Backup solution for iMac

[joema2]

...Cloud backups, on the other hand, are for disaster recovery....It really doesn't matter how long it takes for the initial upload to the cloud, that period of time is irrelevant. It will be what it will be, and it won't adversely effect your up/down speeds for whatever else you're doing...

Cloud backups are OK if you have a little bit of data, or don't mind picking through your data and pulling out the important part, and don't have an ISP with a data cap, and if you don't mind a very long wait for both backup and recovery (possibly weeks).

However it's often much faster and more effective to just backup everything to a portable hard drive, walk to your mailbox and mail it off site, or just put it in an on-site fire/flood proof safe.

It doesn't take much activity to accumulate a lot of data. I have shot 50 gigabytes of raw stills in one day, and that wasn't trying hard. It very rapidly becomes infeasible for cloud backup.

 

[cincygolfgrrl]

"However it's often much faster and more effective to just backup everything to a portable hard drive, walk to your mailbox and mail it off site, or just put it in an on-site fire/flood proof safe."


Ok

 

[Fishrrman]

joema2 wrote:
[[ It doesn't take much activity to accumulate a lot of data. I have shot 50 gigabytes of raw stills in one day, and that wasn't trying hard. It very rapidly becomes infeasible for cloud backup. ]]

For backup needs of "that size", looks like you need several large-capacity HDD's, one or more "docking stations", and a safety deposit box at the bank, or some other off-site location for secure storage...

 

[joema2]

joema2 wrote:
[[ It doesn't take much activity to accumulate a lot of data. I have shot 50 gigabytes of raw stills in one day, and that wasn't trying hard. It very rapidly becomes infeasible for cloud backup. ]]

For backup needs of "that size", looks like you need several large-capacity HDD's, one or more "docking stations", and a safety deposit box at the bank, or some other off-site location for secure storage...

It actually doesn't take that much. Backups can be either system-wide or project based. Few projects are over 1TB and fewer still over 2TB. The fastest 1TB 7200 rpm USB 3 portable drive is only $69, and can backup almost any single video/photo project: http://www.touropro.com/en/product/touro-s/

The 2TB Seagate Backup Plus Slim is $99: http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Backu...6293&sr=8-1&keywords=seagate+backup+plus+slim

Many of these small, thin portable drives can be stored on-site inside a small fire/flood-proof safe: http://www.amazon.com/SentrySafe-CHW20221-Medium-Chest-Charcoal/dp/B00KOO594O/ref=dp_ob_title_hi

If your backup data volume is modest, then cloud-based backup is fine. But as it rises into the hundreds of gigabytes it's increasingly difficult to handle via on-line methods.

 

[cincygolfgrrl]

If you actually read the excerpt that I quoted from one of the most well-known cloud backup services available, you would see that merely 700 GB could take two years or longer to upload. But why should we let facts get in the way of your ignorant assertions?

Of course I was drinking on a Saturday night. What were you doing?

Anyway, you win. I've been basing my posts on crazy-ass personal experience which is far less credible than something you read once online.

 

[Wirbowsky]

Have any of you tried dupplica. I am in my trial period of Backblaze and I am still looking around. Dupplica seems rather good, any experience around macrumors?

 

[Wirbowsky]

I am trying dupplica right now. At startup, it asks what should be saved. Nothing seems selected by default. I have selected /users/ folder. That seems to be an error.

Dupplica is scanning the folders and uses as much CPU as it can.
Strangely bytes/read are rather low.

I tried to change my folder selection but the tool crashes when trying to change it.
I noticed than that I had two dupplicacore processes running.

After force quitting both processes and starting the app again, i was able to change the backup selection.
I changed the backup to continuous mode. It quickly uploaded a few files but nothing more.

When trying to force a scan... it crashed.

Well that's it I will not spent more time on this tool. Back to backblaze.

So do not bother with this tool

 

[wavey]

Of course I was drinking on a Saturday night. What were you doing?

Anyway, you win. I've been basing my posts on crazy-ass personal experience which is far less credible than something you read once online.

I stumbled on this thread because I was looking for a good cloud-based backup solution. I thought your replies were entirely reasonable and agree that it doesn't really matter how long a full upload takes if you already have a USB backup of everything as well.

 

[AppleFan360]

However it's often much faster and more effective to just backup everything to a portable hard drive, walk to your mailbox and mail it off site, or just put it in an on-site fire/flood proof safe.

I agree with this. It's actually more convenient for me to use a portable hard drive and store it in my safe deposit box. Every few months, I pick it up on the way home from work, update it and then take it back the next morning. Not as easy as a cloud backup but certainly faster.

 

[wavey]

I agree with this. It's actually more convenient for me to use a portable hard drive and store it in my safe deposit box. Every few months, I pick it up on the way home from work, update it and then take it back the next morning. Not as easy as a cloud backup but certainly faster.

You only update your backup every couple of months? What about the guy who works from home and needs secure backups of his data every day? If a portable hard drive is the only way, then yes, you need a storage area away from the Mac. You use a safety deposit box, but most people wouldn't have access to one unless they live in a big city, so that wouldn't be realistic for everyone. The benefit of a cloud solution is that you don't have to go anywhere or remember to back up, and you're not reliant on backup media that may fail to verify or fail altogether. Sure, a local hard drive is convenient, but doesn't protect against theft or fire if it's kept next to the computer all the time. If you keep it at home it needs to be in a fireproof data safe, and in the UK they're not cheap.

 

[Alesc]

You only update your backup every couple of months? What about the guy who works from home and needs secure backups of his data every day? If a portable hard drive is the only way, then yes, you need a storage area away from the Mac. You use a safety deposit box, but most people wouldn't have access to one unless they live in a big city, so that wouldn't be realistic for everyone. The benefit of a cloud solution is that you don't have to go anywhere or remember to back up, and you're not reliant on backup media that may fail to verify or fail altogether. Sure, a local hard drive is convenient, but doesn't protect against theft or fire if it's kept next to the computer all the time.

A Time Machine HDD next to the computer + one off-site clone updated every mounths (I keep mine at work) will fit the needs of most people! It may be not sufficient for professionnals, but for consumers, IMO this is a sufficient system.
In the worst scenario (fire or theft at home), you will only lose what you have done since the last clone, it is acceptable I think.

 

[AppleFan360]

What about the guy who works from home and needs secure backups of his data every day?

Then of course, cloud backup is great in between visits to the safe deposit box. For complete backups containing over 500GB of data however, cloud backups are just not viable and recovery would be extremely slow and cumbersome.

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A Time Machine HDD next to the computer + one off-site clone updated every mounths (I keep mine at work) will fit the needs of most people! It may be not sufficient for professionnals, but for consumers, IMO this is a sufficient system.
In the worst scenario (fire or theft at home), you will only lose what you have done since the last clone, it is acceptable I think.

Yep, good system. A Time Machine backup plus an offsite portable hard drive backup is a great way to go and FREE! Probably more secure as well. You are not "broadcasting" your data over the internet to a server that could be compromised.

 

[wavey]

But you would only do a complete backup once, all the others would be incremental. Using both cloud and local time machine is probably the most secure and reliable option.

It very much depends on the type of data though. If it's super-sensetive then encryption is needed at the very least, and you'd have to weigh up the likelyhood and consequence of loss. Also, how many people actually verify their backups?

 

[Alesc]

Yep, good system. A Time Machine backup plus an offsite portable hard drive backup is a great way to go and FREE! Probably more secure as well. You are not "broadcasting" your data over the internet to a server that could be compromised.

Yes, free! And I'm responsible for my datas, I'm more confortable if my datas stay mine, I don't wan't to rely on a company nor to confy them my datas (even encrypted).

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But you would only do a complete backup once, all the others would be incremental. Using both cloud and local time machine is probably the most secure and reliable option.

It very much depends on the type of data though. If it's super-sensetive then encryption is needed at the very least, and you'd have to weigh up the likelyhood and consequence of loss. Also, how many people actually verify their backups?

I do check my backpups: from time to time, I browse the Time Machine Hard drive and try to open my most important files.
And when my encrypted clone has just been updated, I boot on it to check it is OK

 

[joema2]

...Sure, a local hard drive is convenient, but doesn't protect against theft or fire if it's kept next to the computer all the time. If you keep it at home it needs to be in a fireproof data safe, and in the UK they're not cheap.

This one is $53, is it that much more expensive in the UK? http://www.amazon.com/SentrySafe-CHW20221-Medium-Chest-Charcoal/dp/B00KOO594O/ref=dp_ob_title_hi

Since most people also have physical documents of value that require protection, the cost would be shared across all those. So it's not like it's only needed for a portable backup HDD.

 

[cincygolfgrrl]

It doesn't really matter how long a full upload takes if you already have a USB backup of everything as well.

Thanks for understanding my point.

 

[Fatboy71]

CCC sounds like a savior if the internal drive crashes. Can you boot from a cloned USB 3 drive or does it have to be connected to the Thunderbolt port or with a firewire drive with a Thunderbolt adaptor? (I have a new rImac)

Sorry just noticed your post now

I use a USB 3 external hard drive for my clone, so I cannot comment on a Thunderbolt port drive.

 

[Alesc]

I haven't tested Firewire (slower than USB3 and TB), but with both USB3 and TB, it is working perfectly, and both are the same in terms of performance for a simple external drive (USB is much cheaper though...).