What is the best way to backup/mirror data?

Sogni · #1 April 10th, 2002, 12:14 AM

But I don't mean RAID (as I'm not sure what exactly happened with my other hard drive).

And I'd like to avoid costly software...

But I need a way to backup data on specific folders on a nightly basis or on command.

I have not yet decided if I want the drive to be on IDE, Firewire or on a totally different computer via Ethernet (Windows or Linux via Samba), so I'd like the ability to do any combination if not all these options available.

Does anyone know of a solution?

Also has anyone tried Iomea's QuickSync? Does it backup to other locations than Zip Drives? Wish I had something faster than Dialup here to test drive it (and others).

bubbajim · #2 April 10th, 2002, 11:20 AM

If you have OS X, then you already have the software.

The command is 'ditto'

There is a GUI app for it called Carbon Copy Cloner 1.2 that's available on VersionTracker. CCC copies the whole hard drive, I'm not completely sure if it will let you just copy directories, but it's worth a look.

Be sure to read the man page on it. There are two things to do with this command; make sure you backup resource forks and run the command as root (I'm sure sudo would work fine too).

ulrik · #3 April 10th, 2002, 03:28 PM

Danzt Retrospect isn't that costly and runs great...

mindbend · #4 April 11th, 2002, 12:10 AM

Get Retrospect for nightly backups to a tape medium or consider Synchronize Pro X (qdea.com) for on-demand hard drive file mirroring.

**fryke** · #5 April 11th, 2002, 05:00 AM

the 'ditto' tip is best AND free (as in beer). you can, for example:

sudo ditto -rsrc /Users/yourname /Volumes/Backup/200204XX

It'll ask for a password and then copy your whole home directory to a Backup volume.

I prefer a Firewire drive, because I can take it with me if needed, separate from the computer.

If you want to automate this task, you can use the cron system that's already in the system. If you want to know more about it, ask. But I tend to do it by hand, because my backup needs change from time to time.

Sogni · #6 April 11th, 2002, 12:17 PM

Ok so far I've tested QuickSync 3 by Iomega and the ditto command as I must say I like them both.

I like the options QuickSync gives me to backup multiple folders (say for example if I don't care to backup everything in my user folder, but I do want everything in my Pictures, Documents, etc.).

I'm going to see if I can get a free upgrade since QuickSync 2 (?) came with my Zip Drive, if not I'll defenatly use ditto.

I'll also look at the others suggested for when I can afford it - I'd like the best backup option, I'm sick of losing my data!

Now to call Maxtor and get that drive replaced!

Maybe I should get a 3rd drive while I'm at it - can I make the 2nd and 3rd drive into a RAID array only for data/backups without the 1st/system drive?

Thanks!

**fryke** · #7 April 11th, 2002, 01:50 PM

You can, but I personally wouldn't. The flexibility you get from a third drive (firewire) is of more worth to me, personally. I want another 120 GB of those Maxtor stackable firewire drives. Or two 60 GB or something. Flexibility is king for me. But price is, too, thus iomega's solutions aren't worth dirt right now. Too bad...

Sogni · #8 April 11th, 2002, 05:44 PM

I am unsure of what will be my final configuration of my home office/studio, my studio is still half at home and half at the old new studio (changed office when one of my friends left the company).

Anyway I'm planning for either my Linux box or Win2K/XP to do network file sharing via a secondary drive, and I plan to ultimatly send my backups via the network to one of them (Linux if I figure out SAMBA, if not Win2K/XP).

But I guess having a backup of a backup isn't a bad idea, huh?

So I'll leave the 40 Gig Drive a secondary in the Mac (if I can get Maxtor to replace it) and do local backups to it, then back that up to my network file server. So, 2 CRON Jobs for ditto would do it?

Speaking of external fire wire drives... Are supposed to be able to boot from them?
This could be a problem with my Maxtor drive - but I had it in an IDE Firewire box and my Mac would NOT boot from it after selecting it as a startup drive.
Even when the Mac booted up - I could not see the drive at all on my desktop or in Finder, I had to power it off and power it back on, and wait a good minute or two after it spun up before it showed up...

And about Iomega, I was looking around their site and apperantly they're about to come out with a bunch of new drives - including external USB and Firewire drives.

http://www.iomega.com/hdd/index.html
(scroll to the bottom of the page, it shows the Peerless drives and two HDDs)
Looks interesting...