Can I partition a hard drive and use as 2 TM backups on the network?

[SWD]

I have 1 TM backup for my rMBP that will no longer backup. I still have access to the data and can TM back, but I get error messages when it attempts a backup and then the drive becomes unrecognizable. Power down drive, plug it back in, run disk utility and it's fine. Try a TM backup, same error. I've tried trashing the TM pref file but still nothing. I'll take any thoughts on the matter, but that's not what I'm asking about.

I have another TM backup for my iMac that is full.

Ideally, I'd like to have a 3TB drive, partitioned in 2. Copy existing TM backups, and have drive either hardwired (USB 2) to always on iMac and shared partition to rMBP, or shared via USB 3 on my router.

I do also have cloned drives, and use crashplan.

 

[Weaselboy]

Ideally, I'd like to have a 3TB drive, partitioned in 2. Copy existing TM backups, and have drive either hardwired (USB 2) to always on iMac and shared partition to rMBP, or shared via USB 3 on my router.

To use the iMac as the networked TM destination you will need to install OS X Server on the iMac.

Some routers advertise Time Machine support like you mentioned, but just judging from posts here in the forums, they seem to be really spotty and unreliable for TM backups.

 

[SWD]

Darn, I thought I could just share a volume over the network. The iMac remains on always anyways, as I use it as a Plex server.

 

[SWD]

Follow up question: Do both machines have to be on the same OS version to use OS X Server? Right now the iMac is on last years (El Cap?), but the rMBP is on Sierra.

 

[Weaselboy]

Follow up question: Do both machines have to be on the same OS version to use OS X Server? Right now the iMac is on last years (El Cap?), but the rMBP is on Sierra.

No not at all. That won't be a problem.

 

[SWD]

No not at all. That won't be a problem.

Thanks!

Another question, sorry!

Will I be able to transfer my existing TM backups to the server hard drive?

I believe using the server I wouldn't need to partition the drive, but since I'm migrating from 2 drives, still a better idea to partition the drive?

 

[Weaselboy]

Will I be able to transfer my existing TM backups to the server hard drive?

I believe using the server I wouldn't need to partition the drive, but since I'm migrating from 2 drives, still a better idea to partition the drive?

You can copy over the old backups, but with a catch. The iMac backup you can just copy to a new drive and keep on going no problem. But networked TM backups work a little differently. They are stored inside a sparse bundle image on the disk. So you cannot just take a local (like USB attached) TM backup and start using it as a networked backup. There is a workaround in section #3 of this page if you really want to keep the old backup set.

I would still make partitions. You will be using server to manage the space on the networked backup from the MacBook. But the local backup of the iMac will still be just a regular TM backup that will grow and grow. If you want to limit that, you can put it on its own partition.

 

[SWD]

Awesome. Thanks for your help.

The rMBP doesn't use many local files, though the TM drive is relatively large. I'm guessing old iMovie files I have since archived off. It has about 18 months of data, so if I have to start over, it's no big deal.