Progress bar does not show meaningful information during restore

[patbarron]

• I have searched open and closed issues for duplicates.

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Environment info

• Duplicati version: 2.0.4.5_beta_2018-11-28
• Operating system: Windows 10
• Backend: SFTP

Description

When doing a restore from an existing backup, on a newly installed instance of Duplicati, the progress bar does not show actual progress. It does display messages chat indicate that the database is being reconstructed, and then that files are being downloaded, but the progress bar never advances. This caused me some concern during my restore, since I couldn't tell if anything was happening - during the phase of reconstructing the database, it ran for almost an hour, and I couldn't tell if it was actually doing anything at all (other than by looking at Task Manager and seeing that it was using CPU and I/O), and again when it indicated that it was downloading files, it behaved in a similar manner.

This is similar to feature request #2159, but I can't tell if it's the same thing - that feature request implies that there is no progress bar and asks that it be implemented. In this instance, there is a progress bar, but it just doesn't do anything.

Steps to reproduce

1. Do a fresh install of Duplicati on a new system
2. Attempt to restore a previously created (from another system) backup
3. Observe that the behavior described here occurs.

• Actual result:
  Progress bar is displayed during database reconstruction and file download, but never advances, so it's impossible to tell that the process is making any progress at all, or if so, how long it might take.
• Expected result:
  Progress bar advances as the database reconstruction operation proceeds, and also as the file download process proceeds - and the advancement of the progress bar has some sensible relationship to the amount of the task that is completed, and is remaining.

[sylerner]

The lack of progress indication is particularly unnerving during a full restore, which takes a significant amount of time.

Ideally, a current file number/total number of files to be restored counter, along with the current file name, would be a great way of keeping the user informed as to what is going on. If this is not possible, at least a running total of how much data has been restored (possibly differentiated by local blocks vs. downloaded files) would allow the user to know that things are still happening.

In fact, both types of counters together (file progress and data progress) would be the perfect solution, since restoring a large file (e.g., a VM), would not show progress in terms of file count or file name for a long time, even though much data was being restored. Having total data restored as a secondary counter would reassure the user that things were still working as they should.

[duplicatibot]

This issue has been mentioned on Duplicati. There might be relevant details there:

https://forum.duplicati.com/t/some-feedback-and-experience-with-a-restore/9137/3

[duplicatibot]

This issue has been mentioned on Duplicati. There might be relevant details there:

https://forum.duplicati.com/t/several-days-and-no-restore-feedback/5396/10

[iso-l588]

This problem is also present on my setup: Duplicati - 2.0.6.3_beta_2021-06-17 running on Linux Mint 20.2.

I agree with sylerner's post:

In fact, both types of counters together (file progress and data progress) would be the perfect solution, since restoring a large file (e.g., a VM), would not show progress in terms of file count or file name for a long time, even though much data was being restored. Having total data restored as a secondary counter would reassure the user that things were still working as they should.

The green tray icon is not enough feedback. In my opinion this issue should be upgraded from "enhancement" to "bug" to get a higher fix priority.

Other than that I am very impressed with Duplicati. I especially appreciate the ability to restore directly from the backup files.