Time Machine on Mac Mini using Server 5.0.15

[Mad101daN]

Hi

I have setup time machine on a mac mini using the server app. I have set it up for all users.

When I go to a client machine and set that up to see the time machine server all works fine for the setup. It asks for the username and password and all works fine.

However when it tries to do a backup it fails with the following message.

The network backup disk could not be accessed because there was a problem with the network username or password. You may need to re-select the backup disk and enter the correct username and password.

It does this on all machines I have tried. The usernames and passwords are correct. I have tried getting the password wrong and it does not let you setup the time machine in the first place.

I have tried restarting the service.
Restarting both mac server and clients
All clients can log into mac mini through SMB or AFP
It is backing up to an external hard drive attached to the mac mini.

Any ideas?
[doublepost=1456744459][/doublepost]I've also tried changing the external hard drive TM is using to backup to.
Logging in using an apple id instead of username and password.

Also does anyone know if there is a log file for the time machine I can't see it explicitly listed under the Server - Logs sections?

 

[hwojtek]

AFAIR I have circumvented around this issue with creating an additional share on the time machine disk (the location of the backups) and allowing RW everyone.

 

[Mad101daN]

Thanks for your help, I've just tried this and it did not work, I'm getting the same error.

If this had worked, would the user not have to manually mount the folder in the first place for TM to work?

 

[nagual]

Thanks for your help, I've just tried this and it did not work, I'm getting the same error.

If this had worked, would the user not have to manually mount the folder in the first place for TM to work?

I can confirm this exactly issue with my setup as well. Trying to now with client machine to have its own partition.

 

[jgelin]

I just set up a server literally yesterday to do TM backups to iMac from Macbook so I am still learning the basics. I had the issue w login password, I connected as guest, and it worked just fine. Though I am not sure if I am going to hit any walls later with using the guest option.

 

[Mad101daN]

Can I ask how you get guest access? I don't have the option.

 

[hwojtek]

You need to enable guest access server-side.
In order to get it up and running I created an interim share (everyone RW) on the Time Machine disk using the Server app, turned on Time Machine on the server. Then I mapped the share from a client computer using username/password, opened the Time Machine preference pane and picked the share as the target.
Once I did this, I allowed the computer to back up to the share.
Once all my computers were backed up, I went back to the Time Machine preference pane and selected the actual "Time Machine" (not the interim share) as the sole backup target. After a couple of tries Time Machine asked if it should inherit the existing backup file.
After I did it on all my computers, I removed the interim share using the Server.app. Now all computers back up to the original share the Time Machine Server provides by itself.

 

[talmy]

Just saw this thread. I've been running Time Machine Server for years and am on the latest version now. Backups are allowed to all users but access to the drive being used is not except via the backup service. I would have thought that all these settings were done automatically when I first set up the server. Here are the pertinent screenshots: