/var/spool/imap and Time Machine

Hi,
after upgrading my G4 Mini from 10.5 Server to 10.5.1 Server, the machine didn't boot any more.
When trying to restore from my Time Machine volume, I figured out that /var/spool/imap is not being backuped up by Time Machine.
I double checked on another 10.5 server, same thing here.
Any ideas to make Time Machine also copy /var/spool?
Since /var/imap is on Time Machine - the db files in that directory do not contain eMail bodies, right?
Thanks for any help - I don't want to lose my 5 year email archive...
Cheers from Germany,
Peter

Dean Huxley wrote:
I just did another Time Machine restore and this time I ended up with /var/spool/{postfix,imap} not existing and nothing working. This appears to be a common problem. I'm trying another restore from an earlier backup.
I didn't have any luck with other restores, but I think I understand why now. Previously when the restore worked, the server was in Standard mode. A week or two later I ran into OpenDirectory problems and the Apple support guy walked me through switching to Advanced mode and how to rebuild the OD master. Everything seemed to be fine, but the Time Machine backups were no longer backing up the data in /var/spool and several other important directories. When it came time to restore, I had nothing but problems.
It appears the "magic" works in Standard mode but not in Advanced. I guess this explains a "Not Used" in the Advanced column on page 27 of the getting started book. During Time Machine backups in Standard mode, a command called SBSBackup is run to suspend services nicely then backup service related files into a /.ServerBackups directory. When the backup is done, another SBSBackup command is run to remove the /.ServerBackups directory (as it will have already been backed up via TimeMachine.) If a restore is done, the /.ServerBackups directory is what is used to repopulate things like /var/spool, etc.
Before anyone gets interested in reinstalling with Standard mode just to get recoverable Time Machine backups, I should point out that this SBSBackup has some "interesting" side effects. Because Time Machine runs hourly and the SBSBackup stops services, occasionally it's noticeable that something isn't running. Clients running Mail will frequently get the grey lightning bolt when they go to check mail and the service is down during the backup. Also, I think one of the times my server was corrupted was when the machine was rebooted while a /.ServerBackups was being created just before a backup. After I rebooted, some configuration files were missing and I suspect that the boot process checked this directory to automatically do restores of certain services then failed halfway through.
To summarize, anyone using Advanced mode will have to rely on something other than Time Machine for full system backups.

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/etc/postfix/main.cf is set to:
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The iPhoto Library is a Time Machine backup, and so cannot be used as the main library. Relaunch iPhoto with <option> key held down to choose another   library.
You can have an iPhoto library on an external drive and use it from different machines
and you can have a Time Machine backup
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Hi,
This is the first time I use this site.
I have over three years old Mackbook.
APP has expired.
Now I want to know how to set up time capsule in a new environment.
I moved from Australian and Singapore.
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In this case the apple support people reveal a truly poor understanding.
You must bridge something.. you either bridge the TC.. which 90% of people do.. or you bridge the dsl router.. which some people do manage to do.. You will have to look that up for your modem and check with verizon if they support pppoe authentication.
IMHO just bridge the TC as you were told not to do.. as they are simply wrong about that.
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How to load 5.6 into ML.
1. Download 5.6 for Lion.
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1482
Click to open the dmg but do not attempt to install the pkg.. it won't work anyway.
2. Download and install unpkg.
http://www.timdoug.com/unpkg/
Run unpkg on the desktop.. it is very simple.. drag the AirPortUtility56.pkg file over to unpkg.. and it will create a new directory of the same name on the desktop.. drill down.. applications utilities .. there lo and behold is Airport utility 5.6 .. drag it to your main utilities directory or just run it from current location.
You cannot uninstall 6.1 so don't try.. and you cannot or should not run them both at the same time.. so just ignore the toyland version.. the plastic hammer.. and start using 5.6.. a real tool.
For screen shots see this post.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4668746?tstart=0
Then open the manual setup on the 5.6 utility.. go to internet tab. Connection sharing.. off bridged mode.
Select this and update..
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Can Superduper and Time machine write to the same external volume.
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[You can designate just about any HFS+ formatted FireWire or USB drive connected to a Mac as a Time Machine backup drive. Time Machine can also back up to another Mac running Leopard with Personal File Sharing, Leopard Server, or Xsan storage devices.]

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Make sure that you have AirPort Utility 6.3.1 installed on your Mac.
AirPort Utility 6.3.1 for Mac - Support - Apple
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I'm just a little freaked out because of the trouble I have had with installing Z.6.

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If you are installing Leopard, as long as you don't select to run an +Erase and Install+, and there is no existing system on that drive, the installed system will be added to the existing data.
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I'm just a little freaked out because of the trouble I have had with installing Z.6.
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Please follow these instructions:
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Thanks for the response. I understand that I would need a backup of all three drives. However, I was asking if it is better to have your iPhoto and iTunes libraries on separate drives versus using 1 large drive to hold the data. The other point, iPhoto and iTunes can get fairly large in size over time. So, do you use 1 large external drive or use 2 separate drives. Obviously, I know that when a drive crashes, you may or may not be able to recover any data off of it. Obviously, I know that you need a backup of the drives in case of drive failure.
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So I reinstall snow leopard from the disk, and for some reason instead of being formatted everything appears as it did at the beginning of summer (I've had Snow Leopard since it came out). So I boot in the disk and try a time machine full restore to a different backup, and after it completes I again get into the kernel panic restart cycle.
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Disk Utility and Disk Warrior both report my internal hard drive and my external hard drive (where the time machine backups are stored in their own partition) are intact.
All I want is data restoration, and none of my methods have worked.... if there is a workaround to my time machine kernel panic issue and time machine would give an accurate restoration then I would do this... hopefully some of you have ideas... Thanks.
Running:
Macbook 2.13 Ghz
2 gb ram
was running the most recent edition of Snow Leopard, after restore I'm running the original OSX 10.6

You might try the following to repair permissions in your Home folder. Disk Utility does not repair permissions in the Home folder.
To fix Home folder permissions
Open the Terminal application in the Utilities folder. At the command line prompt enter or paste the following command line:
sudo chown -R `id -un`:`id -gn` ~
Press RETURN. You will be prompted to enter your admin password which will not be echoed.

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That done can I still use the external drive as a bootable drive? I want to gain the increase in performance from that hard drive by doing so.
If YES I just install my OS on to that drive and then once done select it as my boot drive in system preferences? Any help appreciated.

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My external hard drive for backup and Time Machine is full. I bought a new HD. Can I just begin using it, or must I transfer old BkUp and TM to the new HD?

My external hard drive for Back Up and Time Machine is full. I bought a new HD. Can I just begin using it and rely on the old HD for past Time Machine versions, or must I transfer the old Back Up and Time Machine files to the new HD?

It is your choice.
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If you want to retain the ability to go back into those time slots then copy it.
Allan

/var/spool/imap and Time Machine

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