iCloud drive

[PedroW]

Hi

I have been doing lots of reading to no avail. I backup my MBA to time machine on a SSD drive connected to the thunderbolt hub.

Want a secondary backup strategy as I use the MBA for my business. Looked a Dropbox and then though “hang on I have iCloud Drive”. My limited use of it previously has been to store copies of documents I wanted available when I don’t have MBA with me but do have iPad. So I’ve always just copied across the document.

However, what I want to know is it possible to point iCloud Drive at folders on the MBA internal HD and it will keep on the iCloud Drive a copy and keep it up to date as the HD copies are updated and new documents are saved? Or is it just meant to be used as an alternative drive e.g. a second HD. My concern there is that I don’t want my only copy to be the one on iCloud.

If that is the case should I be using something else?

Cheers

Ben

 

[BeefCake 15]

I don't think it's possible to TM backup to iCloud Drive yet.

 

[komatsu]

W'oh TM and iCloud what a nasty combo!

 

[PedroW]

I don't think it's possible to TM backup to iCloud Drive yet.

not looking to TM to iCloud. More interested if iCloud just works as a network drive, or can be setup to mirror folders on a HD?

 

[Gregg2]

For the amount of stuff it sounds like you want to backup to the iCloud drive, I believe there would be a monthly fee required.

 

[PedroW]

For the amount of stuff it sounds like you want to backup to the iCloud drive, I believe there would be a monthly fee required.

yep its about 6 gb - I already have a monthly fee.

I just need to know if there is a way to keep the data on the HD and it auto copy to iCloud drive and keep iCloud drive in sync with the HD (ie a normal backup of files) or is it just a HD that lives outside of your computer and only has on it what you put there manually?

 

[BeefCake 15]

yep its about 6 gb - I already have a monthly fee.

I just need to know if there is a way to keep the data on the HD and it auto copy to iCloud drive and keep iCloud drive in sync with the HD (ie a normal backup of files) or is it just a HD that lives outside of your computer and only has on it what you put there manually?

Why don't you setup all your important folders inside of iCloud, it'll be always be backed up from there.

 

[Weaselboy]

I just need to know if there is a way to keep the data on the HD and it auto copy to iCloud drive and keep iCloud drive in sync with the HD (ie a normal backup of files) or is it just a HD that lives outside of your computer and only has on it what you put there manually?

You would not want to do this with things like the user ~/Library folders because iCloud drive is not really intended for that type of backup. But if you wanted iCloud drive to store say something like another folder with music or movies in it, you could symlink that other folder to the iCloud drive folder and it would do what you want.

There is an app called MacDropAny that can be used to setup those symlinks for you.

http://www.zibity.com/macdropany.html