I need a big drive with backup features - Page 7

petemc · 05-08-2008, 16:00

The drives arrived.

Over sized novetly delivery box ftw. I'm currently moving all my photography to the new 1tb Mybook and backing up my MBP over gigabit ethernet with the Time Capsule. It only just occured to me to try that and its working, damn fast too. So the initial backup I'm going to do when all the data is sorted will be done over gigabit ethernet for speed. After that I plan to move the box downstairs and do subsequent backups over 802.11n. I'm moving it downstairs so my Dad can use wireless printing to save him running up n downstairs all the time. Also it'll backup my Dad's Macbook which is handy.

I think my only worry is how Time Machine works. It'll do one big backup and then only backup changes. It deletes weekly backups when the drive is full. I'm assuming that the initial backup will remain. I mean its not likely to delete that and then just have small stuff? I'm not making myself clear there. 6 months down the line I'm going to have whatever is on my drive backed up I mean.

Mark · 05-08-2008, 17:06

I would assume so, otherwise it would have no way to do a system restore, which is one of the things the Leopard install CD supports.

petemc · 05-08-2008, 17:10

Ah, didn't know it can do that. Nice

I had some crazy worry that it would start to delete anything it wanted to for space. Last week is backed up safely but files from 2 months are gone. Noooooo.

Feek · 05-08-2008, 19:51

It looks to me as though Time Machine will remove old backups eventually.

Why do I say that?

This line in the Time Machine Options tends to indicate that it will.

So does this. So you need to keep a beedy eye on it.

Burble · 05-08-2008, 19:56

It will delete old backups but it will always have enough incremental backups to recreate a full one.

petemc · 05-08-2008, 22:42

Thats the thing. Say I do a photoshoot tomorrow. I download the files onto my drive and then 1hr later Time Machine backs them up. They're safe I think to myself. I don't ever touch the files so they never get backed up again because they haven't changed. However in 5 months time Time Machine needs some space so it deletes the backup from this week. Are those files gone?

Burble · 05-08-2008, 22:47

Nope, they'll still be there.

From the Apple website:

Quote:

One day, no matter how large your backup drive is, it will run out of space. And Time Machine has an action plan. It alerts you that it will start deleting previous backups, oldest first. Before it deletes any backup, Time Machine copies files that might be needed to fully restore your disk for every remaining backup. (Moral of the story: The larger the drive, the farther back in time you can back up.)

petemc · 05-08-2008, 22:48

Ah cool

I was starting to panic then.

LeperousDust · 05-08-2008, 23:52

Its pretty clever to be fair to it, but maybe thats why it cocks up once in a while

petemc · 05-08-2009, 22:02

Huh. A year to the day that I got my drives. I need more. Time Capsule has worked nicely but I've now filled my 1tb drive. So now the question is where to go next, and I seriously need to future proof as I'm doing 1tb every 12-18 months. My apartment would quickly get filled with drives. I could just get another 2 drives. One for storage and one to mirror. But I already have 4 usb drives by my desk. Think of the plugs!

I am still tempted by a Drobo but I also need the backup drive. So that would be 2 drobos. I guess I could use a drobo as the backup machine and buy usb drives as I need to but still. For the price of a drobo I could upgrade my old PC as a NAS assuming I could get silent fans for it and by silent I mean Apple silent.

05-08-2008, 16:00	#61
petemc Moonshine Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Nr Liverpewl Posts: 4,371	The drives arrived. Over sized novetly delivery box ftw. I'm currently moving all my photography to the new 1tb Mybook and backing up my MBP over gigabit ethernet with the Time Capsule. It only just occured to me to try that and its working, damn fast too. So the initial backup I'm going to do when all the data is sorted will be done over gigabit ethernet for speed. After that I plan to move the box downstairs and do subsequent backups over 802.11n. I'm moving it downstairs so my Dad can use wireless printing to save him running up n downstairs all the time. Also it'll backup my Dad's Macbook which is handy. I think my only worry is how Time Machine works. It'll do one big backup and then only backup changes. It deletes weekly backups when the drive is full. I'm assuming that the initial backup will remain. I mean its not likely to delete that and then just have small stuff? I'm not making myself clear there. 6 months down the line I'm going to have whatever is on my drive backed up I mean. __________________ Thats no hamster, its a space station!

05-08-2008, 17:10	#63
petemc Moonshine Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Nr Liverpewl Posts: 4,371	Ah, didn't know it can do that. Nice I had some crazy worry that it would start to delete anything it wanted to for space. Last week is backed up safely but files from 2 months are gone. Noooooo. __________________ Thats no hamster, its a space station!

05-08-2008, 19:51	#64
Feek ex SAS Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: JO01ou Posts: 10,062	It looks to me as though Time Machine will remove old backups eventually. Why do I say that? This line in the Time Machine Options tends to indicate that it will. So does this. So you need to keep a beedy eye on it. __________________ Last edited by Feek; 05-08-2009 at 22:07.

05-08-2008, 22:42	#66
petemc Moonshine Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Nr Liverpewl Posts: 4,371	Thats the thing. Say I do a photoshoot tomorrow. I download the files onto my drive and then 1hr later Time Machine backs them up. They're safe I think to myself. I don't ever touch the files so they never get backed up again because they haven't changed. However in 5 months time Time Machine needs some space so it deletes the backup from this week. Are those files gone? __________________ Thats no hamster, its a space station!

05-08-2008, 22:48	#68
petemc Moonshine Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Nr Liverpewl Posts: 4,371	Ah cool I was starting to panic then. __________________ Thats no hamster, its a space station!

05-08-2008, 17:06	#62
Mark Screaming Orgasm Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Newbury Posts: 15,194	I would assume so, otherwise it would have no way to do a system restore, which is one of the things the Leopard install CD supports.

05-08-2008, 19:56	#65
Burble Rocket Fuel Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 7,826	It will delete old backups but it will always have enough incremental backups to recreate a full one.

05-08-2008, 23:52	#69
LeperousDust Bananaman Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Liverpool/Edinburgh Posts: 4,817	Its pretty clever to be fair to it, but maybe thats why it cocks up once in a while __________________

05-08-2009, 22:02	#70
petemc Moonshine Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Nr Liverpewl Posts: 4,371	Huh. A year to the day that I got my drives. I need more. Time Capsule has worked nicely but I've now filled my 1tb drive. So now the question is where to go next, and I seriously need to future proof as I'm doing 1tb every 12-18 months. My apartment would quickly get filled with drives. I could just get another 2 drives. One for storage and one to mirror. But I already have 4 usb drives by my desk. Think of the plugs! I am still tempted by a Drobo but I also need the backup drive. So that would be 2 drobos. I guess I could use a drobo as the backup machine and buy usb drives as I need to but still. For the price of a drobo I could upgrade my old PC as a NAS assuming I could get silent fans for it and by silent I mean Apple silent. __________________ Thats no hamster, its a space station!

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode