Time machine to local sparsebundle...

Hello everyone!
Is it possible to tell time machine to use a local sparsebundle as a backup drive ?
I know TM can work with this, since it creates sparsebundles when backing up over network
i need this for 2 reasons:
i could place a sparsebundle with hfs+ inside onto an external raidz (zfs)
i could encrypt my backups, by creating an encrypted sparsebundle
any ideas?
thanks
franz

Backing up to a 'local' sparsebundle is possible using an external drive. I assume that's what you mean. An internal partition on your mac local hard drive might also work.
To this, you just have to let TM "prepare" the sparsebundle first for a few seconds while it is connected via a network share. Then you can connect the drive directly to the mac, and perform the first (and future) backups locally.
This post at macosxhints.com details the process:
http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20071110145136486

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Time Machine issues (16030) sparsebundle" is already in use for Time Capsule backup

Time Machine issues (16030) sparsebundle” is already in use for Time Capsule backup process. Just started happeing been using it for over two years.

First, restart the computer and the Time Capsule. In most of the cases, this solve the problem.
If it doesn't work, see > http://pondini.org/TM/C12.html

Stop Time Machine backups to sparsebundle on local drive

Time Machine will recognize and continue to do backups to a sparsebundle that was created on a networked drive (via Airport) and subsequently then attached locally (i was surprised to learn!). Problem is when I go into Time Machine Restore mode, it does not reference that latest sparsebundle for file recovery, but uses the previous (out-of-date) normal Backups.backupdb database files making the sparsebundle useless. I need the best way to get TM to begin backing up to my old TM database now the drive is attached locally again.
I tried Pondini’s TM Troubleshooting Tips A4 (reset Time Machine) but TM still insisted on backing up to the sparsebundle instead of the backupdb.

BilFish II wrote:
I have a similar problem, but didn't quite understand the solution...
time machine/capsule backs up my macbook. Just got an imac, and copied the image to it. Didn't realize it REALLY copied the image to it... so Time Machine decided the new imac was the macbook.
No. Time Machine always knows which Mac is which, via an identifier that's embedded in the hardware on the logic board.
But it did copy the +Computer Name,+ which you can change via +System Preferences > Sharing.+
And it did copy the Time Machine preferences file (with the backup location you specified), so it backed-the new Mac up to the same destination.
Now Time Capsule backs up the imac... but not the macbook anymore.
There is still a 425GB sparsebundle for the old macbook on the Time Capsule...
Depending on how you answered this prompt, there may be two sparse bundles:
|
|
See #B5 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum), for details.
If you said +Create New Backup,+ there should be two sparse bundles, one for each Mac.
If you said +Reuse Backup,+ there should be one, containing the backups from both, and as it says, the MacBook can no longer use the same set of backups.
Question: Is there a way to reattach to that sparsebundle for backing up the macbook or do I have to start all over?
Probably. First confirm whether there's one sparse bundle or two, and roughly how many backups of the iMac you've done.

Time Machine Not Compacting SparseBundle on Time Capsule

Hi
I am running Snow Leopard 10.6.4 and have a time capsule to hold my iTunes Library and act as my Time Machine repository.
I'm experiencing the problem where Time Machine has filled up my 1TB Time Capsule, and will not back up any more.
I can see that Time Machine has tried to delete some old backups in order to create space - in fact it's deleted ALL my old back ups bar one, probably due to the fact that in deleting each old back up has not released any more space on the Time Capsule as the Sparse Bundle is still massive.
I have done some research and can see that other people were having this issue back in 2008 - so I thought it would have been resolved by now! I thought Time Machine was supposed to compact the sparse bundle image once it had deleted an image these days - but it doesn't seem to have happened.
Can someone tell me if there is some setting I need to select?
I might as well delete the current sparsebundle and just start again - so I don't want to find myself in the same situation in X months time!
Many thanks
Darren

Ok here is the log from last night :
Last message before I read the forums looking for answers:
Starting standard backup
Network destination already mounted at: /Volumes/Data-1
QUICKCHECK ONLY; FILESYSTEM CLEAN
Disk image /Volumes/Data-1/Darren MacBook Pro.sparsebundle mounted at: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups
Backing up to: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb
Event store UUIDs don't match for volume: Macintosh HD
Node requires deep traversal:/ reason:must scan subdirs|new event db|
Starting pre-backup thinning: 72.04 GB requested (including padding), 41.95 GB available
No expired backups exist - deleting oldest backups to make room
Error: backup disk is full - all 0 possible backups were removed, but space is still needed.
Backup Failed: unable to free 72.04 GB needed space
Backup failed with error: Not enough available disk space on the target volume.
Ejected Time Machine disk image.
Ejected Time Machine network volume.
Rebooted machine and started Time Machine :
Starting standard backup
Attempting to mount network destination using URL: afp://Darren%[email protected]/Data
Mounted network destination using URL: afp://Darren%[email protected]/Data
QUICKCHECK ONLY; FILESYSTEM CLEAN
Disk image /Volumes/Data-1/Darren MacBook Pro.sparsebundle mounted at: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups
Backing up to: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb
Event store UUIDs don't match for volume: Macintosh HD
Node requires deep traversal:/ reason:must scan subdirs|new event db|
Compacting storage: 72.04 GB requested (including padding), 41.95 GB available before compacting
Stopping backup.
Backup canceled.
Ejected Time Machine disk image.
Compacting backup disk image to recover free space
Network destination already mounted at: /Volumes/Data-1
The next back up was sucessful!!! :
Starting standard backup
Attempting to mount network destination using URL: afp://Darren%[email protected]/Data
Mounted network destination using URL: afp://Darren%[email protected]/Data
QUICKCHECK ONLY; FILESYSTEM CLEAN
Disk image /Volumes/Data/Darren MacBook Pro.sparsebundle mounted at: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups
Backing up to: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/Backups.backupdb
Event store UUIDs don't match for volume: Macintosh HD
Waiting for index to be ready (101)
Node requires deep traversal:/ reason:must scan subdirs|new event db|
No pre-backup thinning needed: 72.05 GB requested (including padding), 300.83 GB available
Waiting for index to be ready (100)
Copied 27.5 GB of 57.9 GB, 4205 of 4205 items
Copied 57.0 GB of 57.9 GB, 7796 of 7796 items
Bulk setting Spotlight attributes failed.
Copied 8157 files (57.9 GB) from volume Macintosh HD.
No pre-backup thinning needed: 2.85 GB requested (including padding), 244.19 GB available
Copied 598 files (7 KB) from volume Macintosh HD.
Starting post-backup thinning
No post-back up thinning needed: no expired backups exist
Backup completed successfully.
Ejected Time Machine disk image.
Ejected Time Machine network volume.
I can't get back to some of the earlier logs as the widget crashes and takes down the whole dashboard with it! However I think I remember seeing some messages that stated that it couldn't compact the drive as it was already mounted.
I do use the drive to store my iTunes library as well - so perhaps I had mounted the drive when it ran out of space, and hence it's decision to try and remove all the previous backups.
Perhaps this is a good time to think about creating a disk image on the TC for TM to use so I can keep the backups separate from the other data.
Should I create a disk image and store all the iTunes data in it and let TM use the standard TC or vice versa and create an image for TM to use and then use the native TC for data - or does it not make any difference at all?
Cheers for your help
Darren

Does time machine backup locally mirrored idisk?

I was wondering if anyone knew if time machine backed up a locally mirrored idisk? The main advantage of this being that you could go back and see files that were on the locally mirroed idisk a month ago rather than just what is there today.
Thanks,
David

David-
I have been wrestling with this issue also. I put my working files on iDisk so that I can access them from my laptop, other office, etc. Works great--but--as I recently learned the Time Machine doesn't back up those files.
And the sparsebundle (or whatever it's called) has to be excluded from the Time Machine backup (or else it'll fill up your TM in about 2 weeks)
I THINK that I may have found a solution (at least for me). I have a program that backups the iDisk to my DOCUMENTS directory on my hard drive. So--every day at 9PM it backups/mirrors my iDisk to my hard drive and then TM makes a copy of the hard disk DOCUMENTS directory into TM.
So far it APPEARS to be working as I'd like. I can go into TM and pull out a single file. The only drawback is that I have the program automated to copy the files over every night at 9PM so my TM backup is only that single snapshot but it's better then discovering that the files that I thought were being backed up to TM were not.
Would this work? Do you see any holes in this?

Time Machine: Create Local Sanpshot???

I do not find more to activate Create Local Sanpshot? where is it?
this option in the last Beta was really interesting ...
was removed in retail? why?

Hi Linc,
WD MyBook Live support Time Machine, here a screenshot of the control panel:
Maybe it is not stable like a Time Capsule or an hard drive connected via USB or FireWire?
Thanks

Time Machine error 13 sparsebundle?

Hello - my Time Machine wireless backup was working flawlessly for months from my Seagate GoFlex Home wireless hard drive, backing up my iMac and my MacBook. Now suddenly I'm getting the following message - but only on my MacBook: "Time Machine Error: The backup disk image “/Volumes/GoFlex Home Backup/Rolf's Macbook (2).sparsebundle” could not be created (error 13)."
Does anyone know what this means and, more to the point, how I can fix it? Thanks for any suggestions!

Rolf Asphaug wrote:
Yeah, I've pretty much had it with Seagate and their WONDERFUL GoFlex drives.
Actually, backup isn't working on EITHER of our computers - the iMac or the MacBook - so now I know it's the drive. If anyone does have any suggestions I'd appreciate them - but I suppose the answer will be "get a Time Capsule."
You might consider taking the Seagate HD out of the GoFlex enclosure and plugging it in one of these: http://eshop.macsales.com/item/NewerTech/FWU3ES2HDK/. I've had plenty of trouble with GoFlex HD drives overheating inside their enclosures but found that the drive mechanisms themselves are really quite good, at least at the 3TB level. Obviously, you couldn't have Time Machine run automatically but you can run it manually between the two computers. And with the drive mechanism half uncovered, it'll stay a lot cooler.

Time Machine reconnect old sparsebundle

I encountered a problem with a corrupt sparsebundle (I use TimeMachine with my Synology NAS) and Time Machine creating a new sparsebundle, not using the my good old sparsebundle with all my previous backups.
Maybe there are people with the same problem, so here is my solution.
First I had to repair my original sparsebundle image (in this post, the filename is further called A ). TimeMachine seems to rename this sparsebundle giving it read-only rights. To bypass that: ssh with Terminal to your NAS and navigate to the folder which you pointed out as backup folder for Synology Mac Backup.
type:
+chmod 1777 A+
End your SSH session with the NAS, but keep Terminal open. Open 'Finder' and navigate to the backupfolder on your NAS (so the folder is mounted). Then, go back to Terminal and go to /Volumes/*backup folder*/. If you type ' +ls -ls+ ' in your Terminal, the sparsebundle will be shown.
Then to mount and repair, type:
+hdiutil attach -nomount -readwrite A+
then a list with disks appear as output. Remember the bottom one (with me /dev/disk1s2).
type:
+fsck_hfs -rf remembered_path+
This can take a while (like 12 hours or so, depending on the size of your sparsebundle).
Sometimes this process quits with an error (with me it did), but restarting the process worked for me (so just type in the command again).
Then, manually start a Time Machine Backup (letting it create a new sparsebundle). Wait until the 'Making backup disk available' disappears and stop the backup. Disable TimeMachine again.
Go to Terminal again and ssh to your NAS.
Go to the folder again with the sparsebundles.
Type ' +ls -ls+ ', remember the name of the sparsebundle created last, i call this X.
type:
+cd X+
type:
+cp Info.plist ../A+
+cp Info.bckup ../A+
+cp com.apple.TimeMachine.MachineID.plist ../A+
+cd ..+
+mv X choosea_filename_not_ending_withsparsebundle+
+mv A to X+
If you point Time Machine to use the NAS disk again, the backup process will go and continue to backup to your good 'ol sparsebundle.
For me it worked, hope it does for others!!
Message was edited by: edstasy

edstasy wrote:
Pondini wrote:
The file system +directories and catalogs+ may be ok, but that doesn't mean your backups are complete.
I have used a lot of information from this page: http://blog.jthon.com/?p=31
It seems that this issue is common when backing up over WiFi (see comment reply by Phil, #10).
The original post, and most of the replies, are from 2008 (Leopard). The "verification" process wasn't added until mid-May of 2010. They may or may not be addressing the same thing.
Also, there is nothing wrong with the disk in the NAS, there probably was a process which was not ended correctly that corrupted the image.
Yes, that's one of the possibilities. Since Apple hasn't provided a glimmer of a clue as to what's actually wrong, there's no telling.
As long as you realize you may be backing-up to damaged or incomplete backups, that's certainly your call.
I cannot guarantee that the backup will work (no one can). I just reconnected the sparsebundle, now Time Machine is happy again and I am happy again
Of course, I could prove this fix by restoring from Time Machine, but I'm not going into that now, maybe I will test that later on.
That would be prudent. But restore to an empty disk/partition, so if it fails, you're not in a bigger pickle. You might try it twice; once from the last backup before the message, once from a later one.

I have never used Time Machine, but local snapshots "MobileBackups" show up. Why?

I want to use Carbon Copy Cloner to make backups periodically. Therefore, I have never used Time Machine. My TM preference is always OFF. However, I noticed that I have local snapshots on my Volumes folder which is a function of TM to keep backup when I am away from TM backup disk. WHY?
I just want to know why it LOCAL SNAPSHOT shows up although I have never turned on TIME MACHINE on this MacBook Pro EVER. Please dont tell me how to turn Local Snapshots off, I knew the command.
Thank you in advance!

AFAIK, it's mommy Apple protecting your laptop from yourself. See Pondini's TM FAQs for possible clarification on this nonsense. I, likewise, don't use TM, preferring CCC bootable clones, but I don't have a laptop.

Time Machine Duplicating Backup Sparsebundles

I'm having a problem that I can't seem to solve. I'm using an external drive that I back up my MacBook Pro with sometimes I am connected via LAN other times via Wi-Fi. It appears that when I switch between different network connects, Time Machine wants to backup my entire machine again from scratch. This both duplicates the sparsebundles on the external drive and takes forever backup the entire machine each time. How to I get Time Machine to recognize that there is a back up there and that I have only changed the way I connect? Can't use this tool the way it is backup anew every time I move machine around the house. Any suggestions?

Oddly enough, the size/format of some names can make odd things happen with network Time Machine backups, and at least one of yours may be involved. See #C9 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum).
Do your self a favor, though. Even if you get this working, do not depend on these backups 100%. There's a reason Apple doesn't support it -- it's not reliable.
There are any number of threads here and in the Airport Extreme forum similar to this one: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2483045
If you still want to do it, see Using Time Machine with an Airport Extreme Air Disk (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum).

Can I turn a Time Machine backup into sparsebundle?

Hi,
I have a NAS device, and the first back-up to it takes soo long. Unfortunately, the back-up format to a NAS device is a sparsebundle, to a directly connected drive it is backup. Can I connect my drive directly to my laptop, make the first back-up, then change the format to sparsebundle?

Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions 19. How do I set up a new Mac from an old one, its backups, or a PC? (via Setup Assistant or Migration Assistant)

Can Time Machine Backup Local Backups?

Hi and tnxs for reading.
I have noticed that time machine is backupping only one backup per time, i.e. at the time of the execution of the backup.
Is there a way to backup on an external HD also all the local backup aswell?
For example, if I do a Time machine backup per week, I only have one backup per week on my time machine hd backup; however it would be interesting to let time machine saving all the local backup aswell on hte hd, so as to have more time continuity without having to connect more often the external hd.
Is this possible?
tnxs, cheers

Thomas A Reed wrote:
Time Machine won't back up those local snapshots. However, if you were to maintain a secondary set of backups using something like Carbon Copy Cloner, it should copy the local snapshots.
This makes sense because according to this article the content of the local snapshots is supplemental, and when you re-connect your TM backup drive all interim changes are included in the TM backup and the local snapshots become superfluous.
If the local snapshots don't seem to be enough, you could do something like what I do when I'm away: I use Back to My Mac to clone my MacBook Pro Documents folder to my home Mac (as Docs are really the only things which change while I'm away). Another "away" option would be to back up Documents folder to some free online storage, as Documents-only would not require as much space as a full backup.

Time machine on local WiFi network - OS Extended (Journaled) format error

Hi guys,
I did an initial Time machine backup of my Macbook Pro via Firewire to an external hard disk. Everything went smoothly and later Time Machine did regular backups without any problem.
When I attached the external Time Machine hard disk to one of the Macs in my local WiFi network the troubles began.
My Macbook could still see and mount the Time Machine drive via the network but didn't want to backup to this drive any longer. It came up with this error message: "The backup volume is not in Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format, which is required..."
When I connected the Time Machine drive back to my Macbook directly via Firewire, it resumed its backup duties without complaining. Very strange...
Whenever Time Machine tries to excess the drive via the network (AFP shared) I get the format error message. Attached directly to the Firewire port it works flawlessly. Any suggestions how to solve the problem?
I really want to do my backups via the wireless network and without having to plug-in the drive directly into my Macbook, which wouldn't be a very mobile solution for a laptop
Would an Airport Extreme station with an attached USB drive behave differently?

read this:
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/04/02/exploringtime_capsule_time_machine_over_the_network_vsusb.html

Time Machine Stopped working "sparsebundle already in use"

I have been using time machine for years on my MBP. It worked fine on 10/1/12 and then on 10/2, I starts searching and I get this message.
"Time Machine coundn't complete the backup to TC - the backup disk image/voluems/TM MBP TC BU-1/MBP BCC 13inch.sparsebundle is already in use"
TM MBP TC BU-1 is my designation...
I need help and really would appreciate any assistance.
Skip

Pull the power cord from the back of the Time Capsule
Count to ten
Plug the power cord back into the back of the Time Capsule
This simple reset will fix this issue 98% of the time. If you are in the unlucky 2% category, more help is here:
The Backup disk image ... sparsebundle ... is already in use.

Time Machine creates multiple sparsebundles on Airport Extreme

I recently started using a new hard drive for Time Machine, attached to my Airport Extreme (previous 250GB WD portable, now 1.5TB Seagate Freeagent). I never had any issues with the old drive, but have noticed a very weird problem on the new drive, and despite a lot of searching online I can't find anyone with the same issue.
What I've noticed is that on occasion, Time Machine decides not to use the existing sparsebunle on my drive, and instead creates a brand new sparsebundle and starts to backup my entire system from scratch. The new sparsebundle has the same name as previously, just with " 1" added to the end of the name. E.g.:
Original - "Peter's MacBook Pro.sparsebundle"
New - "Peter's MacBook Pro 1.sparsebundle"
If I delete the new sparsebundle from the drive and get Time Machine to "Back Up Now", it seems to find the original sparsebundle again, and will do an incremental backup like nothing ever happened.
Two possible leads on why it might be happening:
1 - I've noticed in the last two days that this has happened on the first backup after I get home from work. I.e., Time Machine fails to backup all day while I'm at work (cause it can't access the drive) then when I get home and connect back to the Airport, the first backup creates the new sparsebundle. Only noticed this the last two days, so it's not a long-running pattern.
2 - The new drive does make a lot of loud "clicking" noises (apparently a running problem with Seagate's 1.5TB Freeagent drives, relted to power-management of the drive).
Either of these sound like a possible lead on the issue? Anyone have ideas on a possible fix?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Peter

Denis77 wrote:
One evening about 8 I came to the the computer to find a dialog box indicating that it was backing up something over 800,000 files, about 60 GB and counting; Time Machine indicated a Latest Backup at 3:30 that afternoon. No unusual events that afternoon to set things off track, as far as I know. It was creating a new sparsebundle as Pete A indicated, same name with a <space> "1" added. Unlike his experience, however, deleting the newer sparsebundle does not provide access to the older one.
Any ideas how to redesignate the older sparsebundle as the real backup? The Mac is not seeing it now, which is why it keeps starting a new one. Since this is apparently a baseline snapshot, I would like to get my backup history back.
Most likely, the old sparse bundle is corrupted, and Time Machine can't use it. Try repairing it, per #A5 in the Time Machine - Troubleshooting *User Tip,* also at the top of this forum.
If it can be repaired successfully, Time Machine may continue using it.
If it can't be repaired, or TM won't continue using it, there's not much you can do. Keep the old sparse bundle for a while (you may be able to browse and restore from it, per #E2 in the Troubleshooting Tip. Once you're sure you don't need the old set (or Time Machine runs out of room and has to start deleting backups from the new set), delete the old sparse bundle via the Finder.

Time machine to local sparsebundle...

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