Help: moving time machine to NAS

[2010mini]

Hello all,

does anyone know the steps to move my existing time machine to a NAS? I have a WD MyCloud that i am currently using for my wife's MBP time machine backup. I currently back up my Mini to a USB drive and want to move that to the NAS.

I have searched and see most results giving answers to a USB drive. since the MyCloud is ethernet only, I need further help.

Another question- my wife used to have her own account on my Mini before she got the MBP. all the files she had on my mini are now on her MBP. is it possible to erase all the time machine backups specific to her user account before moving it to the NAS as its no longer needed?

if anyone knows, your help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[gallico916]

TM Migration

Hey

Here is a link to migrate the spare image from the current TM to the new drive
http://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-migrate-time-machine-backups-to-a-new-drive/

Not familiar with the WD NAS system, but if the NAS software support TM then just create a TM drive on the MAS, and copy the spare images as per the article.
PS- Don't forget to turn off the TM on your computer before copying the spare image. To avoid the error that the spare image is being "occupied"

Good Luck
G.

 

[Weaselboy]

Hello all,

does anyone know the steps to move my existing time machine to a NAS? I have a WD MyCloud that i am currently using for my wife's MBP time machine backup. I currently back up my Mini to a USB drive and want to move that to the NAS.

I have searched and see most results giving answers to a USB drive. since the MyCloud is ethernet only, I need further help.

Another question- my wife used to have her own account on my Mini before she got the MBP. all the files she had on my mini are now on her MBP. is it possible to erase all the time machine backups specific to her user account before moving it to the NAS as its no longer needed?

if anyone knows, your help will be greatly appreciated.

You have two separate things going on here. Networked TM backups sit inside a sparse bundle file and the local USB one is in a plain Backups.backupdb file.

If you double click a networked TM sparse bundle to look inside you will see the Backups.backupdb file.

To get rid of the wife's backups, enter the Time Machine star field interface and navigate to the /Users folder and select her account then right click and select Delete all backups of username.

Now turn off TM on both machines.

For the MyCloud one it will already in sparse bundle format, so just drag and drop the whole sparse bundle file from one NAS to the other. If this is a large backup it is going to take a while to copy.

Now for the Mini it is more complicated. Connect the new NAS and turn on TM and start a new backup and let it run a few minutes until you see some data copied over there. Then turn TM off. Now in Finder navigate to the NAS drive and double click the new sparse bundle. Delete the Backups.backupdb file in there then drag and drop yours from the USB drive in its place. When the copy is done eject the sparse bundle then turn TM back on.

There is a pretty good step by step on all this here.

 

[2010mini]

Hey

Here is a link to migrate the spare image from the current TM to the new drive
http://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-migrate-time-machine-backups-to-a-new-drive/

Not familiar with the WD NAS system, but if the NAS software support TM then just create a TM drive on the MAS, and copy the spare images as per the article.
PS- Don't forget to turn off the TM on your computer before copying the spare image. To avoid the error that the spare image is being "occupied"

Good Luck
G.

tried this and it say the volume is the wrong format for a backup

 

[gallico916]

Wrong Format

Make sure after creating the NAS TM partition to format that to HFS+.
Usually when you choose a drive or partition from the TM control panel it should ask if you want to use this drive/partition as A TM and then it will format it automatically.

If not you can manually do that as per this link:
http://www.hgst.com/support/faqs/how-format-my-drive-mac-only-hfs

PS- follow Weaselboy advice regarding on how to create the initial sparse bundle.

Regards
G.

 

[carves]

I've had a MyCloud and now a Seagate NAS. Time machine always shows it's done successful backups, but I can never see them or the sparse bundle (whatever that is) on the drive. Where are these backups?

 

[gallico916]

Nas

Depending on the NAS it will not show on the NAS filesystem as most NAS uses EXT 3/4 as file system.

You can mount the TM volume and check that the backup is there.
Check the TM drive and the free space, and it will "tell" you if there's any data on it.

Regards
G.