Backup. What's The Best Way?

Dave Braine · Apr 25, 2012

I've been tasked, at work, to replace a Windows system with an Apple one. The computer is used to hold photographic and video evidence. At the moment we have about 350 gig on 3 separate external drives. The idea would be to put all that onto the new computer's internal drive.

What is the best way to back this up, and possibly have a backup of the backup?

I had thought of using TM to a mirrored RAID setup, but posters in other topics on this site seem to indicate that this is not ideal.

So, TM to an external drive, but can TM make backups to a second drive as well?

MonkeySee.... · Apr 25, 2012

I've heard Drobo is a good product which backs up your back ups back up.

Maybe someone on here can give you a bit of advice

http://www.drobo.com/

simsaladimbamba · Apr 25, 2012

This is how I backup my videos and photos:

I have one 500 GB HDD for my photographs (digital and analog) libraries and editing documents, one 500 GB HDD with my personal video footage in an editing friendly format.
Both 500 GB HDDs get backed up to one 1 TB HDD via CarbonCopyCloner.
And that 1 TB HDD gets backed up to another 1 TB HDD via CarbonCopyCloner.
Therefore I have three copies of my important data.

PS: Those backups can be scheduled.

TonyK · Apr 25, 2012

While CCC is good for copying/duplicating drives, what I use for backups is ChronoSync from Econ Technologies. ChronoSync can be timed with an agent, configured to mirror or sync and other things. Items can be put in an exception list and not backed up.

In short, ChronoSync is a very flexible application for creating backups.

Links:
ChronoSync
ChronoAgent

simsaladimbamba · Apr 25, 2012

TonyK said:
While CCC is good for copying/duplicating drives, what I use for backups is ChronoSync from Econ Technologies. ChronoSync can be timed with an agent, configured to mirror or sync and other things. Items can be put in an exception list and not backed up.

In short, ChronoSync is a very flexible application for creating backups.

Links:
ChronoSync
ChronoAgent

You can DE-select in CCC what you don't want to have backed up, but you CANNOT select a target folder, only drive, this ChronoSync has the advantage there.

Dave Braine · Apr 25, 2012

simsaladimbamba, is there any particular reason why you don't backup your two 500Gb drives using TM, and then backup the 1Tb to the other using CCC?

simsaladimbamba · Apr 25, 2012

Dave Braine said:
simsaladimbamba, is there any particular reason why you don't backup your two 500Gb drives using TM, and then backup the 1Tb to the other using CCC?

I don't like TM and have been burned twice already. As I also don't need versioning the way TM provides with video and photo files, CCC is the way I chose to go.
I also clone my two OS SSDs to an internal (MBP has two drives) and external (iMac via FW 800) HDD on a daily basis. Text documents and smaller DCC files get backed up and synched via DropBox additionally.

Dave Braine · Apr 25, 2012

OK, thanks.

GGJstudios · Apr 25, 2012

I prefer CCC for creating bootable backups. If your drive crashes, just boot from the backup drive. TM can't do that.

Dave Braine · Apr 25, 2012

Yes, I would also have a CCC clone as well.

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Backup. What's The Best Way?

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