Question about external hard drives.

[definitive]

I was thinking of getting an external hard drive (or a raid 1 setup) for backup. What I'm wondering is if it's possible to do this:

Have Time Machine back up the entire system on to the drive (or raid), and also add files to it from a different computer that wouldn't interfere with the stuff that's already on there from Time Machine.

Would this be ok, or would the drive only be able to do one or the other?

 

[sammich]

You can use a drive that has Time Machine backing up to it like any other drive. Just make sure you don't run out of space.

 

[GregE]

You might want to partition the drive or RAID array and use 1 partition for your TM and another partition for your other computer to store stuff.

 

[Thiol]

You might want to partition the drive or RAID array and use 1 partition for your TM and another partition for your other computer to store stuff.

Partitioning has advantages, but is not necessary. Just don't put anything in the backups folder.

 

[patrick0brien]

You might want to partition the drive or RAID array and use 1 partition for your TM and another partition for your other computer to store stuff.

-GregE

I would recommend against partitioning as it adds work, and wear to the slider (read/write armiture) of the HD

For example
2 partitions, 2xthe work/wear, risk 1/2 the life (MTBF)
3 partitions, 3xthe work/wear, risk 1/3 the life (MTBF)
... etc.

HDs are so cheap anymore, please consider getting another.

However, sammich is correct, you can store files on a time machine volume outside the backup file without interference - as long as you have space. And Time Machine files only increase in size with every incremental backup.

The best solution would be a RAID like a Drobo, there you can get up to 4 disks behaving as one, so you get 4/1 the life (MTBF)

 

[joaoferro37]

You have few options,
Using a RAID 1 like
http://www.timelinedigitalinc.com/icdual-2bay-external-sata-firewire-10tb-hitachi-p-534.html
Or getting the enclosure only from OWC
http://www.amazon.com/Icy-Dock-Exte...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1242168071&sr=8-1

It has builtin RAID 0 and 1, FireWire 800/400 and USB with 3 year warranty.
You can also get a FireWire RAID 5 4bay
http://www.timelinedigitalinc.com/stardom-deckraid-p-566.html

I prefer RAID 5 eventho the enclosure itself is a bit expensive but RAID 5 will get me high performance and reliable protection and I only lose 1 drive ccapacity insted of RAID 1 (50% capacity)

 

[GregE]

-GregE

I would recommend against partitioning as it adds work, and wear to the slider (read/write armiture) of the HD

For example
2 partitions, 2xthe work/wear, risk 1/2 the life (MTBF)
3 partitions, 3xthe work/wear, risk 1/3 the life (MTBF)
... etc.

HDs are so cheap anymore, please consider getting another.

However, sammich is correct, you can store files on a time machine volume outside the backup file without interference - as long as you have space. And Time Machine files only increase in size with every incremental backup.

The best solution would be a RAID like a Drobo, there you can get up to 4 disks behaving as one, so you get 4/1 the life (MTBF)

Thanks I didn't know that. I only recommended it so he wouldn't fill up the partition his TM was on with other stuff.

I had looked at the Drobo but went with a RAID enclosure. My main reason was if something happened to the Drobo device, I could always put the hard drives from my RAID array in another enclosure and get to things quicker since I wouldn't have to wait for a new Drobo enclsure to show up.