CrashPlan 3.0 & Mac Metadata

Two days ago, Code42 released the long-awaited 3.0 update to their fantastic CrashPlan backup application. Among the new features and changes are the merging of their paid CrashPlan+ and CrashPlan Central services, backup sets, and what this blog post is about, full support for Mac HFS+ xattr metadata! I wanted to see just how well CrashPlan 3.0 performs with regards to Mac metadata, so I ran a Backup Bouncer (enhanced) test on it. The full results are below for those interested. While it’s not perfect, CrashPlan 3.0 in fact does a better job supporting Mac metadata than most Mac backup apps, including Apple’s own Time Machine. The only pieces of metadata not supported are HFS+ compression added in Snow Leopard (decmpfs xattr - the data is still good though, just not compressed) and non-inherited ACLs. Overall, I’m very impressed! Great job, Code42!

Note: My feelings are still mixed on combining CrashPlan+ and CrashPlan Central. I may want a CrashPlan+ account for a computer which I have no intention of backing up to CrashPlan Central. Granted, there are now cheaper monthly/yearly 10GB plans, but these could still be more expensive than buying the old CrashPlan+ license.

sh-3.2# bbouncer verify -d /Volumes/Src /Volumes/Dst

Verifying: basic-permissions … ok

Verifying: timestamps … ok

Verifying: symlinks … ok

Verifying: symlink-ownership … ok

Verifying: hardlinks … ok

Verifying: resource-forks …

Sub-test: on files … ok

Sub-test: on hardlinked files … ok

Verifying: finder-flags … ok

Verifying: finder-locks … ok

Verifying: creation-date … ok

Verifying: bsd-flags … ok

Verifying: extended-attrs …

Sub-test: [ on files ] … ok

Sub-test: creation time … ok

Sub-test: modification time … ok

Sub-test: [ on locked files ] … ok

Sub-test: creation time … ok

Sub-test: modification time … ok

Sub-test: [ on directories ] … ok

Sub-test: creation time … ok

Sub-test: modification time … ok

Sub-test: [ on symlinks ] … ok

Sub-test: creation time … ok

Verifying: hfs-compression …

Sub-test: decmpfs xattr … not preserved

Sub-test: UF_COMPRESSED flag … not set

Sub-test: file contents … match

Sub-test: creation time … ok

Sub-test: modification time … ok

Sub-test: hard link inode … ok

Sub-test: hard link decmpfs xattr … not preserved

Sub-test: hard link UF_COMPRESSED flag … not set

Sub-test: hard link modification time … ok

ok

Verifying: hfs-compression_large …

Sub-test: decmpfs xattr … not preserved

Sub-test: UF_COMPRESSED flag … not set

Sub-test: file contents … match

Sub-test: creation time … ok

Sub-test: modification time … ok

Sub-test: hard link inode … ok

Sub-test: hard link decmpfs xattr … not preserved

Sub-test: hard link UF_COMPRESSED flag … not set

Sub-test: hard link modification time … ok

ok

Verifying: access-control-lists …

Sub-test: on files … ok

Sub-test: on dirs … ok

Sub-test: on locked files … ok

Sub-test: on non-inherited acls … FAIL

Sub-test: on inherited acls … ok

Verifying: fifo … ok

Verifying: devices … ok

Verifying: combo-tests …

Sub-test: xattrs + rsrc forks … ok

Sub-test: lots of metadata … ok