I need a big drive with backup features

[petemc]

I think I'll stick with a backup here and online.

[Mark]

Edited in another option that might work.

In the end, if the online backup is good enough to recover most of what you need then you're probably fine with what you have and there's no point over-complicating with my other solutions. If not, then you might need something else.

[Daz]

How much spread do you have Pete? These external disks you're using - are you using loads of them?

I think for a lot of scenarios two sets of data is enough to be comfortable with - the trick is keeping them truly separate, and keeping them complete. If your Macbook had enough internal space then it'd be relatively easy - full set of data there, mirrored/sync'd to a NAS box or the mini. You only make changes to the working set on the book, and when you're happy, sync changes to the Mini (or have it automated). You then also have a third level in Amazon - the combination of which is a pretty comfortable position imo.

Christ I must sound like a broken record Anyway, 2 full sets is what you should aim for imo, the where's and how's are open to whatever.

[petemc]

Its something I need to sit down with and look at. I have about 1.25tb over 4 usb drives at the moment and I'm nearly out of space. I have little space on my MBP's drive as thats taken up with various crap.

[LeperousDust]

1Tb drive costs fook all, and 1.5Tb commands a "premium" but i wouldn't say its all that big an investment though. Thought about just swapping one of the drive out of the external cases for starters, just to keep everything in one place, and work it from there?

[petemc]

I need the data one those drives so I can't swap them.

[Mark]

How much of that 1.25TB do you need regular access to? Can you reduce the volume of data you have to manage?

If it's that high then it sounds like you're 'drowning' in all that data. I have had that problem recently with my main website. The amount of data got so big I was just fighting to stand still. Yesterday I just had to bite the bullet and prune out nearly 100GB worth of data that I would have liked to keep but in truth I could make do without. This will give me enough room to sort out the rest of the data and get it manageable again - and I'll probably delete another 100GB of that.

Now, while I realise that you probably just can't go deleting data like that (I can reconstruct the essence of the missing data - something you can't do with a photo) the problem is similar. You get to a point where you have so much data that you don't know what to do with it all.

Is it worth asking on TP what other photographers do as I doubt you're on your own in having problems managing the number of photographs you have. Heck, even I have some of that problem and I don't shoot RAW, or regularly.

[Dr. Z]

You wouldn't need to buy a gigabit router to move to gigabit really, just plug your existing router into a gigabit switch.

Building up a NAS box with a few Tbs of redundant storage wouldn't be costly at all, and then you could back up from that to some kind of external media nightly or whatever - again, 1Tb USB drives are less than £100 and you could keep those turned off and elsewhere so that there is no chance of them getting struck by lightning or anything like that.

Gigabit LAN is faster than your hard drive will ever be, so you shouldn't notice a speed drop at all aside from perhaps marginally longer initial load times.

[petemc]

Originally Posted by Mark

How much of that 1.25TB do you need regular access to? Can you reduce the volume of data you have to manage?

Regularly, not a lot. The majority of it is either films/tv for the media server or my photography. I don't really need access to that on a daily basis. Probably 40/50gb of photography.

Is it worth asking on TP what other photographers do as I doubt you're on your own in having problems managing the number of photographs you have. Heck, even I have some of that problem and I don't shoot RAW, or regularly.

I could ask on TP but I don't think there are a number of them with storage issues like this, and its not really filled with IT types I don't think. I figured here would have the geeks I needed to provide the answer

Originally Posted by DRZ

You wouldn't need to buy a gigabit router to move to gigabit really, just plug your existing router into a gigabit switch.

Building up a NAS box with a few Tbs of redundant storage wouldn't be costly at all, and then you could back up from that to some kind of external media nightly or whatever - again, 1Tb USB drives are less than £100 and you could keep those turned off and elsewhere so that there is no chance of them getting struck by lightning or anything like that.

Gigabit LAN is faster than your hard drive will ever be, so you shouldn't notice a speed drop at all aside from perhaps marginally longer initial load times.

Yer I'm starting to think that Gigabit ethernet is going to be the way to go eventually. So many USB drives and hubs and cables and etc. I could clean all that up with something better. The only issue being that its all connected via the Mac Mini which doesn't support gigabit ethernet. But I think thats something to worry about another day. I'm thinking I'll just get a Time Capsule and a new HD.

[LeperousDust]

I know its not great, but Wireless N could also be the way forward, sans the wires, and i know you macites are also a fan of clean lines Invest in the airport extreme or whatever its called (i dont keep upto date on mac stuff if im honest).