
These
days,
"backup" means duplicating your entire internal
drive to a secondary volume
(usually an external drive),
using a backup utility such as Time Machine,
Retrospect, SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner
(covered below). By
having all
data stored on two drives, your files will
not be lost when a drive
fails - and they all do - as long as your
backup has been properly
configured, kept current and stored safely.
Cloud backup is not good
enough. Here's why:
Sending
all
your data into space puts modem, router,
internet service provider
(ISP), passwords and servers in the way of
recovery.
Most cloud backup services
only store
unique files to save space. This means
you'll have to install OS, apps
and updates to a new drive, then restore
network settings before you
can even begin to recover files from cloud
storage. You'll need all
your passwords and all your patience.
Security is always an
issue. In
fact, there are more than a few scammers out
there offering bogus
"cloud backup" in hopes you'll send 'em all
your info. Don't fall for it. If you go the
cloud backup route, use only Apple's iCloud.
And even with iCloud backup, consider having
a USB backup drive as well (they're cheap).
Having a full and complete backup
copy of your drive (safely stored in your
possession) will literally
save you days of grief. Keep your backup current automatically
or on a regular schedule (weekly?). If you
use a desktop Mac, setup TimeMachine and
leave it connected 24/7. Doesn't get any
easier than that. Backup can always be
stored offsite, too, if necessary.


Q#1: Do you care?
If you tossed your computer from a
high-rise window, would you miss it? Family
photos? Your music library?
Bank records, vacation videos, love letters,
bookmarks, docs and
emails....? If you answered 'no,' good for
you! There _is_ more to life
after all. But, if you count on your
computer, you should know that all
your data is stored on a device that
is certain to fail eventually. Having a
backup is only
prudent.
Another reason to create and maintain a
proper backup has to do with OS
upgrades, program installations and software
updates. If you make a
full/complete/proper backup _BEFORE_
applying upgrades or making major
modifications, you'll have an "undo" option
if something goes wrong or
you find you can't tolerate the change.
Q#2: How much
storage
capacity do you need?
Gigabytes, terabytes or exebytes?
Got a
humongous music library? Loads of video? Maybe
it's time to look into a RAID setup
(Redundant Array of Independent
Disks); multiple drives which may be
arranged to backup files on the
fly. Professional photographers,
videographers, musicians, designers
and the like may have storage requirements
far beyond the needs of
"normal" computer users, in which case a
RAID array is the way to go.
For the rest of us, a
single 1, 2 or 4 terabyte
drive is more than adequate. Take a look at
your current drive's
storage capacity and available space to get
an idea of what your
requirements are and how much room you'll
need for future expansion.
1024
bytes
= 1
kilobyte (1KB)
1024 kilobytes = 1
megabyte (1MB)
1024 megabytes = 1 gigabyte (1GB)
1024 gigabytes = 1 terabyte
(1TB)
1024 terabytes = 1 exebyte (1EB)
Q#3: Is Security a
concern?
If
you
haven't thought about it, you really should
- and not just because
someone might get into your personal
information. Your files and
Operating System could accidentally be
damaged by allowing others to
have access to your computer, an upgrade
could go haywire, or the
machine might sustain damage. You should at
least protect your admin
account with a proper password (especially
on portable devices). When
letting others borrow your computer, logout
as admin and use the guest
account provided by your OS. Make sure your
backup drive is safe and
secure, too.
- Top
Priority, at any cost. You have
two choices (basically):
Encrypted, continuous and complete backup
offsite over a secure network
- or - hand-carried physical volumes
rotated periodically thru a secure
offsite location. Recovery from a total
disaster should take no longer
than a restart from your backup volume or
server.
- Security
is appreciated: Automated,
scheduled onsite backup with password
protection and limited physical access is
adequate for most of us.
Backup schedule is determined by
acceptable loss and/or convenience.
Security isn't an overriding concern here,
so a proper password and
backup should be sufficient.
- Security
is not important (workstation,
casual user): Data loss is always
an issue, regardless of security concerns.
Occasional backup based on
completed jobs, work schedule or major
changes/upgrades might be okay,
depending on potential setback from data
loss. The easier your backup
plan is, the more likely you will use it,
but any
workable plan is better than none.


It has to be
dependable and
convenient.
If you use a MacPro tower (any
except the newest tubular
models), you may have unused drive bays
ready for internal backup. This
will protect against data loss from a drive
failure, but it won't
protect you from a fire, flood or other
disaster that might destroy the
entire machine - only offsite backup can do
that. On the up side, this
backup plan is the easiest and cheapest of
all. (The newest MacPro
machines use internal PCIe flash storage so
any backup would have to be
external.)
iMacs,
Minis
and notebooks rarely have provision for
additional internal
drives, so an external backup is your only
option - but it's an easy
one. If you travel with a notebook, a 2.5" USB
backup drive is your
best bet. Small, portable and
self-contained, these
drives are easy to connect, pack and use. If
portable backup isn't
necessary, a full-size 3.5" desktop unit (or
RAID array) will happily
stay behind as backup volume for your
machine. These have higher
capacity and 3.5" drives are generally less
expensive per GB than their
2.5" notebook-sized cousins.
HARDWARE
HALF of
making a backup:
An
external FireWire (pre-2013), Thunderbolt,
or USB connected drive of equal or greater
capacity as your Mac's
primary backup drive is ideal. USB is the
most common type of
connection, but if
your machine is equipped with
Thunderbolt (aka
USB-C) you may want to take
advantage of the additional speed of this
port.
FireWire 800 was
backwards-compatible with
400, and 800 to
400 adapters are still
available (also known as
FireWire 9-pin to 6-pin). Many external drives will also have eSATA ports, some
have Thunderbolt/USB-C, but all will have
USB ports, giving you plenty of
connectivity
options. External drives are available at
office supply
stores, or find an (empty) enclosure and
install the hard drive
of you choice.

The drive enclosure
pictured at left is for a desktop 3.5"
(full-size) hard
drive. This example is typical,
if a bit old, with USB and Firewire ports
- but no fan. Like most
of these, it requires a power brick (not
shown) and cools by convection
thru its case. Other full-size enclosures
may have fans, some are stackable,
some are made from plastic and others,
like this example, are made of
aluminum. Solid state drives (SSDs) are
becoming more common as prices
begin to stabilize, but these typically
have lower storage capacity at
much higher cost than conventional drives
and thus are not always a practical
choice for backup purposes (where "speed"
isn't really necessary).
Compact, pocket-sized
2.5" external
backup drives like
the one pictured here are commonly available from all manufacturers. These drives
are powered directly thru USB port, eliminating
power bricks associated with full-size
backup drives. 2.5" backup drives
may be found at Staples, Fry's, Best Buy,
Walmart, Target and most
office supply stores. Empty drive enclosures
are also available for 2.5" bare drives,
equipped with a variety of connectivity options, if you'd
prefer to assemble your own
backup.
All backup drives
will likely need to be
formatted, and be advised: Many ready made
backup units come with annoying utilities
onboard that you neither need nor want -
erase the drive and its utilities (reformat) and never use that stuff
- you have better utilities in your Mac's
Operating System.
RAID
arrays are
becoming necessary, as storage and backup
space
requirements explode. Pictured here is the
business end of a 4-bay RAID
array containing 3 full-size hard drives
(the minimum RAID
arrangement). RAID arrays (RAID = Redundant
Array of Independent Disks)
may be configured as backup and/or storage,
or both, with up to 12 bays
in a single enclosure - but be prepared for
sticker shock. A good
choice for video
editing, enterprise server
applications and
more-than-normal storage
requirements is the Drobo
pictured here
with 4 bays and high-speed data connections.
Please note that RAID
arrays require special formatting and setup
that is beyond the scope of
this discussion; a brief intro may be found
on DriveSaver's blog, found here.
SOFTWARE HALF of
making a
backup:
iCloud: As mentioned at top of this
page, cloud backup has its
problems, but it's certainly better than
nothing. If this is your
choice, keep the nonsense to a minimum by
using Apple's iCloud service.
An iCloud account provides cost effective
online backup and also allows
you to synchronize your files across
multiple computers, iPads, iPhones
and such; the sync function of iCloud can be
pretty attractive for
managing workgroups and multiple devices. If
your equipment is up to
date and you prefer online backup, give
iCloud a go.
Be advised: There are bogus cloud "backup"
services and software
floating around out there that must be
avoided. Know who you are
dealing with before sending all your data
out into space. Use Apple's
iCloud.
Time
Machine: Apple
has addressed the need for backup by
including their
Time Machine backup utility with the MacOS,
providing easy automation,
once an external storage drive has been
setup. Time Machine is slick,
fast, free, and requires no attention,
operating unobtrusively in the
background while keeping your backup current. Once
configured correctly, Time Machine operates
flawlessly and couldn't be
easier to use. Restoring your data from a
Time Machine backup requires
a few unique steps, so get acquainted with
the restore process while
you're at it. We use a variety of methods
here at the shop, but highly
recommend Time Machine as best choice for
most Mac users.
Retrospect:
One of the very best
backup applications ever, this
venerable long-time Macintosh standard has
recently been re-released
after a long absence from the Mac platform.
It's expensive, with
periodic updates and various license
agreements available, depending on
your equipment and circumstances. We've yet
to see or test the new
versions of Retrospect, but it claims to support
encryption, work flow options and backup to
a wide variety of media
(incl. tape). May be best suited for
high-end corporate use supporting
multiple servers where speed, security and
dependability are critical.
Carbon Copy
Cloner:
Drag-and drop installation, ease of use and
a full
compliment of automated features, CCC has
everything you need to create
and maintain a bootable backup with a
minimum of hassle and maximum
convenience. Download is fully functional
for a limited evaluation
period, and comes with a comprehensive user
manual. This app has been
around for a very long time thru many OS
versions over the years and is
still going strong. Quick and reliable, its
easy interface hides a
sophisticated core that has matured over the
years and managed to keep
pace with all the latest changes in the
MacOS.
SuperDuper!:
From our friends at
Shirt Pocket,
SuperDuper! has a clear and simple
interface, it's quick, easy and
seemingly bulletproof, with an outstanding
feature set at a very
reasonable price. (SuperDuper is still
available for older Systems
including PPC machines, too.) Free to
download, it can be used
immediately to make a full backup, but
purchase and registration is
required to unlock its full capability,
including incremental and
scheduled (automatic) backup. Comes with a
full PDF manual and
installation is a simple drag-and-drop to
your computer's Applications
folder.
Test your backup
_before_
it's needed:
To
test a
Time Machine backup you must have an
available (empty) drive to use
since it will overwrite any volume it
restores to - and you don't want
to risk data on your primary hard drive for
the sake of a test. The
restore process cannot be interrupted and
results won't be known until
completed.
The other utilities recommended above all
create bootable backups that
requires nothing more than an open port to
plug into. Once the backup
mounts, you can compare both volumes
side-by-side; these should be
nearly identical if backup was made recently
and correctly. Comparing
volumes shows backup is complete; starting
up from the backup volume
only takes a minute and will prove it can be
used as a boot volume as
well.
The rest
is up to you.
If
you are
capable of sorting thru all the details and
setting up a proper backup,
the info above should at least get you
started and help you on your
way. By all means, _do_ create and use a
backup plan if you don't have
one already; if you do have a backup, take
the time to keep it current
and test it now and then. If you find all
this too complicated to deal
with, know that you're not alone and we're
here to help.
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