[Feature Request] - HC2 Backup modification

[MatsB 1]

This is for me the most critical disadvantage of the Fibaro system that you cannot restore your system in case of hardware failure.

My HCL has worked without any failure the last year but still it’s important for me to have a disaster plan which cover a quick recover.

//Mats B

[BusterB1959 7]

I would like to give an example :

My HC2 failed to boot. Sent support ticket and trawlled the web. Cut a long long story short. I was asked to send it back for replacement / fix. 

I run my heating system through my HC2, winter no heating. Wife trouble. 

The good people who I bought it through agreed to sending a new one out. 

If Fibaro want HC2/HCL to be more that a gadget they have to rethink there backup and restore policy. 

It took almost a week to get back to status quo. 

[1152 33]

Pointed out to Fibaro for years... Bottom line not enough competition - and not enough users with Fibaro gateway dependent enough on the integration of their systems and homes. Belive me Fibaro as a commercial company has to bend to the market forces. I among others are not happy with Fibaro in this respect, but not unhappy enough to jump ship...

[luke80 0]

it's incredible that Fibaro doesn't have a correct and functional system backup.

 

The only way that i know to make an external backup in fibaro is to launch a backup through web interface, power off the unit, unplug the usb key, attach it on a linux box and dump all the key that contains some backup (in xml file i remembered).

 

In this way i think and i hope that in case of crash i can reinject the xml backup and reimport these in some way in the new usb key.

 

In past i used others automation systems that had a complete and functional backup, fibaro unfortunately no for now.

 

regards

[jakub.jezek 350]

I believe they have something on the roadmap regarding backup.

[tinman 1,025]

it is actually funny, because lot of other z-wave gateways does not have ANY kind of backup, or if they have something, then completely unprotected (so one can copy z-wave content to z-wave stick and open other ppl house). With Fibaro HC2 one have backup/restore/recovery/migration (yes, support necessary to help here), on external storage (USB for HC2 or server for HCL) and all important data is encrypted. Sure, one can always do something better (like export/import of backups via web interface, actually i did wrote own plugin for this task, but of course this one will not get certified by Fibaro), or migration without any external help, but statements like this:

 

2 hours ago, luke80 said:

it's incredible that Fibaro doesn't have a correct and functional system backup.

 

are completely wrong and misleading.

[Sankotronic 2,086]

I agree with @tinman,

 

HC2 has backup system that helped me several times to restore my HC2 after some serious problems. Of course having habit of making regular backups is even more important because no matter how good and versatile backup system is if you don't use it

[akatar 207]

3 hours ago, tinman said:

it is actually funny, because lot of other z-wave gateways does not have ANY kind of backup, or if they have something, then completely unprotected (so one can copy z-wave content to z-wave stick and open other ppl house). With Fibaro HC2 one have backup/restore/recovery/migration (yes, support necessary to help here), on external storage (USB for HC2 or server for HCL) and all important data is encrypted. Sure, one can always do something better (like export/import of backups via web interface, actually i did wrote own plugin for this task, but of course this one will not get certified by Fibaro), or migration without any external help, but statements like this:

 

 

are completely wrong and misleading.

A complete and functional backup for me is:

i can create a backup where i want (my nas would be a great place)

when the hc2 crashes and burns i can get a new one, reload the backup from my nas

 

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an example of homeseer zwave backup

[tinman 1,025]

14 minutes ago, akatar said:

an example of homeseer zwave backup

 

yes, homeseer (as long you not try to update firmware version to not supported one, but that's different story) and zwave.me solutions are ok, zwave.me even does encrypt important data. As already said above:

 

[luke80 0]

Thank you all for the answers.

 

I mean that a complete and functional backup if and only if you can export the backup to another place in case of disaster recovery (for example a nas, a usb disk or cloud)
If the backup remains only inside the device, it can be useful only for some cases but not in the case in which the control unit is completely broken.

 

in this case I should send the unit to poland and from the comments on the forum I see that it would return completely reset and therefore this would require an infinite time of reconfiguration.

 

This is my thought.

 

[tinman 1,025]

21 minutes ago, luke80 said:

in this case I should send the unit to poland and from the comments on the forum I see that it would return completely reset and therefore this would require an infinite time of reconfiguration.

 

well, Fibaro can for sure restore the data to new unit, we can  do it as well (we started 2yrs ago emergency repair, even with 1day express option , to simplify and speed up the process), so for the customer no need to spend any time on that - simply boot new HC2 and everything works like before.

[luke80 0]

Thanks a lot for the answer. But what happens if the USB stick is completely corrupted? How do they recover data? backups are present only in the usb stick, right?

 

and how much the " emergency repair, even with 1day express option " ?

 

regards

Edited December 21, 2017 by luke80

[Orgli 13]

@tinman: It is possible for intuitech (or other companies incl. Fibar), to restore data from a corrupted system (like a broken USB-stick, or a hardware failure of the board etc.) ?

Are there any possibilities - as discussed within this topic - to replace a destroyed (e.g. fire) or even stolen HC2 ?

 

I get nightmares if I think of all the time und work for a complete new setup of a "clean" HC2 with all my existing devices

[tinman 1,025]

@Orgli sure, as long the data can be restored:

- from backup 

- from raw access on OS and/or backup sticks or extraction from zwave board

 

[Lambik 192]

Just to be clear about the definition 'backup':

Quote

5.    Computers.

1. a copy or duplicate version, especially of a file, program, or entire computer system, retained for use in the event that the original is in some way rendered unusable.
2. a procedure to follow in such an event.

source:

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As long as the procedure, at the dawn of 2018, is causing downtime > 12 hours, caused by impossibility to use a spare and sending failing hardware by snail-mail, it is unacceptable for me (and a lot of other users). We not living the millennium-bug era.

 

I really don't care about the reasons. I'm asking for an acceptable working solution for a fundamental device in my infrastructure.

 

Stop the gammon and spinach. Just solve it. Period.

[luke80 0]

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Edited December 28, 2017 by luke80

[Bodyart 229]

2 minutes ago, luke80 said:

In case it is stolen? for this I think it's better to have a backup on another place, usb ,cloud or others.

Hi @luke80,

 

it's a common usage in the ICT industry to have back up's on different physical locations

 

[luke80 0]

Hi Bodyart,

of course, it is an obligation I would say!

[jakub.jezek 350]

I believe there will be some modification to backup . Unfortunatelly i cannot say more, yet.

[tinman 1,025]

2 hours ago, jakub.jezek said:

I believe there will be some modification to backup . Unfortunatelly i cannot say more, yet.

 

fbi