Can Time Machine back-up a NAS?

[duncyboy]

Is it possible to back-up the contents of a NAS drive to a FireWire or USB2 drive using a Mac and Time Machine?

I know there are methods to get TM to back-up TO a NAS but if, for example, someone had their iTunes library on a NAS for access over a network- could TM be used to copy that drive for safe-keeping?

The path of the back-up would, basically, go like this:

NAS --> ROUTER --> IMAC & TIME MACHINE --> USB2/FW DRIVE

Sorry if this seems a simple one but searching for an answer just yields dozens of results for backing-up TO a NAS drive, not copying/saving the NAS itself.

Thanks

 

[old-wiz]

In order for time machine to be able to back up anything, it has to know when a file has been changed/added/deleted. The whole idea is you change the file and an hour later (or whatever interval you set time machine for) time machine copies the new version. However, the files on a NAS are not controlled by the Mac and Time Machine would have no way to tell what activity had taken place. If 3 systems are looking at the NAS, none of them would know all the changes. It doesn't soud like a practical idea.