Backing up Time Machine

[b0redom]

Hi All,
Ok firstly this is not a post about using Time Machine. I already back up my Mac to a NAS running RAID-5 (soon to be RAID-6). What I _do_ need some help with is backing up from there. I've recently bought a ScanSnap IX500 and am clearing out hundreds of pages of real paper and scanning them.

If I lost the data from that it would be REALLY painful to get it back, and in some cases impossible.

How are people backing up their time machine instances? Is it as simple as just bulk copying files from the TimeMachine folder?

Regards.....

b0redom

 

[nebo1ss]

Hi All,
Ok firstly this is not a post about using Time Machine. I already back up my Mac to a NAS running RAID-5 (soon to be RAID-6). What I _do_ need some help with is backing up from there. I've recently bought a ScanSnap IX500 and am clearing out hundreds of pages of real paper and scanning them.

If I lost the data from that it would be REALLY painful to get it back, and in some cases impossible.

How are people backing up their time machine instances? Is it as simple as just bulk copying files from the TimeMachine folder?

Regards.....

b0redom

Multiple backup system is always a good idea. In addition to time machine i use Carbon copy cloner for local backup and also Crashplan to offsite backup to a friend.

 

[rigormortis]

the later versions of os x support multiple time machine backup targets. i have two targets on my mac mini. and it rotates the backups. this standard feature of os x might nullify your need to backup a raid system, you just grab another hard disk and add it to the list of targets

what nabo1ss said is a great idea. i just wanted to remind you guys of the staggered backup feature you already have

 

[Apple fanboy]

I have a Timecapsule backing up my internal iMac drive.
Then I use CCC on a seperate drive that I leave off site at work.

 

[Weaselboy]

How are people backing up their time machine instances? Is it as simple as just bulk copying files from the TimeMachine folder?

Sort of... you could just clone the TM volume to another volume (external drive) using something like Carbon Copy Cloner. So that would be a copy of your backup. You NAS may even include an application that will do that for you.

If it was me though, I would so what was mentioned earlier in the thread and just use either TM or something else like CCC to make a second backup directly.

For me, the flaw in just copying the TM backup like you want to do it if that backup is corrupted, then that corrupted backup is cloned to the second disk.... you have effectively no backup.

 

[glenthompson]

Better to have multiple independent backups than trying to copy a backup to another device. I have multiple time machine backups to different destinations, CCC clones on multiple drives, and Crashplan backup for off site. I regularly test these backups to make sure that I can restore from them.

I have scanned all my documents and maintain very little paper. I get very anal about backups.