Add quota for TimeMachine shared folder

Tell us your most wanted new features, or recommendation.
User avatar
macmpi
Posts: 120
Joined: 07 Jan 2020, 02:52

Re: Add quota for TimeMachine shared folder

Post by macmpi »

Since 4.2.06 Folder quota is possible on btrfs filesystem (only).
I therefore created a Backup share with 1GB quota: that share is selected as TimeMachine folder.

However, on the Mac side, TimeMachine system does not report the 1G volume size, but the full NAS Volume size...
This may cause issues when quota is reached: unexpected file write error, instead of automated TimeMachine pruning which is what is expected.

TimeMachine server should properly report the quota value if set
.
Thanks for consideration.
TerraMaster F2-210 under TOS 4.2.43, RAID1, Btrfs, serving Mac, Linux & Windows clients
User avatar
TMS
TerraMaster Team
Posts: 508
Joined: 20 Oct 2020, 17:06

Re: Add quota for TimeMachine shared folder

Post by TMS »

Thanks for the report, we will verify it here first.
To contact our tech team, please email to support(at)terra-master.com, remember to replace (at) with @
User avatar
macmpi
Posts: 120
Joined: 07 Jan 2020, 02:52

Re: Add quota for TimeMachine shared folder

Post by macmpi »

TMS wrote: 03 Dec 2020, 22:04 Thanks for the report, we will verify it here first.
Any update?
Thanks.
TerraMaster F2-210 under TOS 4.2.43, RAID1, Btrfs, serving Mac, Linux & Windows clients
User avatar
TMS
TerraMaster Team
Posts: 508
Joined: 20 Oct 2020, 17:06

Re: Add quota for TimeMachine shared folder

Post by TMS »

TimeMachine system reports the full NAS Volume size.The purpose of quota is to limit the capacity of shared folders in the case of multiple users, and control the amount of data placed in shared folders, so when backing up, pay attention to whether the file size exceeds the quota
To contact our tech team, please email to support(at)terra-master.com, remember to replace (at) with @
User avatar
macmpi
Posts: 120
Joined: 07 Jan 2020, 02:52

Re: Add quota for TimeMachine shared folder

Post by macmpi »

@TMS, I think you miss the point.
TMroy wrote: 27 Aug 2020, 21:36 New feature will be In the coming 4.2 beta.
We are now post 4.2 release now, when can we expect this feature, which of course shall make sure TimeMachine server does report the proper limited size allocation.

Thanks.
TerraMaster F2-210 under TOS 4.2.43, RAID1, Btrfs, serving Mac, Linux & Windows clients
User avatar
macmpi
Posts: 120
Joined: 07 Jan 2020, 02:52

Re: Add quota for TimeMachine shared folder

Post by macmpi »

{L_BUTTON_AT}TMRyan
any update on this much awaited feature and long-time promise? Thank.
TerraMaster F2-210 under TOS 4.2.43, RAID1, Btrfs, serving Mac, Linux & Windows clients
User avatar
StephenM
Posts: 69
Joined: 11 Jan 2021, 21:55

Re: Add quota for TimeMachine shared folder

Post by StephenM »

Can I ask for this feature to be included very soon.

I am running a bodged workaround to get this working but it needs files to be edited after every re-boot which is a pain.
User avatar
StephenM
Posts: 69
Joined: 11 Jan 2021, 21:55

Re: Add quota for TimeMachine shared folder

Post by StephenM »

The problem here lies with the with AFP implemented by Netatalk.

Originally Apple provided a configuration for time-machine which allowed you to specify the size limit of the time-machine backup.

Apple, in their lack of wisdom, removed that functionality.

Netatalk, at the time, offered a solution in the form of the afp.conf line:

Code: Select all

vol size limit=kb


But this wasn't a true limit - It was based on a calculation that reported the size limit minus the size of a Time Machine Backup. If anything else was added to the file share it didn't report correctly - So if you only use the file share for Time Machine backups - Happy days, except.....

Here are the problems with TOS.

1) You can set up a folder for sharing as a time machine folder and set a size limit, however AFP/Netatalk does not report this limit to OSX
2) If TOS added a

Code: Select all

vol size limit
into the afp.conf file that would work OK for Time Machine Backups. The

Code: Select all

vol size limit
would need to be 95% of the size of the shared folder size limit to account for the vagaries of the calculation run by AFT/Netatalk.
3) This doesn't work for Catalina (and I'm assuming for Big Sur) since the AFP calculation is looking for a file ending in

Code: Select all

.sparsebundle
but Catalina uses a

Code: Select all

.backupbundle
4) AFP/Netatalk hasn't been actively maintained for 3 years or so.
5) If you decide to modify the afp.conf file yourself it's recreated at every system restart and every restart of any of the file sharing services and over-writes the file removing any modifications you have made.

I suggest the TOS developers adapt a simple fix.
1) Modify

Code: Select all

/sbin/svrcfg-al
to write the relevant

Code: Select all

vol size limit=kb
to the Time-Machine shares based on the btrfs size limit applied to the shared folder or offer an option when setting up a Time Machine share to limit the size there - Allowing for the 95% factor
2) Run a

Code: Select all

cron
routine that occasionally looks in the Time Machine shares and if it finds a

Code: Select all

.backupbundle
file and add a symlink

Code: Select all

ln -s file size.sparsebindle the-existing.backupbundle
A quick fix to resolve the problem perhaps.
User avatar
StephenM
Posts: 69
Joined: 11 Jan 2021, 21:55

Re: Add quota for TimeMachine shared folder

Post by StephenM »

Any update?
User avatar
macmpi
Posts: 120
Joined: 07 Jan 2020, 02:52

Re: Add quota for TimeMachine shared folder

Post by macmpi »

Any update on this please?
BTW, I'm a bit concerned BTRFS support is on the way-out with latest releases, while TimeMachine quota would benefit from it.
Or you would need to implement it with user quota, and let TimeMachine be of a specific user...
Please clarify your plans & timeline to finally support that feature.
TerraMaster F2-210 under TOS 4.2.43, RAID1, Btrfs, serving Mac, Linux & Windows clients
Locked