Mac Pro optimal 2 drive set-up and back-up strategy

[kudukudu]

I have set my Mac Pro up as follows:

750 GB - primary drive
- Partition #1 with 10.5.2 contains all of my applications and data

320 GB - secondary drive
- Partition #1 has a small 10.5.2 instance that is bootable and will also be my photoshop scratch disk
- Partition #2 is configured with bootcamp to run Windows XP (also run using vmware fusion)

1 TB - External drive
- Partition #1 - clone of partition #1 from the 750 GB drive using superduper
- Partition #2 - clone of partition #1 from the 320 GB drive using superduper and a winclone image of my Windows XP bootcamp partition

The only thing that bugs me with this set-up right now is that there is no easy way to easily test that my winclone image will work as part of a backup strategy short of using bootcamp to create an NTFS installation on my primary drive and doing a restore.

 

[SDDave2007]

Are you planning on using SuperDuper as your backup tool?
or Time Machine?

If Time Machine, then you need to clear some space [a lot of space] from that external drive.

Does VMFusion create a virtual Windows Drive inside an OSX file [Parallels does]. The reason I mention this, is if it does, I would suggest you tell Time Machine NOT to back that up [use SuperDuper]. With Parallels, every time you run Windows, TM thinks that the OSX file hosting the VM was changed, and backs it up.... EVERY HOUR... and that can fill you disk really fast.

There are other threads here talking about that, as well as the Parallels Forum. I don't know if VMFusion uses a similar technique or not.

 

[kudukudu]

I am planning on using super duper for my backup strategy. Once tiger gets to 10.5.4 or maybe 10.5.5 I will take a look at time machine again, but my impression is that it is too quirky right now. I also like the idea of having a bootable backup.

Regarding VMware fusion, I have set it up so that Fusion uses the Bootcamp install of Windows XP. There are some cons to this setup, but in my opinion the flexibility of being able to boot natively into windows and having a single instance of Windows XP on my box makes up for this. Since Fusion is using the Bootcamp install I need to backup my Windows XP installation separately.