Offsite backups?
Currently, we have a MacBook and a Mini, and both are backup up to a Time Capsule. I am pretty comfortable with this for coverage of the typical crashed hard drive, or stupid mistakes. However, it won't really help if something worse happens such as a fire or theft. Loss of all our family photos and home videos would be devastating!
I am considering using an offsite backup service, and wondering what experiences other people have had, and the best way to use them.
The front runners are Mozy and Carbonite. Both seem pretty similar on the surface, unlimited storage for about $5 per month. I have only been able to find a few decent reviews, which criticized the OS X client software about equally (not bad, but not great). But these reviews are old, and seem out of date.
From the info on their site, it looks like MozyHome does allow two computers on one account (charging extra for computers 3-5), but it's not entirely clear. Is this correct? Does Carbonite allow multiple computers?
Should I simply set the online service to back up everything except system files and applications? Or is another strategy more effective?
I am considering using an offsite backup service, and wondering what experiences other people have had, and the best way to use them.
The front runners are Mozy and Carbonite. Both seem pretty similar on the surface, unlimited storage for about $5 per month. I have only been able to find a few decent reviews, which criticized the OS X client software about equally (not bad, but not great). But these reviews are old, and seem out of date.
From the info on their site, it looks like MozyHome does allow two computers on one account (charging extra for computers 3-5), but it's not entirely clear. Is this correct? Does Carbonite allow multiple computers?
Should I simply set the online service to back up everything except system files and applications? Or is another strategy more effective?
Comments
Currently, we have a MacBook and a Mini, and both are backup up to a Time Capsule. I am pretty comfortable with this for coverage of the typical crashed hard drive, or stupid mistakes. However, it won't really help if something worse happens such as a fire or theft. Loss of all our family photos and home videos would be devastating!
I am considering using an offsite backup service, and wondering what experiences other people have had, and the best way to use them.
The front runners are Mozy and Carbonite. Both seem pretty similar on the surface, unlimited storage for about $5 per month. I have only been able to find a few decent reviews, which criticized the OS X client software about equally (not bad, but not great). But these reviews are old, and seem out of date.
From the info on their site, it looks like MozyHome does allow two computers on one account (charging extra for computers 3-5), but it's not entirely clear. Is this correct? Does Carbonite allow multiple computers?
Should I simply set the online service to back up everything except system files and applications? Or is another strategy more effective?
You backup to secure your data, right?
Backing up the contents of your harddisk, say 200GB, to 'the cloud' through an average dsl connection takes about 5 weeks of UNinterrupted 24/7 uploading. But MacBooks are the interrupted computer type (I've got one): you pick 'm up and travel with them = interruptions. So IRL online backup is not going to work for a MacBook. It's simply faaar too slow.
Add the considerable INsecurity of storing your data at a third party you have no control over, a third party that may be hacked, intimidated, subpoenaed, or a third party that could fold overnight, and add the considerable INsecurity of your data in transit. And add the fact that harddisk storage has never been cheaper – certainly a helluva lot cheaper, GB for GB, than online storage! – and maybe you'll understand why backing up to 'the cloud' is a) not feasible, b) not secure, and c) ridiculously expensive.
Better get a second external harddisk – a lot cheaper, a lot more secure, a lot faster – make a backup on it and physically store that harddisk at another location. Incrementally backup monthly.
Better still: get a Drobo type mirrored RAID backup system, and store one of the harddisks at another location, to be exchanged, say monthly, with one of the other harddisks.
It's simply faaar too slow.
This is a fair point, it looks like the initial backup will take a very long time. As I'm getting into more home video, some new files are also quite large...
Add the considerable INsecurity of storing your data at a third party you have no control over, a third party that may be hacked, intimidated, subpoenaed, or a third party that could fold overnight, and add the considerable INsecurity of your data in transit.
Everything of concern to me is already out there (and more readily so) via other third parties - banks, retailers, government, etc. Both Mozy and Carbonite seem to take good security steps, probably better than my own home network.
(A subpeona is a non-issue; if one were directed to me, I'd have to give my data up no matter where it resides!)
While I don't want a public free-for-all, I'm more concerned with "security" in terms of making sure our stuff remains available to my family. The long-term viability of the service is a realistic concern. If they fold, I'm back to square one...
Better get a second external harddisk ? a lot cheaper, a lot more secure, a lot faster ? make a backup on it and physically store that harddisk at another location. Incrementally backup monthly.
I had been considering that as well. The downside is that we would actually need to take action regularly, rather than set-and-forget. Cost seem roughly equivalent - $100 will buy two years of service or a portable hard drive that will probably last for about two years...
What would be a good backup process? Temporarily point Time Machine at the USB drive and let it run? Or use another backup/disk clone utility?
Better still: get a Drobo type mirrored RAID backup system, and store one of the harddisks at another location, to be exchanged, say monthly, with one of the other harddisks.
This is an interesting idea, but has several flaws to me:
- It is expensive enough where the online service is cheaper!
- The data format is proprietary, so you need a Drobo to read the drive. For the disaster scenario, the Drobo unit would also be destroyed or stolen. I would *need* to replace it before restoring any data.
- The manufacturer may no longer be around, or may have moved on to a newer drive interface and/or improved data format. Will I even be able to get a compatible Drobo in 5 years if I need to?
Backing up EVERYTHING to one of those...
ioSafe SOLO 1.5TB Disaster Proof External Hard Drive
Dan
The thing I liked about CrashPlan is that I can get an external hard disk, make my initial backup at home on my own LAN, and then take that disk to a friends or family members house and do incremental backups over the internet.
Edit: The link to CrashPlan is http://b4.crashplan.com/landing/index.html
(A subpeona is a non-issue; if one were directed to me, I'd have to give my data up no matter where it resides!)
Sure, but you would have the opportunity to make a copy before you hand it over so you could continue working!
And that would also enable you (or your lawyers) to carefully check what in those data could be reason to get nervous, and it would be very helpful planning your defense...
- [Drobo] is expensive enough where the online service is cheaper!
What use is "cheaper" if it is 1) not secure, and 2) slow as molasses?
Take a look at CrashPlan. I haven't tried them yet but they did a big promotion at MacWorld.
The thing I liked about CrashPlan is that I can get an external hard disk, make my initial backup at home on my own LAN, and then take that disk to a friends or family members house and do incremental backups over the internet.
That sounds very convenient, RC. Have you got a link for us?
Sure, but you would have the opportunity to make a copy before you hand it over so you could continue working!
Considering that these would be a *second* backup, not my working files or secondary backup, this would make exactly zero difference. In such a scenario one would still have the working drive or Time capsule to duplicate.
What use is "cheaper" if it is 1) not secure, and 2) slow as molasses?
1) You haven't made any solid arguments to the extent it's "not secure", especially in comparison with other approaches suitable for home use.
2) The speed should actually be adequate, if less than desired. Again, I'm not looking for a working-copy storage, nor a primary backup. The speed is essentially a non-issue for normal use or in the event of a hard drive failure, as it wouldn't be in the loop.
This is for a "disaster scenario", where my house has been destroyed, or a thief takes the computers and primary backup drives. The slow speed only means that there is a delay between signing up and full coverage; once it's caught up, it will be able to keep up easily, at most a day or two behind. I find this to be superior in coverage to a system where I need to remember to physically perform a backup and swap drives that are stored somewhere else...
Restoring the backups seem to happen faster - sure, days not hours. But if that disaster happens, I could manage to not have photo archives at our fingertips for a few days!
@aresee: CrashPlan sounds interesting by your description - my employer blocks online data storage sites, so I can't check it out right now. (I had thought it could be possible to set up a VPN with a friend or family and mutually back up, but that a homegrown solution would probably be time consuming and problematic...)
I'm backing up my stuff to Mozy. Now on month 8 of the first backup ... still about half a year to go
For real??? How many terabytes?
1) You haven't made any solid arguments to the extent it's "not secure", especially in comparison with other approaches suitable for home use.
Then you haven't read the previous posts.
I'm backing up my stuff to Mozy. Now on month 8 of the first backup ... still about half a year to go
Exactly!
I rest my case.
Take a look at CrashPlan. I haven't tried them yet but they did a big promotion at MacWorld.
The thing I liked about CrashPlan is that I can get an external hard disk, make my initial backup at home on my own LAN, and then take that disk to a friends or family members house and do incremental backups over the internet.
Edit: The link to CrashPlan is http://b4.crashplan.com/landing/index.html
That sounds very convenient, RC. Have you got a link for us?
Added the link.
However, it won't really help if something worse happens such as a fire or theft. Loss of all our family photos and home videos would be devastating!
Get a hard drive for each machine equal too or larger in capacity than the hard drives in the computers.
1: Use Disk Utility Erase with Zero on each new drive (maps off bad sectors, improves data reliability, only needed once per drive)
2: Download Carbon Copy Cloner (use in Admin user) and clone the whole boot drive to a external drive for each machine (doesnt do Bootcamp partitions, need WinClone for that, Filevault needs to be off)
Note:
See this link if you have bootcamp
http://theappleblog.com/2010/01/12/h...-to-a-new-mac/
3: Disk Utility Repair Permissions on all drives and your done.
Now you have a ¨hold option¨ bootable clone of each machines hard drive in case of fire, theft, hard drive crash or whatever. Works just like the original. Store the clones off site. Update once a month or every two weeks, before a Software Update or a application install etc.
If one or more of your machines gets exploited, duplicate the cloneś files first to another machine, then ¨hold C¨ and boot off the install DVD and Disk Utility Erase with Zero the infected drives (to make sure nothing is left), include TimeCapsule as itś likely infected too. Boot off the clone and reverse clone the whole shebang, OS and all. You only lose files you haven´t recently backed up to the clones. Thus why itś good to use write protected medium like CDś and DVDś for backups too.
Keep a book of all your passwords, program codes, applications, utilities, tweeks, websites, configurations etc and so on in a safe place or two.
I would avoid online backups, aka ¨the cloud¨ for they have had data breaches, glitches, lost files, etc. The government has no rules in place for access to your data so they will look and might declare your baby bath pictures child pr0n or some other misunderstanding. And the biggest reason is online backups are SLOW especially uploading and subject to ISP throttling (Comcast) and glitches via the internet or via wifi.
Cloning is fast, reliable and isn´t dependent upon the internet. If your Superdrive goes down or your install DVD is scratched, lost or stolen, you can boot from a clone. TimeMacine/Time Capsule you can´t. A clone allow you to boot another Mac, so in case all your Macś get stolen all you do is get another Mac and boot off the offsite clone. ;D
Edit: The link to CrashPlan is http://b4.crashplan.com/landing/index.html
Added the link.
Cheers, mate.
Originally Posted by aresee
The thing I liked about CrashPlan is that I can get an external hard disk, make my initial backup at home on my own LAN, and then take that disk to a friends or family members house and do incremental backups over the internet.
Glanced over that site quickly. It seems to do backups to and from other computers and HDs on the LAN ! I didn't see a provision for (incrementally) backing up to (external) HDs on other computers (friends', relatives') IP adresses via the internet. Only to CrashPlan's 'cloud' over the internet. At a fee of course.
And TBH I fail to see the benefit, to me, of registering with CrashPlan for backing up to and from the computers and HDs on my own LAN...
I can already use Time Machine or CCC, and a few other backup apps over the LAN!
How difficult can it be to create a secure VPN tunnel to a volume ? yours ? at a friend's IP address to pipe your incremental data through?
We've already got Time Machine and Teamviewer, so someone only needs to 'marry' those two, slap a nice UI on it, and price it at 10 bucks. He or she would sell millions. Apple might even buy it off of him/her to integrate its functionality into OSX...
That would be the Time and Place Machine then, wouldn't it?
I have the experience of using one of the best offsite backup software i.e. Ahsay. Last 1 year I am using this software and backup my all file and server. It is basically designed for managed service providers (MSPs) to provide online backup service to their customers. ,here is the link visit for more information http://www.ahsay.com/jsp/en/home/index.jsp?pageContentKey=ahsay_products_overview&r=1d