SOLVED Time Machine AFP share size limit

[NeverEnd]

I created a data set for TM backup, shared the dataset as AFP share, and set the value of "Time Machine Quota" to 1024 GB of the AFP share, but Time Machine preference on mac still shows 8.2TB available which is the total free space of the pool. I also tried to set the dataset's quota to 1TB but the used/free space reads different on mac and Freenas (mac shows more free space available than Freenas). I tried these 2 methods separately.

What is the right way of limiting the TM backup dataset's size?

 

[garm]

Use a dedicated dataset and set a quota on it. FreeNAS displays TiB while OSX shows you TB, so there will be a ~10% difference on in the numbers, but the actual size will be the same. Ran TM on FreeNAS for a few years and it works great, best possible storage for TM.

 

[NeverEnd]

Thanks Garm, using a dedicated dataset for TM backup is what I'm doing, so I'll set the quota of the dataset to 1TB, as you said there's about a 10% difference of the numbers between Freenas and MAC, as long as it's woking fine I'll ignore the numbers.

PS: I just suffered from a failed TM restore from Freenas 2 week ago, the macos crushed and not able to boot, I tried to restore the TM backup from Freenas and it said to restore I need to erase the disk, I had no choice but to click "accept" and after 10 mins of restoring... it failed. I tried so many times and searching internet while I was doing it, nothing worked. I had to re-install macos from scratch, and tried to fix the TM backup (the process is very complicated), fortunately I was able to get back all my user data but have to re-do everything I did on macos these 2 years. Not sure if it's because I'm running 10.15 Catalina beta. Now I'm using TM to backup macos only, and backup my data with Rsync - this way I can be sure all the data I need is backed up and even the TM restore failed next time I won't need to find the data back.

I believe it's not Freenas's fault but mac's. It always told me that backup has been completed successfully but obviously something is wrong with the backup database, Freenas does everything it needs to do perfectly, once the backup is fixed and mounted I can get all the files, but not able to restore it with Timemachine.

 

[F!$hp0nd]

To restore from a TimeMachine backup, you should have just booted into the recovery OS (command + R) and then choose to restore from backup, then be on the same network as your FreeNas box and then it will allow you to map to the Time Machine backup and restore your settings. (Best to be done over ethernet rather than Wifi as TimeMachine resets the network half way through the restore, with a hard line this is diverted).

 

[NeverEnd]

To restore from a TimeMachine backup, you should have just booted into the recovery OS (command + R) and then choose to restore from backup, then be on the same network as your FreeNas box and then it will allow you to map to the Time Machine backup and restore your settings.

This is exactly what I did and it failed, later I fixed the backup (.sparsebundle) following this post, it's old but it worked. All I can do is to recover the files.
https://jd-powered.net/notes/fixing-your-time-machine-backup/

 

[F!$hp0nd]

Also, just a side note. It looks like Apple has officially dropped their TimeMachine server from OSX Server for Mojave. It makes me wonder if using TimeMachine across AFP for Mojave and Catalina are no longer working correctly. This most likely is not a FreeNas issue but rather an issue with the way TimeMachine works. I know Catalina implemented a bunch of new security protocols, which could have resulted in corrupting your backup.

 

[NeverEnd]

Also, just a side note. It looks like Apple has officially dropped their TimeMachine server from OSX Server for Mojave. It makes me wonder if using TimeMachine across AFP for Mojave and Catalina are no longer working correctly. This most likely is not a FreeNas issue but rather an issue with the way TimeMachine works. I know Catalina implemented a bunch of new security protocols, which could have resulted in corrupting your backup.

Agree. Rsync and other sync app/command also have issues when replicating files in some specific folders like ~/Downloads ~/Desktop etc, even when Rsync is granted with full disk access - and it's a bad idea. I'm trying to figure this out but it's another story.