Best backup solution

[donjansson]

Due to a "handling error" i succeeded to destroy both my music folder AND the backup. After some analysis I understand what went wrong, and realize that I'm back on scratch. 1.5 years of work in vain (800 GB Apple Lossless, perfectly organized).

 

Nevertheless…I just wanna know what would be the best backup solution for me.

 

MUSIC PLAYER

Audirvana Plus (iTunes integrated mode)

 

HARDWARE

MB Pro Retina, connected to a Verbatim 3TB (NTFS formatted, use Paragon)

+

Apple Time Capsule 3TB

Seagate 4TB (NTFS formatted, use Paragon)

 

SOFTWARE

Time Machine

Data Backup 3

For some strange reason I can not "simple copy" my music folder (on Verbatim 3TB) to the Seagate-disc. The folder size in the new destination is somewhat smaller, probably since almost all metadata is lost. Wonder why. Therefore I'm not sure about the Seagate as a backup. In time, I'll look for a NAS.

 

Own thoughts:

What about Time Machine (internal + Verbatim) to Time Capsule?

By the way, how do I include the Verbatim? When i remove it from excluded, it simply pops right up again. Is it maybe because of the NTFS-formatting?

The transfer speed is from hell, although my Time Capsule is connected straight to the ISP-router. So, it would be convenient if Time Machine just backed up the changes in my music folder. How?

 

What about Data Backup 3 (Verbatim --> Time Capsule)?

(Which backup alternative is the best: Simple Copy, Clone, Versioned or Syncronize?)

As for the transfer speed, referred to under previous solution, I just want to backup the changes (to reduce the time for every backup).

 

Would very much appreciate all kinds of help! Have I missed something, let me fill in...

 

Kind regards

Oscar Jansson, Sweden

[simplon]

I use Time machine to have two copies, one external 2B Firewire HDD, one 1 TB USB HDD. How did you manage to lose your complete music in iTunes despite using Time Machine?

 

By the way I also copy my iTunes Music folder (500 GB High Res) a few times a year completely on an external USB HDD (beeing honest I use 3 HDDs for copies, one in FAT formatted).

 

The music is much more worth than the complete Hardware. Tell us more about what went wrong.

simplon

[donjansson]

Thank you for the instant reply simplon!

 

Now, the problem isn't the music I "lost". I still have the CD's. As I now try to rebuild the library, I hope I've come up with a decent solution.

 

Like I said, the Seagate-disc seems to be pure crap, at least for my purpose. But what about the Time Capsule? How do I include my music library (located on the Verbatim-disc) in Time Machine? I seems I just can't erase it from the excluded volumes.

 

And Data backup, which alternative should I use: Simple Copy, Clone, Versioned or Synchronize?

[InfernoSTi]

I have four copies and use simple copy to populate them.

 

The first is my music server NAS (this is the "original" data). The second and third are portable USB 3.0 drives that are identical and are labeled "Audio Backup #1 and #2 so I can tell them apart. I keep one at home and one at work off site (and rotate the two once a month or more often if I add a bunch of music all at once). The fourth is a larger USB drive that I put everything on but keep locally. It is my "backup backup" copy.

 

I have 1.2 TB of music (and growing) and to replace it would be too great a challenge/cost at this point. The extra drives were cheap and the time has become an enjoyable ritual when I add new music. Once downloaded, it goes first to my NAS and immediately to my Audio Backup #1 or 2. When I have time, say each weekend, I add it to my fourth drive (typically while I am listening to the new music).

 

The tricky part is the update the remote drive correctly and I take the time to get that right (but that is why I have the fourth drive in case I do something odd, I have a backup location to go to for the files I can't find, perhaps).

 

I hope that helps...

 

Best,

John

[goldsdad]

MUSIC PLAYER

Audirvana Plus (iTunes integrated mode)

 

HARDWARE

MB Pro Retina, connected to a Verbatim 3TB (NTFS formatted, use Paragon)

+

Apple Time Capsule 3TB

Seagate 4TB (NTFS formatted, use Paragon)

 

Why are you using Microsoft's NTFS format and Paragon instead of Apple's Mac OS Extended (a.k.a. HFS+)?

[donjansson]

Why are you using Microsoft's NTFS format and Paragon instead of Apple's Mac OS Extended (a.k.a. HFS+)?

 

In case for example my father (running Windows) would like to update his music library. Am I right:

Windows can't even read Mac-formatted discs?

[goldsdad]

In case for example my father (running Windows) would like to update his music library. Am I right:

Windows can't even read Mac-formatted discs?

 

 

There's software (see links below for examples) which enables Windows to access HFS+ drives. Some allow reading only, others allow reading and writing. Since you're the primary user of your drives, consider formatting them HFS+ for optimal usage with your Mac, and installing said software on your father's PC.

 

http://www.mediafour.com/products/macdrive

http://www.paragon-software.com/home/hfs-windows/


http://www.macbreaker.com/2012/02/access-mac-os-x-partition-from-windows.html

http://www.catacombae.org/hfsx.html

 

 

 

By the way, I recommend Carbon Copy Cloner from http://www.bombich.com for backups/clones of Mac drives.

[jtm]

Hi Oscar,

 

AFAIK Time Machine does only backup on HFS (Mac formatted) external discs. If you want to use that harddrive with a windows machine you need to partition it for both parties. Personally I would never do it and keep the HDD clean in the native mode for the OS it is connected to.

 

Backup strategies may differ, but I have my original files of music data on external FW discs (I am on Mac only).

A complete mirror is on my NAS.

Another copy of my collection is on a second NAS drive I keep in my office.

 

None of them is included in Time Machine, which performs only the regular backup work on an external USB HDD formatted in HFS+ for the total of 3 Macs in our family.

I manually copy my new music files to the HDDs and NAS@home each time they arrive, and the NAS@work on irregular schedules.

Yes, it's not time effective, but I prefer it that way, too much money and time has been invested into this library ...

[PewterTA]

40TB local, duplicated to another 40TB synced in realtime with Syncovery... still thinking of doing an offsite replication of 40TB at a friends house on his VMware Infrastructure he has at his house... I'll add another 40TB to his infrastructure supplied by myself. I think that would have me covered.

[donjansson]

Wow, you guys really enlighten me with the requested information/solutions!

 

I made a "Full Copy" with Data Backup yesterday (intending to do incremental every day, full twice a month). So, if you're so sure about formatting my NTFS-disc to HFS+, then so be it.

 

The iTunes-folder, including both the music and the library, is crucial. I just want to format the disc and then drag the folder back to where it belongs. My only concern is the playlists/ratings etcetera. Since all the valuable information is in the iTunes-folder, I guess I just point iTunes to the ITL-file. Simpel as that?

[donjansson]

Eureka!

 

Talked to my uncle yesterday. And suddenly I remembered...he made a complete copy of my library in August last year. I think he has a complete backup of at least 700GB. This will bespare me hundreds of hours, hours that I've already spent on the organizing!

 

Then what's next: buy a cheap disc, with delivery to my uncle, he fills it up with "my" music and send it to me.

 

That's what I call offsite backup - 250 km from me