Acronis 2015 is no longer able to create backups to a NAS volume (previous versions could)
This is a pretty big showstopper. Previous versions of Acronis from 2014 down to 2011 could all back up directly to both a UNC path (\\host\path\) as well as a mapped CIFS drive to that same location (B:\ mapped to \\host\path\).
In that setup, you could specify and verify/validate the username required to write to that volume.
In Acronis 2015, that's completely missing from anywhere in the GUI or setup. I can map a drive with the correct username to write to that volume, but Acronis 2015 fails to correctly write that data to that volume, with the error:
"The backup has failed. Please close the application that may currently use the file: \\host\path\Enteir PC (mypcname)_full_b1_s1_v11.tib
To specify another location, click Browse"
This always stops after -exactly- 22.30MB is processed, and 5 minutes have timed out.
The drive is mapped using a valid user who can write to this volume, and I can test that in Windows by creating a folder, putting a file in it, renaming that folder, renaming that file and removing the folder and its containing file, from Windows Explorer.
The issue isn't Windows, nor the credentials used to map the drive. The issue is that Acronis is trying to write to this drive using some mysterious, invalid credentials that causes a failure.
Has anyone tried this with the same results? I did find a similar problem documented on this, but no solution:
https://forum.acronis.com/forum/74504
So what's the fix?
Note: This fails whether I map a drive letter to the \\host\backup\path location and point Acronis to B:\ (where this NAS is mapped), and also fails if I browse directly to the UNC path (\\192.168.1.x\backup\path).
Further digging, I found a file in C:\ProgramData\Acronis\TrueImageHome\Scripts\ with a name that looks like:
206FE5EC8-4AC2-4077-B7A1-{mumble}.tib.tis and within that XML file, are some interesting bits.
Under the element, are two important pieces under the archive_options element:
When change the uri object of the volume_location_datacenter_id element to refer to a drive letter instead of a UNC path, it properly tries to send the backup to B:\ instead of \\192.168.1.x\backup\path. It fails, which I expect, but fails at 22.48MB instead of the previous, reproducible 22.30MB. At least I know I'm in the right place, touching the right file.
Also, inside archive_options is a password object, which has a very long, hashed password and some parameters passed to it. It looks like:
password={hashed password}%{id}
&uA@{some sort of guid}
&{another guid}
*{id}
#*{another id}
%{hash}
@{id}
This apparently contains a password I certainly didn't enter anywhere for Acronis to hash, and removing it does not permit backups to proceed cleanly.
So what exactly is this password to, how was it created, and what is it being used for? And why?
The more I dig, the more uneasy I get with this.
I found a workaround, but this is definitely not a solution:
In the script mentioned above, I -completely removed- the password="{long string}" object entirely, not just the password itself, but the whole object. When I tried to run the backup again (after a full reboot, just to be sure), it tried to start the backup, failed with an auth error, but THIS TIME, popped up a dialog box asking for Username, Password and a "Test Connection" button.
YAY!
So I put in the same credentials I used to map the persistent B:\ drive on the host, and clicked "Back Up Now", which then started correctly writing the backup to the NAS volume.
But.. it did so without a 'name' for the backup so the backup name on the NAS ended up being called "_full_b1_s1_v11.tib" and nothing more.
I stopped the backup, clicked "Edit Settings", and gave it a name, Saved it, and am now backing it up as I type this post. So far, it's written an 8,192 KB file to the NAS volume and says that 22.84MB of data has been processed. It's been sitting there like that for about 10 minutes.
David,
Thank you for sharing this. I noticed that ATI 2015 is iffy with NAS credentials too, and there is no UI to change it or check it.
David,Thank you for sharing this. I noticed that ATI 2015 is iffy with NAS credentials too, and there is no UI to change it or check it.
I've hit this problem too (no UI to change NAS credentials).
RANT because this is an old problem and it serious
This was bad in prior years.
Now worse.
Geeze, Acronis, Can't You Get This Right? You've made it WORSE!!!
Idiot coders working in caves.
Testing? What testing.
I've used Acronis for what, 10 years? Paid $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ for many licenses, many upgrades.
What a sucker I am.