[ANSWERED] Backup Z-Stick

Posted on
Fri Nov 15, 2013 3:20 am
robdobson offline
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Re: Backup Z-Stick

Hi Matt

Thanks for the point about failure rates of Z-Stick. The problem for me is that I've already had a bungled attempt to move devices to the Z-Stick and after only 15 or so it got into a mess somehow and I was left with only 2 or 3 working devices and no way to sort it out.

Maybe I did something wrong - maybe not - but it took me almost a whole day to do those 15 and the thought of doing that over again (and again) before I get everything working sounds way too much like hard work.

If I could get 10 working and do a backup. Then 10 more, etc. then I'd have the confidence to start work. But the idea that I might get half way through the >100 units I have just to find some missing or not working is a real show-stopper for me.

Rob

Posted on
Sun Mar 16, 2014 10:34 am
mlooss offline
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Re: [ANSWERED] Backup Z-Stick

I think my z-stick has failed and it is unbelievable that there is no option to backup and restore a controller. Hardware failures will happen even so the failure rate may be low there has to be an option to replace a controller quickly and easy. I cannot believe that we implement all this technology and basically are left stranded when a device does fail or malfunction.

I now have lost basically all my functionality, some are security features that are crucial and I am now looking at either getting the z-stick replaced under warranty (which will take time), or I bite the bullet and purchase a new one and create all devices and all of my triggers,schedules and actions :evil:

Posted on
Sun Mar 16, 2014 1:18 pm
durosity offline
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Re: [ANSWERED] Backup Z-Stick

mlooss wrote:
create all devices and all of my triggers,schedules and actions


Just a thought.. when you get the new Z-Stick couldn’t you just re-pair the devices in the usual way, then just edit the existing devices to use that new node? Still a pain but better than having to re-create new devices, schedules, triggers, etc..

Computer says no.

Posted on
Sun Mar 16, 2014 4:37 pm
robdobson offline
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Re: [ANSWERED] Backup Z-Stick

For me the effort is mainly in the pairing of devices and less about the soft aspects like schedules and triggers which, I expect as you say, could be edited relatively easily.

Posted on
Sun Mar 16, 2014 4:53 pm
Seeker offline
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Re: [ANSWERED] Backup Z-Stick

Anyone use z-tool? $29 and install on a windows machine, move the z-troller, and you can backup and optimize the network?

As far as optimization, none really needed for me. I have 30+ (lost count) z-wave devices and the network works perfectly. On my vera, it was a mess with lost devices and such.

Posted on
Sun Mar 16, 2014 7:52 pm
mlooss offline
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Re: [ANSWERED] Backup Z-Stick

I just received an e-mail reply from AEON LAB, on Sunday?

They are telling me that they are about to release a backup/restore software and it should be ready in another week :P

Posted on
Sun Mar 16, 2014 8:26 pm
BassMint offline
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Re: [ANSWERED] Backup Z-Stick

mlooss wrote:
I just received an e-mail reply from AEON LAB, on Sunday?

They are telling me that they are about to release a backup/restore software and it should be ready in another week :P


nice.
reading this thread was getting me nervous as I am just starting in Z-Wave using the Z-Stick.

Posted on
Mon Mar 17, 2014 9:46 am
jay (support) offline
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Re: [ANSWERED] Backup Z-Stick

It should be noted that we've had thousands of users use Z-Sticks since we released the Indigo 6 beta 16 months ago and we've seen very few failures. Of course, as they get older there will be failures but so far they've generally been very reliable. Not an argument against Aeotec adding some kind of backup/restore feature, but just saying... ;)

Jay (Indigo Support)
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Posted on
Mon Mar 17, 2014 2:28 pm
mlooss offline
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Re: [ANSWERED] Backup Z-Stick

Technology will fail and we have become to reliant on it, a 99% up time is still 3.65 days of down time in a year, or almost a whole work week. With that said, backups are a must and not a luxury, downtime costs money too.

I ordered a new z-stick today and I have 32 z-wave devices, if I am good and fast, it will take me at least 10 minutes for each device, which is 5.5 hours, or in other words a whole day. The motion that you can re-synch sounds easy, but it looks to me it requires a lot of time. As more people find their way into HA and realize that things can go wrong and they realize that there is no easy way to replace a failed controller, you guys will come under a lot of heat too.

Posted on
Mon Mar 17, 2014 3:55 pm
jay (support) offline
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Re: [ANSWERED] Backup Z-Stick

Agreed - as I said, I'm not saying they shouldn't add it. BTW, it's not something we can do without Aeotec - they have to enable the installer profile on the Z-Stick and expose the functionality to us before we can support doing backup/restore. I know it sounds like passing the buck, but we're often at the mercy of the hardware vendors for this type of thing and this is one of those cases.

Jay (Indigo Support)
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Posted on
Wed Mar 19, 2014 6:39 pm
mlooss offline
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Re: [ANSWERED] Backup Z-Stick

Just received the backup software from AEOTEC, but won't have time to test it today, but I wanted to let you all know that there is or will be an option to backup the z-stick.

Posted on
Wed Mar 19, 2014 6:59 pm
matt (support) offline
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Re: [ANSWERED] Backup Z-Stick

Great -- please let us know how it works. We are very interested in adding backup capability to Indigo for the Z-Stick if Aeotec will provide us with the information we need. We will be contacting them ASAP for details.

Image

Posted on
Sat Mar 22, 2014 10:05 am
mlooss offline
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Re: [ANSWERED] Backup Z-Stick

I am Mac only and have a couple of Virtual machines that run Parallels with Windows XP and Fusion with Windows 7, unfortunately the backup software does not run on virtual machines yet as per AEOTEC and I have not been able to test the software :-(

I must say, the communication and timely responses by AEOTEC is excellent, they really seem to care and are very attentive, not like my experience from FortrezZ (still waiting to hear from them after two e-mails).

Posted on
Sat Mar 22, 2014 10:06 am
mlooss offline
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Re: [ANSWERED] Backup Z-Stick

I should add, that I had downloaded and ran the firmware update utility they provide for Windows from my VM and it worked flawless.

Posted on
Sat Mar 22, 2014 10:12 am
autolog offline
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Re: [ANSWERED] Backup Z-Stick

mlooss wrote:
I am Mac only and have a couple of Virtual machines that run Parallels with Windows XP and Fusion with Windows 7, unfortunately the backup software does not run on virtual machines yet as per AEOTEC and I have not been able to test the software :-(

I must say, the communication and timely responses by AEOTEC is excellent, they really seem to care and are very attentive, not like my experience from FortrezZ (still waiting to hear from them after two e-mails).

Is the software released yet or do you have to email them to get a beta copy? I now have an additional Z-Stick so I can do a backup.

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