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scotoma

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 19, 2008
6
0
Is it possible to use an external hard drive attached to time capsule via usb to store an itunes library and then have time capsule back up that external hard drive?
 

kolax

macrumors G3
Mar 20, 2007
9,181
115
Why not use the Time Capsule hard drive for your backups and let your USB hard drive accommodate your music?
 

scotoma

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 19, 2008
6
0
I am using the external hard drive as my itunes library, works fine, but can time capsule back up that external hard drive; say the external hard drive crashes, has time machine backed it up on time capsule?
 

dborja

macrumors 6502a
Sep 13, 2007
995
101
Northern California
Is it possible to use an external hard drive attached to time capsule via usb to store an itunes library and then have time capsule back up that external hard drive?

I have a USB hard drive connected to my AEBS and Time Machine does not back it up. Although it's not a Time Capsule I think the same principle applies. Now, if the external drive were connected directly to your Mac then I think that works. I could be wrong...
 

scotoma

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 19, 2008
6
0
One could attach the external hd to your computer but then you could not use it for your itunes library as a base for several computers (I have two laptops and a g4 tower). Unfortunately I have yet to find a solution to manually backing up the external hard drive.
 

bombtrack

macrumors member
Nov 13, 2007
39
1
Any updates on this?

I use a 1TB Time Capsule to back up my MBP and a 1TB external that stores all my files. Is there a way to plug the external into the TC and have TM back up the external to the TC? I know I can plug the external into my MBP and have it backed up, but I am really hoping I can leave it plugged into the TC and have it back up that way.

Thanks.
 

Dale Cooper

macrumors regular
Sep 20, 2005
218
0
I'd really like to know this as well, so I'll try to wake this thread back from the dead! Can you backup an external drive, connected to a Time Capsule, into the Time Capsule?
 

idunn

macrumors 6502a
Jan 12, 2008
500
400
Why not?

;) Same question.

I'd like all files on a Time Capsule, with an exact duplicate of them on an external hard drive of the same capacity, as backup. With any change to files on Time Capsule automatically mirrored on the backup external hard drive.

In this scenario the files on my MacBook would only reflect a small portion of those on these other two hard drives, and in a sense entirely separate. The kicker is that they should ideally remain separate. If this MacBook should die, retrieving its files simplest if stored within Time Capsule as a separate group, not intermixed with all others.

Please, has anyone done something similar?
 

Icaras

macrumors 603
Mar 18, 2008
6,344
3,393
;) Same question.

I'd like all files on a Time Capsule, with an exact duplicate of them on an external hard drive of the same capacity, as backup. With any change to files on Time Capsule automatically mirrored on the backup external hard drive.

In this scenario the files on my MacBook would only reflect a small portion of those on these other two hard drives, and in a sense entirely separate. The kicker is that they should ideally remain separate. If this MacBook should die, retrieving its files simplest if stored within Time Capsule as a separate group, not intermixed with all others.

Please, has anyone done something similar?

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but thats sounds like you want a RAID option.
 

Craftypenguin

macrumors newbie
Mar 22, 2009
7
0
Los Angeles, CA
I had this problem until it was solved by these forums

So I was reading this and I think I was in your same boat.

I wanted a disk that was for my TimeMachine backups and another disk that I used to keep separate data on.

What I did was, I got a USB hub, plugged in both disks and hooked it up to the back of the Airport. Then, I opened Terminal and typed:

defaults write com.apple.systempreferences TMShowUnsupportedNetworkVolumes 1

Then, close the Terminal, wait a few seconds and open TimeMachine preferences, and it should let you choose between both disks.

At least, I think this is what you're asking for. Try it anyway, its a cool little trick.
 

idunn

macrumors 6502a
Jan 12, 2008
500
400
A simple solution?

;)A salesperson at an Apple store asked why I intended to use an external hard drive as backup to Time Capsule. He said Time Capsule was reliable, I wouldn't have any problem. But when I mentioned instances when this might not be the case, allowed that they perhaps not foolproof. And, of course, if for backup, isn't that the idea?

Assuming I didn't know anything about this, which might not be too far from the case, how would one explain the solution?

My limited understanding of a RAID system is that multiple hard drives each record the same data. Which is what I wish, in part, but also to have this done automatically. Thus Time Capsule, although perhaps it cannot be configured to automatically backup anything but itself. If the Time Capsule should die, I want the exact same information on a separate external hard drive, that was automatically backed up as well.

As previously mentioned, if this perhaps not asking too much, I'd like the files unique to this MacBook stored in a separate partition within Time Capsule, and also, of course, on the aforementioned external backup hard drive. Should this MacBook die, it would be nice if I could retrieve what might be 145 GB that was on it . . . without searching through what might be 730 GB of largely unrelated data on Time Capsule.
 

skorpien

macrumors 68020
Jan 14, 2008
2,339
0
Might I make a suggestion? Get an external RAID enclosure set up as RAID 1 with USB connectivity, connect it to an AirPort Extreme, and use Time Machine to back up your internal MacBook drive. That way you will have multiple copies of your backup automatically.

Time Machine will not back up anything not physically attached to the computer, so any externals attached to a Time Capsule/Extreme will not be backed up by Time Machine. This has to be done either manually or by setting up some type of automated scheduled copy command yourself (or possibly via third party software; not sure if or how this can be done).
 

osodeanteojos

Suspended
Mar 16, 2009
4
0
Compress Disk.

I have my music and no so used data into my time capsule drive. Time capsule make my backups daily, but then I use another external drive to backup the whole TC. You can do it whit something called "Compress" (I guess it is the literally translation for the Comprimir button) in the TC panel in Airport Utility. What it makes is a full copy of the TC on an external drive. It wold take time but it wold make you feel safer.

Give it a try and tell me what you think.
 

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