then re-install Crashplan, you'll get a new identity. You'll want to 'adopt' the old guid so your new computer becomes the old one.

Attaching an archive is what hapens if you move your identity file around, for example. Your computer has the same guid, you're just helping the software find its folder. Crashplan won't let a different guid attach to an archive location.

Hope this helps!​

 

[nello]

Good to hear you got it up and running! Now, how about writing a how-to for the rest of the community? ;-)

Thanks for creating the video!

 

[cstathoulis]

Good to hear you got it up and running! Now, how about writing a how-to for the rest of the community? ;-)

I second that. Clear step by step instructions. From installing Ubuntu, a graphical GUI and right down to installing Crashplan in Linux and getting it up and running. Yes, I know, it's a lot of work. I've been following the threads on this issue but they are scattered all of the place. It would be very appreciative. :)

 

[nello]

… step by step instructions … from installing Ubuntu, a graphical GUI and right down to installing Crashplan in Linux and getting it up and running.

I think that if you just look at the links above that you will find all the instructions that you need. Specifically, take a look at this:

https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/crashplan-running-on-ubuntu-in-bhyve.45192/

Follow these instructions, taking screen shots as you go along and I think that you'll have the instructions you'd like.

Sorry, I have it working and I don't want to re-do it just to create a tutorial. And, I don't have another FreeNAS server to play with.

- nello

 

[lmannyr]

On autofs.

how do I mount into a subdirectory. ex....

/dir/subdir 192.168.0.1:/dir/

I can't get it to mount into a subdirectory. I tried:
/dir/subdir
dir/subdir
/subdir

Only mounts with...

dir 192.168.0.1:/dir