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nMP external storage set up...
- Thread starter violst
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The main benefit of time machine is that it's always on working in the background and it keeps multiple versions. I don't know of any other backup solution that does both of these things. For that reason, I definitely use it.
However, it shouldn't be your only solution for backing up important data. In my case, I keep an offsite backup of my photos on an external that gets updated once a month and stored at my company office, and also host a copy of all my "keepers" in the cloud. Important documents can also be mirrored to Dropbox, and your media collection "backed up" to iCloud (with iTunes Match).
As for keeping a clone of your boot drive?... That's of very little value to me. But then, being up and running on the same computer minutes after a system drive failure is not critical for me as I have a couple of computers I can use at any time. Besides, I'm not diligent enough to create a clone regularly enough for this solution to be of much use to me.
Before time machine I never really backed things up too much because I always had copies of things that were important on more than one machine, but Time machine has helped me many times when I deleted something that I later decided I wanted, or when I upgraded a program or tried a program that screwed things up. I've also used it a number of times just to move the contents of a drive to larger one just by switching out the drive and letting time machine restore it. Its very handy and I have never had any issue with it.
All of them are. The 8TB WD Thunderbolt Duo is among the more reasonably priced offerings at $650. The others want at least $100 more for the same thing.
Am I missing something those drives aren't advertised as Thunderbolt 2 just Thunderbolt 1?
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Sorry, overlooked "2". I think Promise is the only vendor offering TB2 solutions at the moment. But, of course, TB2 is only necessary where the enclosed drives can saturate TB1 which is going to be difficult for HDs (but no problem for SSDs).
It seems to me that TB2 is also worthwhile if you ever expect to use the passthrough port on the drive to another device downstream. Seems short-sighted to buy TB1 today when TB2 options will likely be released in the very near future.
Also, music creators absolutely don't need to be paying through the nose for the mega-expensive graphics cards that Apple think it so necessary to include in these new Mac Pro's.
Take out the expensive graphics cards, lower the price accordingly, then audio professionals will have a machine that is actually fit for purpose.
The new Mac Pro seems to be only catering for video and graphics professionals who will actually utilise these dual high-end gfx cards which cost such a large chunk of the asking price.
I have finally decided to get a rack for external storage. I am tired of multiple external drives and the spaghetti of cables (I have a Lacie 2BIg TB, a Pegasus R4, countless other external drives and a Synology NAS)
I am going to probably get rid of the NAS and get a rack based one and then consider my options for the DAS storage. Perhaps SAS and TB --> SAS adaptor? The R4 will stay at the bottom of the rack.
I am going to probably get rid of the NAS and get a rack based one and then consider my options for the DAS storage. Perhaps SAS and TB --> SAS adaptor? The R4 will stay at the bottom of the rack.
Yeah. I am looking at this (I am in the UK)
http://www.rackcabinets.co.uk/o-888-acoustic-racks/12u-800-x-800-acoustic-rack/
I also see that APC makes "soundproofed" racks as well, so I am going to take a look at that as well.
Currently I have 3.1tb of internal storage (4x 750gb drives in a software RAID-0 + a 120gb SSD to make a Fusion Drive), and 2x 1.5tb external USB drives concatenated for Time Machine backup.
I then have a two bay NAS with 2x 3tb drives (concatenated) to provide a second backup target for all of my computers.
My Time Machine backup volume is a bit tight, which means it only keeps a couple of months of historical backups at most, though it's only going to get worse as I fill up my internal storage (still have about 840gb left
).
Whatever I replace my Mac Pro with I'll need to move my internal storage somewhere, but what I'm opting for is to build my own storage. I've managed to get a cheap, but quite well made, PC case with 9x 5.25" bays into which I've mounted two 5x 3.5" drive back-planes (each takes up 3 5.25" bays) which will give me room for all my existing storage, plus an extra 750gb drive so I can turn my current internal drives into a RAID-5 volume of the same size, and I'll be adding an extra 1tb drive to my Time Machine volume which I'll be keeping concatenated for now till I can turn it into a RAID-5 as well (unfortunately 1.5tb drives have kind of disappeared thanks to 2tb and larger sizes appearing).
In any event, all I have left to do is to cut off the back third of the case since it's just wasted space, find a fan controller for my exhaust fan that isn't louder than the fan is, and install one RAID controller for each set of disks. I've settled for USB3 to 5x SATA standalone controllers for now as Thunderbolt parts aren't available, and USB3 should be about fast enough for me for now. Especially since I'll use an internal SSD couple with the external RAID-5 into a Fusion Drive, which should keep things generally speedy.
It's a bit more of a hands-on solution, but I'm happy with how it's shaping up as it gives me tons of room to expand, and if standalone Thunderbolt RAID controllers appear then I can swap them in later (might not even require a volume wipe if they turn out to use the same RAID scheme). Okay, so it's going to come in maybe £100 over what a Drobo 5D would cost me, but although I'm initially losing Thunderbolt connectivity, what I gain is space for up to 15x 3.5" drives or 36-54x 2.5" drives (depending upon which back-planes I add or swap in future), I know it'll be silent, surprisingly compact, no external power brick, and as many or as few individual RAID controllers as I require.
I then have a two bay NAS with 2x 3tb drives (concatenated) to provide a second backup target for all of my computers.
My Time Machine backup volume is a bit tight, which means it only keeps a couple of months of historical backups at most, though it's only going to get worse as I fill up my internal storage (still have about 840gb left
).Whatever I replace my Mac Pro with I'll need to move my internal storage somewhere, but what I'm opting for is to build my own storage. I've managed to get a cheap, but quite well made, PC case with 9x 5.25" bays into which I've mounted two 5x 3.5" drive back-planes (each takes up 3 5.25" bays) which will give me room for all my existing storage, plus an extra 750gb drive so I can turn my current internal drives into a RAID-5 volume of the same size, and I'll be adding an extra 1tb drive to my Time Machine volume which I'll be keeping concatenated for now till I can turn it into a RAID-5 as well (unfortunately 1.5tb drives have kind of disappeared thanks to 2tb and larger sizes appearing).
In any event, all I have left to do is to cut off the back third of the case since it's just wasted space, find a fan controller for my exhaust fan that isn't louder than the fan is, and install one RAID controller for each set of disks. I've settled for USB3 to 5x SATA standalone controllers for now as Thunderbolt parts aren't available, and USB3 should be about fast enough for me for now. Especially since I'll use an internal SSD couple with the external RAID-5 into a Fusion Drive, which should keep things generally speedy.
It's a bit more of a hands-on solution, but I'm happy with how it's shaping up as it gives me tons of room to expand, and if standalone Thunderbolt RAID controllers appear then I can swap them in later (might not even require a volume wipe if they turn out to use the same RAID scheme). Okay, so it's going to come in maybe £100 over what a Drobo 5D would cost me, but although I'm initially losing Thunderbolt connectivity, what I gain is space for up to 15x 3.5" drives or 36-54x 2.5" drives (depending upon which back-planes I add or swap in future), I know it'll be silent, surprisingly compact, no external power brick, and as many or as few individual RAID controllers as I require.
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my setup
at the moment I have a 1TB drive (Fusion) in my main computer and a Thunderbolt RAID enclosure, with two partitions. One of 1TB for my TimeMachine backups.
Why?
The main computer has very little on it - just the programs and a handful of files. So my TimeMachine backups don't need to be huge. My RAID 5 setup performs auto-backups (that's why it's RAID 5.) Including my TimeMachine. So my main computer is doubly secure. The external is FAST. Excepting initial spin-up when accessing it, I cannot tell when I'm running off the internal or external drives.
at the moment I have a 1TB drive (Fusion) in my main computer and a Thunderbolt RAID enclosure, with two partitions. One of 1TB for my TimeMachine backups.
Why?
The main computer has very little on it - just the programs and a handful of files. So my TimeMachine backups don't need to be huge. My RAID 5 setup performs auto-backups (that's why it's RAID 5.) Including my TimeMachine. So my main computer is doubly secure. The external is FAST. Excepting initial spin-up when accessing it, I cannot tell when I'm running off the internal or external drives.
Not sure if I am reading it right, but you are backing up data from the fusion drive and the external raid device to another volume on the same device?
That is not entirely correct. I have partitioned my external drive in two. The one partition contains my regular files. The other contains TimeMachine. Because the entire external drive is set up as RAID 5, everything is automatically backed up.
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What happens if the RAID fails? Maybe 2 drives die, or the hardware controller dies, or the software has a bug when writing important data to the disk? You lose both your data and your backup.
You're running a safer setup than most people, and you might feel comfortable enough with it. I wouldn't trust it, personally. I would feel safer if the Time Machine volume was on even a single big external drive, as long as it was separate from the RAID.
My two cents.
You're running a safer setup than most people, and you might feel comfortable enough with it. I wouldn't trust it, personally. I would feel safer if the Time Machine volume was on even a single big external drive, as long as it was separate from the RAID.
My two cents.
Great Thread
This is a great thread. I'm attempting to come up with a reasonable strategy for a nMP. A lot to consider.
Are those folks with a Drobo 5D happy with them so far? My experience with Drobo is that I spend a lot of time resolving Drobo problems. They (Drobo) claim redesign for the 5D, but I'm sure that came from the marketing dept.
I have a total of three hard drives in my current 2008 MP. I'm wondering what makes the most sense for replacing the extra two as an external device on the nMP.
Appreciate any thoughts.
This is a great thread. I'm attempting to come up with a reasonable strategy for a nMP. A lot to consider.
Are those folks with a Drobo 5D happy with them so far? My experience with Drobo is that I spend a lot of time resolving Drobo problems. They (Drobo) claim redesign for the 5D, but I'm sure that came from the marketing dept.
I have a total of three hard drives in my current 2008 MP. I'm wondering what makes the most sense for replacing the extra two as an external device on the nMP.
Appreciate any thoughts.
I just wanted to note that an interesting alternative to Time Machine is CrashPlan, which is something I'm considering to run headless on my NAS.
For free users you can setup multiple backup targets, including a friend or family member's computer to connect to remotely (if you can get them to set it up and they have space). This option lets you do a mutually assured backup in case one of you has a disaster like flooding or a fire.
Of course CrashPlan's main purpose is cloud backup, which is paid, but it's a good option if you can set-up shared backup or have far more data than your friends can backup for you.
I probably won't use it for local backup as I like Time Machine far too much, and I spent a long time getting rsync setup the way I like for sending a second backup to my NAS (I know I could now use Time Machine for that too in Mountain Lion, but I want actual files on my NAS rather than a disk image).
You can actually do a kind of best of both, by tricking CrashPlan into backing up from your latest Time Machine backup. This involves editing the CrashPlan settings file to point to: /Volumes/<Timemachine Backup>/Backups.backupdb/<Computer Name>/Latest/./
This tricks it into following the symbolic link, rather than just backing up the link itself (and nothing else).
Anyway, just thought I'd mention it as an option, as while having local redundant backups is a good idea, having a backup off-site in case of disaster is something worth considering. As I say, my NAS is actually in a kind of out-building (uses the same power circuit so I can use a Powerline network to connect it), which gives me some protection if the worst happens, but cloud backup is more disaster proof. One of the advantages of CrashPlan is that you can set your own encryption keys; so long as you keep them somewhere safe then it means your data should be nice and safe from the NSA
For free users you can setup multiple backup targets, including a friend or family member's computer to connect to remotely (if you can get them to set it up and they have space). This option lets you do a mutually assured backup in case one of you has a disaster like flooding or a fire.
Of course CrashPlan's main purpose is cloud backup, which is paid, but it's a good option if you can set-up shared backup or have far more data than your friends can backup for you.
I probably won't use it for local backup as I like Time Machine far too much, and I spent a long time getting rsync setup the way I like for sending a second backup to my NAS (I know I could now use Time Machine for that too in Mountain Lion, but I want actual files on my NAS rather than a disk image).
You can actually do a kind of best of both, by tricking CrashPlan into backing up from your latest Time Machine backup. This involves editing the CrashPlan settings file to point to: /Volumes/<Timemachine Backup>/Backups.backupdb/<Computer Name>/Latest/./
This tricks it into following the symbolic link, rather than just backing up the link itself (and nothing else).
Anyway, just thought I'd mention it as an option, as while having local redundant backups is a good idea, having a backup off-site in case of disaster is something worth considering. As I say, my NAS is actually in a kind of out-building (uses the same power circuit so I can use a Powerline network to connect it), which gives me some protection if the worst happens, but cloud backup is more disaster proof. One of the advantages of CrashPlan is that you can set your own encryption keys; so long as you keep them somewhere safe then it means your data should be nice and safe from the NSA
The Drobo seems like the answer to my storage needs. I have multiple bare 7200 rpm drives that I would like to put into a device/enclosure and have them all mount on my desktop at the same time (not use it as a RAID).
1. Is this what the Drobo does?
2. Are there any issues with using a Drobo?
3. Are there any other similar products that do what I am looking for?
Thanks!
1. Is this what the Drobo does?
2. Are there any issues with using a Drobo?
3. Are there any other similar products that do what I am looking for?
Thanks!
Before I got my QNAP, I read nothing but nightmare stories from Drobo owners in my industry. Their proprietary RAID formats were the main thing I couldn't bring myself to deal with. YMMV.
Nov 17:
About a week ago I bought a Drobo. I read the negative reports on Amazon, but decided to take a chance since it meets my needs. At present, I'm still transferring 8 TB of data to it from my Mac Pro. So far it's working fine.
I don't think you can use a Drobo as simply an enclosure for a bunch of independent hard disks. I think at least one disk must be dedicated to a role of backup.
Nov 23:
I've learned some lessons. Initially I put 3 new 4TB drives into the Drobo 5D. This gave me 7.26 TB of storage. Then I started copying data from my old Mac Pro via USB 2. The 6.98 TB took about 4 days to copy. When I got over 6 TB, the Drobo started warning me that it needed more space. As I got closer to 7 TB things started slowing down dramatically. I think this was because the Drobo was restructuring mirrored data as parity protected data to get more working storage. Towards the end my data transfer rate was less than 10% of what it was at the beginning. I didn't record any numbers to confirm this. It's just my rough estimate of what I saw. At this point I had emptied two of my internal drives, so I moved a 2 TB drive from the Mac Pro to the Drobo to make more space. I now have 2.05 TB of free space and a total capacity of 9.03 TB. I strongly suspect that running a Drobo more than 95% full is a bad idea.
Yesterday I bought a fourth 4TB drive for the Drobo and set it for dual disk redundancy. It's been working at adding the second parity block to my data and it looks like that will take a total of 3.5 days.
My costs have been $660 for the Drobo (new from B&H) and $1075 for 4 WD 4TB RE drives from a third party seller via Amazon. I got very lucky (?) on the drive price because they sent me reconditioned drives by mistake and gave me a rebate along with new drives when I complained.
So far things seem to be working well. At least I won't have to spend two weeks transferring data after I buy my new round Mac Pro in December.
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