External storage besides backup possible?

IS the time capsule also usable as external HD besides backup?
I have too many data to be stored on my Air...

Yes, but the files shouldn't be stored only on the Time Capsule; having the backup on the same drive as the original data won't help when that drive fails.
(69264)

Similar Messages

Can a Time Capsule hard drive store external memory besides backups (eg. HD Video, iTunes library, ETC.)

I'm going to get a MacBook Pro soon, and I'm going to get the 256GB Flash Storage, but I will need extra memory, mostly because I edit a lot of HD video. I may store my iTunes library, but I'm not sure on that one (I currently have almost no songs, and my 254 GB hard drive is almost full on my PC! I do not plan to transfer all of my files, though, but in then long run, I will need more memory.)
I know that time capsule has 1 TB of memory, and it is marked as an external hard drive, and I know it's meant to store backups of your computer, but can it store things other than backups, and serve as a full external hard drive (Like a giant USB flashdrive), and store thing like HD Video, music, and any other sort of file?
I just need an external hard drive, and time capsule seems like a good option, but I need to know if it's for backups exclusively, or if you can store anything on it (Again, like a giant USB flashdrive!).
Thank you for reading, and I look forward to seeing the replys!
--Wubadub

Ok.. the TC can be used as network hard drive.. you can put all your files on it.
BUT.. please think carefully about this.
The Time Capsule is designed for Time Machine as backup target.. principally for wireless laptops.
If you use large files remotely.. and by wireless .. they will take forever to load.. the TC is slow but wireless is even slower.
It is not a giant USB.. but you can buy a cheap USB drive now that we have USB3 on MBP latest version?? it is fast and cheap and a local drive.
Time Capsule has no raid.. no backup.. no protection against failure of the disk or the device or accidental deletion or corruption. That makes it unsuitable as a file store.
Apple do not sell a file store..
You can buy a true NAS.. Synology or QNAP.. Netgear also make some good ones.
Or you can get a Mac Mini and run it as file store.. with or without a server version OS.
Anything that offers you proper backup and fast file transfer.. which the TC fails to do.

External Storage for iPad2 as Photo Backup on holiday

Hello
I have an iPad2 and I would like to use it on holidays to store, view and sort photos. Is it possible to attach an external storage to the iPad anyhow to backup the photos to a 2nd location? Something like the HyperDrive but bidirectional. No cloud solution possible because no internet available on holidays. Something like a wireless Harddrive?
Any ideas?
Thank you
Jan

G-Tech running at 7500 RPM? I thought it was 7200 RPM. Are you using a single external drive?
I like the idea of a RAID that is hot-swappable. But it can be pricey option too. Unfortunately Drobo appears to be a hit or miss in the dependability department. And the G-Technology 4TB G-RAID is a RAID 0 only which if I understand correctly your sacrificing reliability for speed. Has anyone had good experience with Western Digital 4TB My Book Studio II Hard Drive?
As I mentioned before, my IT person is trying to persuade me to get a simple single 2TB external for backup/storage. And another tech person suggested two external drives, one for Time Machine and the other for cloning of the boot drive. But the problems is I want to store my work on the external and not the internal drive. But there is no redundancy in that setup. So what are my other options?
I could get 2 x 2TB external drives. Is there a way to have one drive clone the other in the background and without any user intervention?

HT201250 I have two external hard drives. One is my Time Machine backup drive. The other I use for external storage of files (documents, photos, movies, etc). Can I set Time Machine to backup BOTH my Mac hard drive and my other external hard drive?

I have two external hard drives. One is my Time Machine backup drive. The other I use for external storage of files (documents, photos, movies, etc). Can I set Time Machine to backup BOTH my Mac hard drive and my other external hard drive?

Yes you can make multiple backups on one hard drive, for example if you’ve 1TB hard drive installed in your PC and you’ve two Mac Machines with 500GB drive each then you just make two backup images with size of 500GB each.
http://www.halfspot.com/use-your-pc-hard-drive-for-time-machine-backup/

I am out of space on my Macbook Air and have a Time Machine Backup. I want to complete reset my mac, but wonder if I can pick and choose what I restore to my computer? Can I also use my time machine backup and external storage as well?

I am out of space on my Macbook Air and have a Time Machine Backup. I want to complete reset my mac, but wonder if I can pick and choose what I restore to my computer? Can I also use my time machine backup as external storage as well for the files I don't need everyday?

If you are using "Restore from Time Machine Backup" option from OS X Recovery, you can only choose from the broad categories presented.
... Can I also use my time machine backup as external storage as well for the files I don't need everyday?
To be clear, if you are asking if you can use the volume containing your Time Machine backup to store additional, non-Time Machine files, the short answer is yes.
It's not a good idea though, since the Time Machine backup will eventually fill all available space, after which it begins to remove old, "expired" backups to make room for newer ones. The presence of additional files doesn't change that fact, and Time Machine will not erase them, but you will encounter a dilemma should you want to store additional files on that volume when there is no remaining space. You will have to make room for them on your own, by deleting existing files. Furthermore, since Time Machine cannot back up its own volume, those additional files will not be backed up by Time Machine.
The easy solution for what you describe is to purchase additional external storage. External USB hard disk drives have become very inexpensive; about $55 will buy a perfectly suitable 1 TB drive.
You can also choose to replace your MacBook Air's internal storage with a larger capacity one. Look for a suitable replacement from OWC / MacSales:
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/Air-Retina
That gets a little more expensive but it is the optimum solution.

DB2 / Red Hat 5 : Backup to External Storage Failed

Dear gurus,
I've SAP ECC 6 running on DB2 9.7 FP2, RHEL 5.0
We can backup to internal disk, but when configuring backup to external storage (Maxtor Shared Storage II), there's this error.
I mount the external storage using cifs, with correct owner and permission (db2<sid> : db<sid>adm with 777 permission.)
The shared storage is: //192.168.1.8/mhp with mount point /mnt/mhp
When I backup using DB13 to /mnt/mhp, the file is created and the size continually grows constantly.
But when the backup is about to finish, the file then disappears, and DB13 returns "Database backup failed"
I see the db2diag.log, and here's the entry:
[db2diag.log|http://snipt.org/pYx/]
The message is not too clear for me.
Does anyone happen to come across the same problem as me?
Thanks for your help.
Best Regards,

Dear gurus,
If it is plain file like copy / move command to the storage, it can be done successfully.
I can also 'touch filename1' there. But for DB13 or DB2 backup command, it failed.
Markus, there's no particular technical things. We just choose cifs.
I've tried NFS but it said things like "Connection Refused" when I tried to mount -a.
I've tried also in different server, and it actually give the same result. So I think it's not SAMBA.
May I know what you mean by mapping the user?
I can make shared folder in the maxtore webgui management, and create user to own that folder.
Thanks for your help.
Best Regards,

Backups with Time Machine on external storage

First, please ignore my post from a few hours ago; I made a mistake by writing 'iCloud', when in fact I meant 'Time Machine' (wiping egg off my face). So here's another try:
This may be a really basic issue for some, but I'm new to this: Time Machine seems to be adding rather than replacing backups on a daily basis. Is this normal? If this continues, my external storage will be full in no time. Can I just delete the older versions? And if so, is there a specific way to delete them? Thanks for your help.

Yes. That is normal. Hence the reason it is suggested the Time Machine backup be at least three times the size of the disk drives that being backed up to it so that it has enough space to do its thing.
You are better off to allow Time Machine to clean the backups as it needs to rather then you going in and messing around.

How do I set up external storage and a Time Machine backup?

I am trying to organize my external storage for a new iMac with an 500G SSD drive. I have a new thunderbolt G-Raid drive and an aging Airport Time Capsule. I was thinking of storing music and pictures, as well as a Time Machine backup of the SSD, and storing a Time Machine backup of my music and pictures on the Time Capsule. Is this reasonable? Will I need to partition the G-Raid? Are there any special issues of which I should be aware?

Although it's getting a bit dated since the owner passed away this site given to us by the late, great Pondini will answer all of your questions about Time Machine and more http://pondini.org/TM/Home.html

Apple TV - sync with external storage?

I bought an Apple TV about 2 weeks and have been pretty happy with it. I have lots of TV shows saved on an external drive so as not to completely fill up my iMac. The external drive is connected to my iMac at all times.
Is there a way that I can sync Apple TV to this external storage device? Or watch TV shows from the external hard drive without moving them back to the iMac and then syncing with the Apple TV? Or is there a way I can leave TV shows on the Apple TV without also copying them to my iMac? My Apple TV is 160gb so there must be a way of using that memory without jamming up my iMac.
I've looked in the manual but haven't found an answer to this situation.
Thanks for any ideas or assistance.
Elizabeth

Emsullivan wrote:
I bought an Apple TV about 2 weeks and have been pretty happy with it. I have lots of TV shows saved on an external drive so as not to completely fill up my iMac. The external drive is connected to my iMac at all times.
Next thing to appreciate is how iTunes stores files.
The iTunes library, usually called iTunes, contains various sub-folders and files.
Some of these files contain the library database, artwork etc.
There'll be an iTunes Music folder which contains the media copied into iTunes on import.
There may be old library database backups, and a folder for iPhone apps if you have one.
There may be other folders for other sorts of user.
Is there a way that I can sync Apple TV to this external storage device?
Not without the files being known to iTunes - all communication with AppleTV in terms of local network file transfers works through iTunes.
Or watch TV shows from the external hard drive without moving them back to the iMac and then syncing with the Apple TV?
Yes, this is possible.
When you import a CD it will automatically store in the iTunes Music folder. You can see where file are by selecting Show in Finder after a right click on the entry in iTunes.
If you import a file from somewhere other than CD however there is a Preference under Advanced>General Tab which decides if a copy is placed in the iTunes Music folder or not. If you deselect the copy option iTunes simply stores a reference to the file not the file itself.
So, if you deselect copy you could just drag the files from the external drive onto an iTunes window and they'll be available for syncing/streaming but still live on the external drive.
This is probably your simplest option. There is a keyboard shortcut which from memory is the option key which will temporarily not copy an added file when dragged to iTunes.
Or is there a way I can leave TV shows on the Apple TV without also copying them to my iMac?
Using the do not copy option in iTunes will achieve this with files on the external drive not on the iMac.
There is no manual drag and drop type way of filling AppleTV with media which is a shame if you don't have the external drive.
You can in fact delete the file in the itunes Music folder manually from Finder and this will not remove them from the database - iTunes will complain if you try to play them or stream them but if synced to AppleTv you can play them from there. I do not recommend this approach, and you must not delete the file entry from iTunes or it will then also delete from AppleTV.
My Apple TV is 160gb so there must be a way of using that memory without jamming up my iMac.
The 160GB is mainly indtended to allow you to have more stuff on AppleTV so that youd odn't need itunes running all the time, or perhaps ifyour network doesn't allow smooth steaming.
It is not a backup and must not be regarded as external storage - many people assume it's storage and then lose their files when their computer's hard drive or external fails if they have no backup. Sorry to repeat this but it's important.
I've looked in the manual but haven't found an answer to this situation.
It's not particularly detailed is it.
Hope that helps.
There are some other options to consider too.
AC

Kernel panic when using FAT formatted external storage

I have a PowerBook G4 17" with 1GB RAM and since updating to 10.4.8 from 10.4.7 I have received on three occasions a kernel panic, i.e. a message that says "You need to restart your computer. Hold down the Power button for several seconds or press the Restart button."
Looking at the conditions under which this event occured, on all three occasions, this looks to be disk I/O related using external drives however the cause could be something else like Spotlight indexing for example - I am hoping this is not hardware.
On the occasions where the problem has occured the attached storage devices have been:
1. A FAT formatted, bus powered Firewire attached 2.5" IDE drive
2. A FAT formatted PC Card drive
I had this happen to me last night with the PC card drive when I found I couldn’t delete any data from the drive but could write and overwrite data. My internal IDE drive seems to be fine however I decided to eject the drive and reinsert it but on reinsertion the system could not see or mount it. I then tried a FAT formatted CF card with PC Card reader/adapter – same thing, it wouldn’t mount. I then decided it was time to reboot and that is when the message popped up as the transparent grey bitmap (http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106227). After rebooting I got a kernel error stack trace telling me something bad happened hence the reboot. This thread seems to be very similar to my problem except with a new Intel version of the 17":
http://forums.macnn.com/90/mac-os-x/312947/what-does-mean-when/
Any ideas? In all cases this has occured when using an external FAT formatted drive and actively writing data to it - it doesn't seem to matter how it is attached or specifically which drive it is. I have not had this problem previously when using external storage media and I am not using any backup software when this occurs - I am simply saving files from various applications be it PhotoShop or a Safari download. One last note, I am using Intego VirusBarrier X4.
Right now my plan will be to run the disk utility, disable anti-virus and possibly disable indexing on external drives and try to reproduce the issue - the only problem with this is with the exception of the 10.4.8 update, what changed?
PowerBook G4 17" 1.33Ghz Mac OS X (10.4.8) 1GB RAM

Funnily enough I can backup to my USB attached bus powered 2.5" drive formatted as Mac OS Extended, this is why I am wondering if there is a relationship between externally attached FAT formatted storage and kernel panics.
My system disk checks out with no errors BTW - I also rarely travel with my PowerBook so it is relatively well looked after and should have a lower exposure to issues relating to faulty hardware.

Single best external storage solution for Mac Pro & MacBook Pro ...?

Hello,
I'm still waiting for the Mac Pro delivery I have around me something like four external hard drives from different vendors and different sizes and all containing important data ... it is really a mess, cables, lack of redundancy, etc.
I wanted to replace all these once and for all by a single elegant long-lasting and reliable solution to combine with my new Mac Pro and MacBook Pro. The best I could find was OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 8.0TB containing four internal HDD in double RAID with multiple possible setups: RAID 0 and RAID 1, RAID 10 configurations:
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other%20World%20Computing/MEQX2T8.0S/
Looks like an excellent choice for the only one external storage solution! does anyone has experience with this model? are there better contenders?
Many thanks in advance,
Best regards,
Giovanni

Giovanni,
I have the OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 (6 TB) external HD array in a Raid 5 configuration (as received from OWC). I have found it to be excellent when connected to my Mac Pro using a PCI SATA card and the SATA output on the Elite-AL Pro Qx2. The speed of the system under Raid 5 easily supports all but uncompressed high definition video, and the system came with Prosoft's Data Backup software which does an excellent job of backing up other external drives installed on my Mac Pro.
I highly recommend the Qx2 and think you will find it is a good single source solution to providing you with reliable and safe storage for your data. With Raid 5 if one of the HD's in the Qx2 fails, you simply remove it and allow the system to rebuild the data when you insert a new HD. Thus unless two HD's fail simultaneously (high unlikely) you are protected against data loss. Note also that your Mac Pro does not have to be left on while the Qx2 is rebuilding.
Tom

Definitive Storage and Backup solution

Hello, I'm looking for a definitive Storage and Backup solution.
So far I've been looking on to Drobo 5D or N, LaCie 5big Thunderbolt™ 2, or LaCie 2big Thunderbolt™ 2.
Networking would be a plus but not a must. I'm open for other suggestions and also wonder if these systems can be considered backup since they are ready for single or double disks failures.
Thanks.

Methodology to protect your data. Backups vs. Archives. Long-term data protection
Avoid Lacie, they contain Seagate drives inside. Bad idea.
huge storage, low cost, high quality, very small and portable.
BEST FOR THE COST, Toshiba "tiny giant" 15mm thick 2TB drive (have several of them, lots of storage in tiny package)    $100
http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-Canvio-Connect-Portable-HDTC720XK3C1/dp/B00CGUMS48     /ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1390020791&sr=8-3&keywords=toshiba+2tb
best options for the price, and high quality HD:
Quality 1TB drives are $50 per TB on 3.5" or $65 per TB on 2.5"
Perfect 1TB for $68
http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-Canvio-Portable-Hard-Drive/dp/B005J7YA3W/ref=sr_1_ 1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379452568&sr=8-1&keywords=1tb+toshiba
Nice 500gig for $50. ultraslim perfect for use with a notebook
http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-Canvio-Portable-External-Drive/dp/B009F1CXI2/ref=s     r_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1377642728&sr=1-1&keywords=toshiba+slim+500gb
*This one is the BEST portable external HD available that money can buy:
HGST Touro Mobile 1TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive $88
http://www.amazon.com/HGST-Mobile-Portable-External-0S03559/dp/B009GE6JI8/ref=sr     _1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383238934&sr=8-1&keywords=HGST+Touro+Mobile+Pro+1TB+USB+3.0+7 2 00+RPM
Most storage experts agree on the Hitachi 2.5"
Hitachi is the winner in hard drive reliability survey:
Hitachi manufacturers the safest and most reliable hard drives, according to the Storelab study. Of the hundreds of Hitachi hard drives received, not a single one had failed due to manufacturing or design errors. Adding the highest average lifespans and the best relationship between failures and market share, Hitachi can be regarded as the winner.
Data Storage Platforms; their Drawbacks & Advantages
#1. Time Machine / Time Capsule
Drawbacks:
1. Time Machine is not bootable, if your internal drive fails, you cannot access files or boot from TM directly from the dead computer.
OS X Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks include OS X Recovery. This feature includes all of the tools you need to reinstall OS X, repair your disk, and even restore from a Time Machine
"you can't boot directly from your Time Machine backups"
2. Time machine is controlled by complex software, and while you can delve into the TM backup database for specific file(s) extraction, this is not ideal or desirable.
3. Time machine can and does have the potential for many error codes in which data corruption can occur and your important backup files may not be saved correctly, at all, or even damaged. This extra link of failure in placing software between your data and its recovery is a point of risk and failure. A HD clone is not subject to these errors.
4. Time machine mirrors your internal HD, in which cases of data corruption, this corruption can immediately spread to the backup as the two are linked. TM is perpetually connected (or often) to your computer, and corruption spread to corruption, without isolation, which TM lacks (usually), migrating errors or corruption is either automatic or extremely easy to unwittingly do.
5. Time Machine does not keep endless copies of changed or deleted data, and you are often not notified when it deletes them; likewise you may accidently delete files off your computer and this accident is mirrored on TM.
6. Restoring from TM is quite time intensive.
7. TM is a backup and not a data archive, and therefore by definition a low-level security of vital/important data.
8. TM working premise is a “black box” backup of OS, APPS, settings, and vital data that nearly 100% of users never verify until an emergency hits or their computers internal SSD or HD that is corrupt or dead and this is an extremely bad working premise on vital data.
9. Given that data created and stored is growing exponentially, the fact that TM operates as a “store-it-all” backup nexus makes TM inherently incapable to easily backup massive amounts of data, nor is doing so a good idea.
10. TM working premise is a backup of a users system and active working data, and NOT massive amounts of static data, yet most users never take this into consideration, making TM a high-risk locus of data “bloat”.
11. In the case of Time Capsule, wifi data storage is a less than ideal premise given possible wireless data corruption.
12. TM like all HD-based data is subject to ferromagnetic and mechanical failure.
13. *Level-1 security of your vital data.
Advantages:
1. TM is very easy to use either in automatic mode or in 1-click backups.
2. TM is a perfect novice level simplex backup single-layer security save against internal HD failure or corruption.
3. TM can easily provide a seamless no-gap policy of active data that is often not easily capable in HD clones or HD archives (only if the user is lazy is making data saves).
#2. HD archives
Drawbacks:
1. Like all HD-based data is subject to ferromagnetic and mechanical failure.
2. Unless the user ritually copies working active data to HD external archives, then there is a time-gap of potential missing data; as such users must be proactive in archiving data that is being worked on or recently saved or created.
Advantages:
1. Fills the gap left in a week or 2-week-old HD clone, as an example.
2. Simplex no-software data storage that is isolated and autonomous from the computer (in most cases).
3. HD archives are the best idealized storage source for storing huge and multi-terabytes of data.
4. Best-idealized 1st platform redundancy for data protection.
5. *Perfect primary tier and level-2 security of your vital data.
#3. HD clones (see below for full advantages / drawbacks)
Drawbacks:
1. HD clones can be incrementally updated to hourly or daily, however this is time consuming and HD clones are, often, a week or more old, in which case data between today and the most fresh HD clone can and would be lost (however this gap is filled by use of HD archives listed above or by a TM backup).
2. Like all HD-based data is subject to ferromagnetic and mechanical failure.
Advantages:
1. HD clones are the best, quickest way to get back to 100% full operation in mere seconds.
2. Once a HD clone is created, the creation software (Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper) is no longer needed whatsoever, and unlike TM, which requires complex software for its operational transference of data, a HD clone is its own bootable entity.
3. HD clones are unconnected and isolated from recent corruption.
4. HD clones allow a “portable copy” of your computer that you can likewise connect to another same Mac and have all your APPS and data at hand, which is extremely useful.
5. Rather than, as many users do, thinking of a HD clone as a “complimentary backup” to the use of TM, a HD clone is superior to TM both in ease of returning to 100% quickly, and its autonomous nature; while each has its place, TM can and does fill the gap in, say, a 2 week old clone. As an analogy, the HD clone itself is the brick wall of protection, whereas TM can be thought of as the mortar, which will fill any cracks in data on a week, 2-week, or 1-month old HD clone.
6. Best-idealized 2nd platform redundancy for data protection, and 1st level for system restore of your computers internal HD. (Time machine being 2nd level for system restore of the computer’s internal HD).
7. *Level-2 security of your vital data.
HD cloning software options:
1. SuperDuper HD cloning software APP (free)
2. Carbon Copy Cloner APP (will copy the recovery partition as well)
3. Disk utility HD bootable clone.
#4. Online archives
Drawbacks:
1. Subject to server failure or due to non-payment of your hosting account, it can be suspended.
2. Subject, due to lack of security on your part, to being attacked and hacked/erased.
Advantages:
1. In case of house fire, etc. your data is safe.
2. In travels, and propagating files to friends and likewise, a mere link by email is all that is needed and no large media needs to be sent across the net.
3. Online archives are the perfect and best-idealized 3rd platform redundancy for data protection.
4. Supremely useful in data isolation from backups and local archives in being online and offsite for long-distance security in isolation.
5. *Level-1.5 security of your vital data.
#5. DVD professional archival media
Drawbacks:
1. DVD single-layer disks are limited to 4.7Gigabytes of data.
2. DVD media are, given rough handling, prone to scratches and light-degradation if not stored correctly.
Advantages:
1. Archival DVD professional blank media is rated for in excess of 100+ years.
2. DVD is not subject to mechanical breakdown.
3. DVD archival media is not subject to ferromagnetic degradation.
4. DVD archival media correctly sleeved and stored is currently a supreme storage method of archiving vital data.
5. DVD media is once written and therefore free of data corruption if the write is correct.
6. DVD media is the perfect ideal for “freezing” and isolating old copies of data for reference in case newer generations of data become corrupted and an older copy is needed to revert to.
7. Best-idealized 4th platform redundancy for data protection.
8. *Level-3 (highest) security of your vital data.
[*Level-4 data security under development as once-written metallic plates and synthetic sapphire and likewise ultra-long-term data storage]
#6. Cloud based storage
Drawbacks:
1. Cloud storage can only be quasi-possessed.
2. No genuine true security and privacy of data.
3. Should never be considered for vital data storage or especially long-term.
4. *Level-0 security of your vital data.
Advantages:
1. Quick, easy and cheap storage location for simplex files for transfer to keep on hand and yet off the computer.
2. Easy source for small-file data sharing.
#7. Network attached storage (NAS) and JBOD storage
Drawbacks:
1. Subject to RAID failure and mass data corruption.
2. Expensive to set up initially.
3. Can be slower than USB, especially over WiFi.
4. Mechanically identical to USB HD backup in failure potential, higher failure however due to RAID and proprietary NAS enclosure failure.
Advantages:
1. Multiple computer access.
2. Always on and available.
3. Often has extensive media and application server functionality.
4. Massive capacity (also its drawback) with multi-bay NAS, perfect for full system backups on a larger scale.
5. *Level-2 security of your vital data.
JBOD (just a bunch of disks / drives) storage
Identical to NAS in form factor except drives are not networked or in any RAID array, rather best thought of as a single USB feed to multiple independent drives in a single powered large enclosure. Generally meaning a non-RAID architecture.
Drawbacks:
1. Subject to HD failure but not RAID failure and mass data corruption.
Advantages:
1. Simplex multi-drive independent setup for mass data storage.
2. Very inexpensive dual purpose HD storage / access point.
3. *Level-2 security of your vital data.
Bare hard drives and docks. The most reliable and cheapest method of hard drive data storage, archives, and redundancies
The best method for your data archives and redundancies, which is also the least expensive, the most reliable, and the most compact option is the purchase of naked hard drives and at least one USB 3.0 HD dock ($40 roughly).
While regarding Time Machine and your Macbook or desktop, your primary backup is best saved to a conventional USB (or Firewire / thunderbolt) hard drive inside an enclosure, the most important part of your data protection begins after your 1st / primary Time Machine / backup; and these are your secondary (most important) data storage devices, archives and their redundancies.
However bare hard drives and docks (below) also work perfectly as a Time Machine backup, this is for home use, since the docking station is certainly not very portable as a notebook Time Machine backup device should be; nor should bare HD be packed around with a notebook, rather remain at home or office.
Six terabytes of 2.5" HD pictured below in a very compact space.
Bare hard drives and docks have the lowest cost, the highest reliability, and take up the smallest storage space
Drawbacks:
1. Care and knowledge in general handling of naked hard drives (how not to shock a bare HD, and how to hold them properly). Not a genuine drawback.
Advantages:
1. By far the least expensive method of mass HD storage on a personal basis. Highest quality naked HD can be purchased in bulk very cheap.
2. Eliminates the horrible failure point of SATA bridges and interfaces between external drives and the computer.
3. Per square foot you can store more terabytes of data this way than any other.
4. Fast, easy, no fuss and most simplex method of data storage on hard drives.
Time Machine is a system backup, not a data backup
Important data you “don’t dare lose” should not be considered ultimately safe, or ideally stored (at the very least not as sole copy of same) on your Time Machine backup. Hourly and daily fluctuations of your system OS, applications, and software updates is the perfect focus for the simple user to conduct ‘click it and forget it’ backups of the entire system and files on the Macbook HD.
Bootable clones are the choice of professionals and others in that Time Machine cannot be booted from and requires a working HD to retrieve data from (meaning another computer). Your vital data needs to be and should be ‘frozen’ on some form of media storage, either in a clone, as an archived HD containing important files, or on DVD blank archival media.
A file that is backed up to Time Machine is unsafe in that if that file is deleted off the computer by accident or lost otherwise, that file will likewise vanish from Time Machine as it reflects changes on the internal computer HD/SSD.

Workflow on-board and external storage

Workflow on-board and external storage
My photography is expanding rapidly, such that I have quickly run out of space on my harddrive, although my MacBook Pro is under 1 year old and when I bought it, was over dimensioned.
I'm looking for an updated storage / availability / backup solution.
I have recently purchased Aperture but I still use iPhoto in parallel. I import all photos into iPhoto and mostly sort them there, because I find it easier, not yet having had the time to discover whether Aperture can do it better. I use Aperture primarily for editing.
I also use iPhoto Library Manager, to organize a dozen mostly unimportant libraries on an external drive, available when I'm in the office.
My dilema is that I am traveling extensively and have even been buying small 1TB drives on the road to keep up with my need to back-up my SDHC cards.
I like the convenience of having everything "with me", but with the exponential need for more space I might have to change my thinking. Bandwidth constraints on-the-road and also the "waste of time aspect" suggest that small portable drives are possibly the best solution.
When back in the office however, I would also like to have "everything with me", daisy-chained or however, but I'm primarily looking for a professional workflow solution, which will also accommodate my travel requirements. Exchangeable drives which can be use in an "ice-box" type solution are OK for project based assignments which often can be archived "for ever". However, the (occasional*) need for access in remote countries creates problems and I'm not a friend of Cloud solutions. *Often when I'm away I have more peace and quiet for archiving and sorting old photo shoots then when I'm in the office.
Aperture will possibly become my preferred editor, but I am open.
Sorry if this is long, but I tried to cover everything which occurred to me to avoid excess "ping-pong."
Many thanks in advance!

Another topic has recently been addressing this issue. See:
http://discussions.apple.com/message/23287496#23287496
Ernie

Using a Mac Pro G5 as external storage

So I recently bought a power mac g5 tower for $35 (I cant believe i got it for that cheap and It runs perfectly!) but now that i have it Im trying to find a use for it since i already have a mac pro 8 core and a new macbook pro. So im trying to find some way to put it to use, since it is a power mac im not gonna run any programs on it even though i have thought of running snow leopard on. I was talking to a friend and he said I could set it up so i can use it as external storage for my mac pro but im not sure if this is possible since it is a power mac and my mac pro is intel based. Could i set it up as a External storage unit and use it as like i would any other external hard drive you can buy? Im sorry if this doesnt make sense.
And just one little side note my friends company is selling a ton of their Xserve G5 cluster nodes and i was wondering if you could use these to create a computer cluster or use them for storage also.
Thanks for your help,
John
Oh and if anyone has any other cool ideas of what i can use it for im open to any ideas

You can't run Snow Leopard on it. Snow Leopard requires an Intel processor. The newest you can run is Leopard 10.5.8
Try turning on sharing and see if you see the drives from your Mac Pro.
Allan

Can anyone recommend an external storage device to supplement my mac book air? I already have a time capsule but want the new device to replicate the data on that so ideally would like a device that i can connect to the time capsule through a cable.

Can anyone recommend an external storage device to supplement my mac book air? I already have a time capsule but want the new device to replicate the data on that so ideally would like a device that i can connect to the time capsule through a cable.

Hi CJR
I'm not sure how Time Capsule can be replicated onto your external drive but there is a USB port on the back of TC that can be hooked up to any recent external drive.
Another thing to think about , besides a Time Capsule failure, is the theft of your Time Capsule, so it might be a good idea to consider separating any redundant back-up from your Time Capsule or both my be stolen.
TC will back up until full and then begin deleting the oldest back-ups. Mine is a 2TB Time capsule.
My back-up plan is as follows:
1. Macbook Air back-up on Time Capsule though Time Machine backs up everything - I think it's about every 30 min or so.
2. Contacts, reminders, appointments, notes, email are backed up through iCloud.
3. iTunes and non-itunes purchased music is on iMatch (and no need to back-up) and any non-iTunes music is backed up on an HP external drive (in case Time Capsule dies)
4. Photos are on my MacBook Air and are backed up on my HP external drive.
5. Office documents (Excel, Powerpoint, Access etc) are stored in a Skydrive app (like iCloud) and Skydrive syncs these docuemnts with the MS cloud and my old PC and does not alter their native format like storing in iCloud would do.
Cheers

External storage besides backup possible?

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