Networking for Dummies

[skunk]

I have three "working" Macs, and a Mini connected to a 500GB external FW HD acting as network storage. All are connected to my router via ethernet or airport. What I would like to do is have each "working" Mac perform a scheduled incremental SuperDuper back-up to the same volume on the Mini, so that I end up with one aggregated copy at the end of the day. Is this possible?

 

[MisterMe]

You don't have a network problem, you have a backup problem. An incremental backup backs-up only those items which have been changed. However, the computer that does the back-up must have access to both volumes. So every computer participating in your back-up routine must have access to the same files. I really don't see what you hope to gain by splitting the job among several computers when one should do the job equally well.

 

[CanadaRAM]

I have three "working" Macs, and a Mini connected to a 500GB external FW HD acting as network storage. All are connected to my router via ethernet or airport. What I would like to do is have each "working" Mac perform a scheduled incremental SuperDuper back-up to the same volume on the Mini, so that I end up with one aggregated copy at the end of the day. Is this possible?

Don't think so.
You can have three computers each make incrementals to their own backup file on the server, so you will have 3 independent, incremental backups going.

Don't think you can successfully aggregate them into a single backup - how could it possibly resolve file and foldername conflicts, or two files of the same name on two machines, which had BOTH been modified since the last backup?

 

[skunk]

Don't think so.
You can have three computers each make incrementals to their own backup file on the server, so you will have 3 independent, incremental backups going.

That's what I've got at the moment. I suppose for a unified solution, I should just keep all my documents, music, photos etc on the Mini+HD and access them over the network.