[Solved] FTP Connection Errors with WD DL4100 NAS
Equipment:
- Hosts tested:
- 2 x Windows 7 machines, Acronis build 6559
- FTP servers used:
- 1 x WD My Cloud DL4100 (which runs Pure-FTPd and supports MLST/MLSD commands)
- 1 x Windows 7 running MobaXterm FTP server (no support of MLST/MLSD commands). (same machine tested with BabyFTP)
What I've found:
- On my NAS, through FTP, the FTP root directory is not writeable (which looks to be a common thing on SOHO out-of-the-box NAS systems like this).
- When Acronis tries to create the initial connection to the FTP server it's trying to use "MLST Size;Modify;Create;Type;" and the FTPd software is responding that it accepts "MLST OPTS type;size;sizd;modify;UNIX.mode;UNIX.uid;UNIX.gif;unique;"--Acronis then issues "MLST /" and the server responds that it cannot comply with the command.
- MobaXterm doesn't look to support MLST commands at all; so it will fail every time.
- Acronis accessing BabyFTP doesn't issue any MLST commands (anonymous uname/pword; in ATI don't specify uname/pword)
- Theory on "how it creates connections"
- Point directly to host server on FTP port, supply credentials
- ATI does checking of permissions in the root directory using MLST command (if it fails, connection fails)
- If ATI can write to that directory (and MLST commands work) then it will log in to the FTP server and THEN list the directories you may choose from
- At this time you may choose the root directory OR the writeable directory.
- Theory on how they can fix this
- Option 1: remove requirement of creation under initial root directory
- Option 2: allow pointing directly to a sub-directory using syntax: ftp://[ip:port]/targetDirectory instead of having the dedicated IP and Port entries (although the "IP" field is listed as a "Path:" supplying the actual full path does not work in the following formats:
- ftp://[ip:port]/targetDirectory --> caused ATI to crash once, but not every time
- ftp://[ip]/targetDirectory --> fails
- [ip]/targetDirectory --> fails
- [ip]\targetDirectory --> fails
- [ip]/\targetDirectory --> fails
I have a call in to support about the issue.
Chris,
You may have run into a known limitation of the Acronis Backup product line. Please see the link below. It is aimed at Acronis Backup 11.5, 11.7 but since those prodicts share in code this may well apply to True Image 2016 as well. Support should be able to confirm this I would think.
https://kb.acronis.com/content/57018
Here is another link that may be of interest:
Chris, I hope that your call in to Acronis Support bears some fruit for you.
Please see the following KB documents that may be of help:
45527: Acronis True Image: Troubleshooting Network Connection Issues
58000: Acronis True Image 2016: Troubleshooting Issues With NAS Devices
In the above KB document, see section 14. Troubleshooting backups to NAS through FTP
58004: Acronis True Image 2016: Troubleshooting Issues Related To NAS Credentials
Section 14 provided a link outlining how to enable FTP logging--which will most certainly be good. Having some verbose information for support will be helpful. I'm past the tcpdump part already, but the logging is most certainly good to have!
In my screenshots I've shown that this iteration of NAS FTP (Pure-FTP) does support the correct commands (but may be failing with one specific sub-command), but perhaps Acronis can change how it works to help accommodate how these FTP servers run. I hope so at least.
Thank you much for your reply!
Chris,
You may have run into a known limitation of the Acronis Backup product line. Please see the link below. It is aimed at Acronis Backup 11.5, 11.7 but since those prodicts share in code this may well apply to True Image 2016 as well. Support should be able to confirm this I would think.
https://kb.acronis.com/content/57018
Here is another link that may be of interest:
If I've hit a limitation of the software I hope that I can help the support personnel point the engineers down the path of improving the product to accommodate for *possibly* sub-part FTP implementations. Although LIST commands are deprecated in favor of MLST/MLSD commands, perhaps they can add some checking to fall back to some of the LIST commands. Also, the WD DL4100 implementation of Pure-FTP looks to be compatible with MLST/MLSD commands, but in this case the root directory isn't allowing the 'create' sub-command because it's not actually writeable. (just a guess from what I'm seeing.)
We'll see, though. I hope they take an interest in possibly changing the product a slight bit to accommodate for this. I think it would be beneficial for other customers who run these SOHO devices and require FTP. I'll look at using SMB:// when I'm home next--perhaps that will work instead?
If it comes down to it I guess could drop it to another internal server and have that server THEN copy the files to my NAS--but that's more work than is needed.
Thanks much for your reply!
I'm certain that you can USE SMB as I do on ny FreeNAS box and it works flawlessly. I understand wanting to use FTP but SMB serves my pruposes.
I recommend that you use the in app feedback option found in the Help section of the app, look for the open book icon on the left side of the GUI. Provide a brief explanation of the issue, attach what you have in the way of documenting the issue, and link to or reference this Forum thread. I think you have a good chance at getting some traction here on a fix.
As I've been thinking about it--although SMB does work correctly, I'm going to continue working with them on the FTP method, as I would want to see this advertised supported feature working. Plus, I'm opening up backups from an internal DMZ and want to focus on FTP for this use-case.
Non-technical users will not know why their NAS won't work with Acronis even though the NAS supports FTP, but we can help Acronis engineers getting these working--and it will help everyone in the long-run. Hope so anyway.
-Chris
Thanks for the reply Chris, yes, working with Support can help get things working and I applaud your efforts there.
Have you seen the Sticky at the top of main True Image 2016 page where a survey is being taken about NAS usage? I hope you did as the poll that the survey was taking is now closed so hopefully you had the opportunity to chime in on that.
If not the feedback option will do. Here's hoping for a fix!
Absolutely caught that--hopefully quite a few people chimed in. But, it's probably not geared around FTP use in particular. We'll see, though. I'm here to help with getting this working as we'd expect.
Hello, Chris.
So the problem is that you cannot create a new FTP connection (on the "backup destination" window)?
Or is the connection saved successfully, but then the backup itself fails?
Hi Dmitry,
I cannot successfully create the connection because the root directory is not writeable. This is common on these SOHO/SMB NAS devices. FTP access is normally only granted to sub-folders, not to this root directory.
-Chris
Hello, Chris!
This is strange, because I deployed Pure-FTPd and made the root directory read-only, but the MLST command still works. This led me to believe this issue may have been caused by something else.
Today I had a call with an Acronis Support Engineer. Prior to the call I had downloaded/upgraded to build 6571, which was released approximately three weeks ago.
I fired up a new backup and added an FTP connection--boom, it worked and all is well!
Doesn't look like I can mark a post as 'solved' or the like.
SOLVED!
-Chris
Thanks for reporting back, glad your issue is sorted.