Retrospect (software)#Documentation
{{Short description|Data backup software for the SME market}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}}
{{other uses|Retrospect (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox software
| logo = Retrospect Inc logo.png
| name = Retrospect
| developer = Dantz Development Corporation
| released = 1989
| operating system = macOS, Linux, Microsoft Windows
| genre = Backup
| license = Proprietary
| website = {{URL|https://www.retrospect.com/}}
}}
Retrospect is a family of software applications that back up computers running the macOS, Microsoft Windows, and Linux (and until 2019 classic Mac OS) operating systems. It uses the client–server backup model.{{cite book |last1=Kissell |first1=Joe |title=Take Control of Mac OS X Backups |date=2007 |publisher=TidBITS Electronic Publishing |location=Ithaca, NY |isbn=978-0-9759503-0-2 |edition=Version 2.0 |url=http://people.fas.harvard.edu/~techtool/pages/Take_Control_of_Mac_OS_X_Backups_(2.0).pdf |access-date=4 May 2019 |ref=Kissell |pages=18-20 ("The Archive", meaning information repository, including versioning), 24 (client-server), 82-83 (archive file), 126-141 (old Retrospect terminology and GUI—still used in Windows variant), 127 (Archiving operation in Retrospect), 128 (subvolume—later renamed Favorite Folder in Macintosh variant), 130-132 (Duplicate—later renamed Copy in Macintosh variant), 146(versioning), 165 (client-server) |archive-date=15 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181015091343/http://people.fas.harvard.edu/~techtool/pages/Take_Control_of_Mac_OS_X_Backups_(2.0).pdf |url-status=dead }}
The product is focused on the small and medium enterprise (SME) market. It performs three types of backup: "A Recycle backup deletes a backup set and adds all files, and a New Media backup creates a new backup set, copying all the files not included. Again this represents all files. Once installed, scripts can also be introduced to enable Scheduled backup using predetermined information supplied by the administrator. This information contains source, destination and other criteria, which enables a backup session to scan and back up one volume at a time, requiring less memory than an immediate backup."{{Cite news |url=https://www.scmagazine.com/review/retrospect-backup-multi-server/ |title=Retrospect Backup Multi Server Product Review |access-date=2019-09-12 |language=en-US}}
The product is used for GUI-scripted{{cite web |last1=Gripman |first1=Stuart |title=Retrospect 9.0: powerful backup for professionals, organizations |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/1166050/retrospect_9_0.html |website=MacWorld |access-date=3 November 2017 |date=27 March 2012 |at=Setting it up(WebDAV), Scheduling scripts(GUI scripting), Restoring(file-level deduplication, Proactive priorities) |archive-date=17 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417205552/https://www.pcworld.com/article/1166050/retrospect_9_0.html |url-status=dead }} backup.
History
The software was first developed by Dantz Development Corporation in 1989, initially for the Macintosh platform{{cite web |last1=Flynn |first1=Laurie |title=Apple Bundles Tape Backup With Retrospect Software |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wDAEAAAAMBAJ&q=Apple+Tape+Backup+40SC&pg=PT32 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180525132747/https://books.google.com.au/books?id=wDAEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PT32&dq=Apple%20Tape%20Backup%2040SC&pg=PT32#v=onepage&q=Apple%20Tape%20Backup%2040SC&f=false |url-status=dead |website=InfoWorld |publisher=InfoWorld Media Group, Inc. |access-date=17 February 2019 |archive-date=25 May 2018 |page=33 |date=25 September 1989 |quote=...will bundle Dantz Development Corp.s Retrospect backup and archiving software with the Apple Tape Backup 40SC...}}{{cite web |last1=Engst |first1=Adam |title=Retrospect Conclusion |url=https://tidbits.com/1991/07/01/retrospect-conclusion/ |website=TidBITS |publisher=TidBITS Publishing Inc. |access-date=25 August 2019 |date=1 July 1991}} and continuing later for Windows.{{cite web |last1=Mitchell |first1=Dave |title=Retrospect Backup 16 review: Virtually useless for virtual machines |url=https://www.itpro.co.uk/backup-software/34080/retrospect-backup-16-review-virtually-useless-for-virtual-machines |website=ITPro |publisher=Dennis Publishing |access-date=28 August 2019 |date=24 July 2019}} With sales split evenly between the two variants and the Macintosh variant claiming 90% of its market, Dantz Development Corporation was acquired by EMC Corporation in 2004.{{cite web |last1=DeLong |first1=Derik |title=Retrospect's long and twisted road |url=http://www.macworld.com/article/1166085/retrospects_long_and_twisted_road.html |website=MacWorld |access-date=4 October 2016 |date=27 March 2012}} In 2006 version 7.5, the refined first release of the Windows variant under EMC, added performance features needed by SMEs.{{cite web |last1=Mitchell |first1=Dave |title=EMC Retrospect 7.5 review |url=http://www.alphr.com/backup/29747/emc-retrospect-75-review |website=Alphr |publisher=Dennis Publishing |access-date=4 October 2017 |date=20 April 2006}}
Acquisition by EMC, under its Insignia brand, led to the product being briefly mothballed when Insignia was shut down in 2007. It was revived in 2008 and transferred to EMC's new acquisition Iomega. A "premature"{{cite web |last1=Engst |first1=Adam |title=Retrospect Backup Software Acquired by Sonic |url=https://tidbits.com/article/11311 |website=TidBITS |publisher=TidBITS Publishing Inc. |access-date=12 September 2017 |date=18 June 2010}} release of Retrospect 8 in 2009 undermined its market after Apple introduced its competing Time Machine in late 2007. In 2010, Retrospect was sold to Roxio, owned by Sonic Solutions, which was then in turn acquired by Rovi. Rovi decided that it was not a core business, but a team who had worked on the product approached Rovi with the idea of spinning out as a separate company. Retrospect, Inc. was formed by a core team most of whom had worked on the product for ten years or more. Retrospect 9 was introduced in 2012, to positive reviews.{{Cite news|title=Retrospect 9.0: powerful backup for professionals, organizations|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/1166050/retrospect_9_0.html|access-date=3 November 2017|archive-date=17 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417205552/https://www.pcworld.com/article/1166050/retrospect_9_0.html|url-status=dead}}
In June 2019 the holding company StorCentric—which also owns Drobo—announced that it had acquired Retrospect Inc., which it will operate as an wholly owned independent subsidiary.{{cite web |last1=Gallagher |first1=Emily |title=StorCentric Acquires Retrospect, Inc. to Offer Enhanced Backup and Recovery Software Solutions |url=https://www.retrospect.com/en/press/2019/06/25/retrospect_inc_joins_storcentric_family |website=Retrospect |publisher=Retrospect Inc. |access-date=24 September 2019 |date=25 June 2019}}
After the 2023 bankruptcy of StorCentric, Retrospect was spun off into a separate company owned by Serene Investment Management, a private equity company which had a financial link to StorCentric.{{cite web |title=A Letter from the CEO|url=https://forums.retrospect.com/topic/155069-a-letter-from-the-ceo/|date=28 June 2023}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}