Read-only Disk Image or Zip File for Archiving

[RumorConsumer]

Hey all - Im gonna be putting my 350GB music library online and Im wondering what that consensus would be on whether to modularize the data using a read only disk image or using a zip file. Dont care about cross compatibility. I will be sticking with Apple. Curious your thoughts.

I dont think compression itself is an issue given that the music is either all compressed or losslessly compressed which means you can't do much more to it.
thanks

 

[gilby101]

Archiving ... online

Both words are often used rather loosely. Can you clarify. Is that for others to access? Or as an archive for you (i.e. store in cloud and delete from your computer)? Or as a backup for you (keeping the master copy on your computer)? In what circumstances would you or others access it? Do you have a particular cloud service in mind?

music library

Is that a collection of folders and files? Or is it within some form of library? In which case, what product?

a read only disk image or using a zip file

Are you thinking of storing your data in a single image or zip? That can cause problems when you or others want to read/recover the data.

 

[RumorConsumer]

Uploading to Backblaze b2 object storage. It’s a cloud backup. Keeping others on SSDs at home. My sense is zip or read only image would be fine

 

[RumorConsumer]

Yes music is a ton of audio files. Thousands.

 

[gilby101]

My sense is zip or read only image would be fine

If you are happy fine. My question are you happy with restoration of a subset would require download of complete image or zip? Also a single error on Backblaze's part could mean that nothing can be restored. I would be happier with a smaller unit size - not more than a few GB.

My preference would be many encrypted zips, all with the same password.

Going back a step and turning the question into "how to backup your files to the cloud?". Have you considered using a backup application rather than creating your own objects and copying them to B2?

I use Arq Backup with both B2 and OneDrive cloud storage. It would have no problem with your thousands of music files. A backup program allows reasonably convenient recovery of all or just a few files as required. In addition it keeps a history of changes and additions - just like Time Machine does for a local backup. First upload can take a while, but it is building a database of what is where as well as uploading data. And it takes care of encrypting everything.

Only disadvantage is that a backup program expects your files to be kept locally on attached disks. If that is inconvenient (or not possible) your solution build around modest sized zip files may be better.

Just my thoughts.

 

[Fishrrman]

For "archiving", I would not use either a disk image or a "zip" file.

Instead, I'd get a separate drive (for archival purposes only), and just copy files over, unmodified and uncompressed.

Reason why:
You WANT "archived files" to be easy to get at.
Perhaps easy to get at by other folks than you, after you're "no longer here"...

 

[HDFan]

Hey all - Im gonna be putting my 350GB music library online and Im wondering what that consensus would be on whether to modularize the data using a read only disk image or using a zip file.

Uploading to Backblaze b2 object storage. It’s a cloud backup. Keeping others on SSDs at home. My sense is zip or read only image would be fine

As above if you have just one, or a few files in archives, if something gets corrupted you lose everything in that archive.

I would recommend just using Backblaze Personal storage rather than B2. Unlimited storage for a reasonable price, no archive files required, you can backup/restore individual files as needed. I have ~800 GB of music files backed up this way.

Heres the page where I can request a restore via download:

 

[RumorConsumer]

Thanks for the suggestions. I also have a time machine backup I use on a SSD so the B2 archive is really that. Its a just in case kind of thing in case I lose the machine and the time machine SSD. I dont care about retrieving individual files. This is a case of needing a full restore and Im fine with that. Just wondering if anybody saw drawbacks or advantages to images versus zip files.

I also have no interest in incurring the overhead of a piece of backup software running on my Mac.