Backing-up Mobileme on Time Capsule

I am pretty sure you cannot back up the iDisk directly to TM, as I don't think TM can back up networked volumes (which is what the iDisk really is).

As an alternative you can get some program that will automatically sync a local folder to the iDisk, and then have TM back that local folder up. For example, I use a program called Synk which you could configure to do this.

Ruahrc

cjkbuls said:

I put all my working files onto Mobileme and have suddenly realised that my Time Capsule is not backing them up (it is just an external drive on each of my computers). Is there any way that I can have regular automatic back-up of the material that I am holding on the Cloud preferably with the user-friendliness of Time Capsule so that I can go back to a previous version of a file when I have mucked it up? thanks

Click to expand...

You are already backing up your iDisk if you have local iDisk sync turned on. If you do then your local iDisk is located in your: Home / Library / FileSync / a folder with a bunch of #'s / There you will find a sparsebundle that IS your iDisk.

If you have local iDisk turned off then you are trusting Apple's servers with your data.

I have my "local iDisk" turned on and in addition to TimeMachine backing up my iDisk I also have SuperDuper backup my iDisk every night... Only then do I trust Apple's servers

cjkbuls said:

It is true what you say. Thank you.
Now how do I open a sparse bundle and does this provide a back-up of my Mobileme equivalent to the great back-up that the Time Machine gives of my hard disc.

Just when I was getting to trust Time machine for back-up on my Macs I found that I cannot live without Mobileme. I now leave all my working files on there so that I can open them wherever I am. I back-up whenever I remember to one of my terrestial computers, but sometimes I lapse and forget. THis was exactly what Time Machine prevented. Now i find that if perchance something was lost or corrupted on Apple's server or heaven forfend, I mucked up a file I have nothing to go back to. I am not sure that sparse bundle saves me. I am doomed trapped between a rock(TIme Machine) and a virtual place (Mobile me)

Click to expand...

A sparsebundle is really just data all rolled up into one big ball. To open a sparsebundle you just double click it and it will open in the same file structure as your iDisk - should you need to...

If you REALLY want to be backed up you should have 3 copies of anything and everything on your Mac (including your iDisk). This would include the original, another copy on a different media type and "off-site"...

This is called the "3-2-1" backup strategy and it protects your data in case of fire, flood etc. I also like to use other backup programs, not just one...

There is nothing better then SuperDuper (paid) for the Mac. Or there is Carbon Copy Cloner (free). Both are good and they can make a bootable copy of your hard drive (including your iDisk). You can be back up and running within an hour or so if the worst happens...

In your case, with your iDisk - IF YOU HAVE LOCAL IDISK TURNED ON - you have a copy locally on your Mac (this would be the sparsebundle). If you are backing up with TimeMachine to a - EXTERNAL HD - this would serve as a backup on a different media type. Your off-site copy is on Apple's servers...

It sounds like to me that you are good to go with your iDisk backup

You might consider using the same method with everything on your Mac. There are many good off-site (cloud based) backup options out there.

OR you might be able to backup to a server at work from home and visa-versa. This would also work for off-site backup...

back up mm

hi all

i also have my local idisk turned on so it creates a back up, what i also did was download soonr and direct that to sync my idisk folder so that is synced onto soonr so if mm goes down i can access my idisk through soonr on the web, soonr was free for both iphone and desktop app so seems good
ta delta