TM backs up Aperture library over and over again!

Ladies and Gents; I look forward to your insight how this happens. Every time I work in Aperture, Time Machine backs up the whole library file to my Time Capsule(1TB), eating space like hungry dog.
My aperture library is refrenced, so the actual pictures are stored in folders on the hard drive and Aperture only keeps the references. As I have some 15000 pictures amounting to some 40GB, the referenced library is 18.9GB in size.
Even when I just delete some pictures (in Aperture) or do minor adjustments (create a version of a picture in Aperture) TM backs up 18+GB every time.
For now, I have excluded the Aperture library from backups but would like to understand why this bug happens and how to avoid it. I have read somewhere that the latest 10.5.3 updated fixed this - but aperently not for me.
My software is always updated and the iMac packed with power. Thanx for your time.

I just did some reading on the forums and it appears that the issue happens when Aperture is running while TM runs backup. Subsequently, next time TM runs a backup while Aperture is not running it will back up the whole Aperture library all over again.
At the same time some people suggested that 10.5.3 has solved this. Not for me, any ideas?

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Since my last software update, my iphoto 11 will not import any photos from any source. The circle just spins...when I go to force quit, it says iphoto not responding. Backed up iphoto library, uninstalled and reinstalled iphoto. Still not working. Help!

Since my last software update, my iphoto 11 will not import any photos from any source. The circle just spins...when I go to force quit, it says iphoto not responding. Backed up iphoto library, uninstalled and reinstalled iphoto. Still not working. Help!

Option 1
Back Up and try rebuild the library: hold down the command and option (or alt) keys while launching iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild. Choose to Rebuild iPhoto Library Database from automatic backup.
If that fails:
Option 2
Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. This will create a new library based on data in the albumdata.xml file. Not everything will be brought over - no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your albums and keywords back.
Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one. .
Regards
TD

Backing up Aperture library on external drive.

Lately I haven't been using Aperture, I've just been organizing all my pictures into folders, and keeping the folders in my Pictures folder. Then making a copy of the whole thing onto my external. I decided to start using Aperture.
I finally just finished organizing everything the way I want it. But how should I go about saving a backup to my external.
I have 2 libraries. I also have 2 vaults saved (one for each library). So when I go in my Pictures Folder, I see Aperture Library, Aperture Library 2, and my 2 vaults. Is it enough to just put the Vaults on my external? Or do I need to put the whole "Library" on the external. I would think it would be enough to put the Vaults, cause that's what I would think the vaults are for. To completely restore the library incase anything goes wrong. But I just wanna be sure before something happens to my computer, and all I have are Vaults that don't do me any good.

Issues,
I would think it would be enough to put the Vaults, cause that's what I would think the vaults are for. To completely restore the library incase anything goes wrong. But I just wanna be sure before something happens to my computer, and all I have are Vaults that don't do me any good.
Yes, that is what vaults are for. With a vault you can restore everything that was in your library. Remember that referenced photos are not stored in your library and therefore not backed up in a vault. Also remember that the most likely reason to use a vault is because the disk with your library is damaged or unavailable in some way. For instance, my MacBook internal drive bit the dust absolutely, completely, just before Christmas. No booting up; the Apple store couldn't even look at the hard drive by attaching it as a secondary drive to a different computer. If you find yourself in that situation, your vaults in their current state would be completely useless.
nathan

What is the best way to back up aperture on imac and then take the library on the road for my mcp?

I have just aquired a lacie triple interface ext drive 1tb, to vault aperture and then take on the road for mcp to access the aperture iamges, looking at some of this forum I dont think this is as easy as i thought so i thought I'd better get some help!
I have not activated the ext hard drive yet just in case, my imac is backed up with time machine presently.

Hi Dave
I use a MBP and a Mac Mini when on the road
It has always been my practice not to use the system drive for my photographic data where ever possible always using external drives eSATA and FW for the MBP and using USB drives for Vaults and Clones
I am working with a growing Libary at the moment 720GB + 500 GB of referenced files on a second HDD
I will be scooting down the A30 with a couple of HDDs and my MBP on my way home and whilst there I will be using the my MBP to add new images to my aperture Libary and Referenced Drive and work on some of my existing files
For the last four years I have used a Ruggedised 500GB FW/USB drive to store copies of my CF cards when on a shoot you need the MBP to transfer from CF to HDD but once on the HD any future transfer is quick.
Only reusing it when I have the contents in at least two external HDD's at different locations
I have a Mac Pro and Wiebetech 4bay eSATA external at my studio (It takes bare drives)
Two years ago I did move to using an eSATA EspressCard|34 with my MBP (which only has a 200GB internal) which has ineffect given me a 2TB external running as if it's an internal drive (Ruggedised eSATA) as my Aperture Library and PS scratch file drive.
And 2TB USB drives as Vault backup
I have never been a Time Machine fan from the early days when there were problems when running Aperture, I'm sure it's improved but I have my own work flow routine
I use SuperDuper form Shirt Pocket
I recently purchased a couple of 2TB WD Green 2TB SATA 6Gbps 64MB Cache Power Saving Internal Hard Drives
for £60 each and two empty Lacie cases for £18 each from Amazon so storage has never been cheaper I normally use bare drives but the cases are better when I am away from base and its easy to remove them
Hope this helps
Phil G
PS. If you're down Penwith over the next month look me up and I show you the set up

Difference between vault and backing up aperture library

i have been trying to understand the difference between simply backing up in aperture via the vault and just backiing up the aperture library file.
my workflow involves backing up the original raw files to DVD and also backing the raw files to an external drive. i keep only raw files that are in progress on my mac book pro.
when i complete a project, i just copy the aperture library file from my mac book pro over to my external drive and also back up the aperture library file to a dvd, too. that way i have the raw files backed up, and the aperture library files backed up.
is this sufficient enough or do i need to set up a vault, too?
mac book pro 1.83ghz core duo Mac OS X (10.4.9) 2GB RAM

I have written about the various options for backing up Aperture images at length:
http://maczealots.com/articles/aperture-backup/

Can multiple users share Aperture Library over network

I'm considering moving over to Aperture because iPhoto is starting to show the strain under the number of RAW pictures I'm uploading. My current iPhoto library is stored on my NAS and is shared between my RMBP and MacMini. If I make the transition over to Aperture will I be able to have the same set-up?
Thanks
VP

iPhoto is starting to show the strain under the number of RAW pictures I'm uploading.
What do you consider to be a "strain"?
Poor response time? I suspect, that will be more due to the network access on a NAS than to the library size.
You might try to put your Aperture 3 library on a NAS, but it is not recommended by Apple, see:
Use locally mounted Mac OS X Extended volumes for your Aperture library
You will have to ensure,
that you do not open the Library from both your Macs at the same time,
and you will have to ensure, that the library is only on a disk formatted "Mac OS X Extended". SInce your NAS has a different formatting, put the Aperture library onto a disk image on the NAS. You will have to mount this disk image, before you access the library, like recommended here for iPhoto, see: iPhoto: Sharing libraries among multiple users http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1198
But as I said, if poor performance should be your main reason for switching from iPhoto to Aperture, you will not gain much, if you keep the library on a network attached volume, unless you have a very fast network connection.
The best performance you get in Aperture with the library on the fasted drive you have. I keep my Aperture library on the internal SSD and the original master image files (the bulk of the data) on a second internal drive.
Regards
Léonie

Best way to share aperture library over network on two computers?

I've read several posts about doing this and most recommend using an external HD and just hot swapping. However, is their not a better alternative? Can I not share my library over the network, or just remote connect to the other computer?
Thanks for the help!

Hi Terence and Leonie,
You can run several Aperture on the same computer as long as all Aperture are using distinct libraries.
What Aperture does is to create a simple lock file in <your Aperture library>.aplibrary/Database/apdb The lock file contains the PID of the process. So not two Aperture could open the same library (although I don't know how good they have manage the concurrent creation, locking, verification of this lock, this is a typical and difficult software engineering problem)
Anyway, I have not said that Aperture supports concurrent editing. That a file is a database or a simple text file, you have basically the same issues on network or in concurrent environment. So if the folder structure holds simple, flat text file or xml object or databases, it is still a bunch of files (this is a UNIX system by the way ).
Aperture contains more than one SQLlite file, there are some at the root folder, some under Database/apdb etc. there are also XML files that could be used as database.
Anyhow, editing a file (SQLlite, XML, txt, doc, etc.) either on a share or locally is plain similar. The drive can fail too, although much less likely than the network.
Network file edition can have a few shortcomings, but nothing that when known can be blocking.
Locking files over the network can however be tricky and depends largely on the network protocol used (NFS, SMB/CIFS or AFP just to name a few). In addition, if you import files from /Users/foo/Photos in Aperture (without copying them within Aperture), they might not be visible from another computer or only the previews, as the path /Users/foo/Photos is not "visible" from the other computer.
What really is a problem when you put a file not locally is the file system type and its features. HFS+ supports extended attributes (metadata), many other file systems support these but the API (how the software, such as Aperture, access this feature) might not be similar, in addition the amount of metadata or their structure might differ from file system to another. And this is where you might lose information.
A tool like Dropbox is pretty good at maintaining the metadata across different computers, and it has been adapted to do so for OS X specifically (and also for Linux and Windows).
The second problem is if you would have a Mac and share via SMB (the Windows share network protocol, aka CIFS on recent Windows versions) the library, SMB might not support the reading and writing of HFS+ metadata, thus data loss might occur.
Apple is just warning us of all these shortcomings, and advise to use local storage formatted as HFS+. Because even a local external disk formatted as NTFS or other file system could be a problem.
However, power users who understand the risks and limitations of a network share (in general) can create a disk image on a share (even if it is SMB). As for OS X, once the disk image is mounted, it is just like any other local hard disk, it is just "slower" especially latency wise. OS X supports perfectly disk image mounted on a share, it takes care of properly synchronising it.
Of course, due to the nature of the link between the application data and where they are stored, in case of application or OS crash, the amount of data loss could be greater than when the data are held locally.
I hope this clarify better my post.
Note: another shortcoming of having it on the network is: Aperture lock the library by creating a file with a process ID. If the same library is opened from another computer on the network, this other Aperture instance might see the lock file and could perhaps not find the corresponding running process. This Aperture instance might then decide to ignore the lock and proceed with opening the library. This might have some consequences.
But I haven't developed Aperture so I don't know how it would behave

Access Aperture library over wireless?

This might be more of a general Mac questions, but thought I would start here.
My Aperture library is on my iMac. Can I access this from my MacBook over my wireless network to do basic stuff like reorganize folders/projects, assign keywords, etc? My MacBook has Aperture. loaded also.

Sorry -- it is neither recommended nor advised. From this Apple support page:
Also, it is strongly recommended that the Aperture library be stored on a locally mounted hard drive. Storing the Aperture library on a network share can also lead to poor performance, data corruption, or data loss.

Can I share my Aperture Library over my home network?

I am currently sharing my Aperture Library with my Apple TV via Home Sharing. Can I also share it with a separate instance of Aperture running on a different mac on the same network (similar to how iPhoto has the built in library sharing feature)?

"Sharing" has different meanings:
iPhoto Libraries have a feature that allow you to share your library to other iPhoto installations on the same network
The iPhoto feature you are talking about does not share the library to be used and edited by several users, it allows other user to read the images in the shared library. This is save, since other users cannot modify the shared library.
When you asked about sharing a library, I thought you meant the same Aperture library to be used from two different users - to be edited and modified.
But you are right, Aperture does not support to share the Library across the network. To share your Aperture library this way you will have to open it in iPhoto and to share it as an iPhoto Library.
Regards
Léonie

Having trouble backing up Aperture Library to an external hard drive

I'm using a brand new 27" imac and simply trying to back up my Aperture Library from my finder menu to my external drive. My Aperture Library currently is about 65gb. The file starts transferring (takes about an hour), and about 2/3 of the way through it, I get an error message that states "The operation can’t be completed because an item with the name “Aperture Library” already exists." The operation stops, and the file size of my Aperture Library on my external drive ends up about 45mb approx, only partially transferred, so not a full backup. Happens every time. I have deleted everything and reformatted my external drive and still get the same message. When I try to create a vault and back it up on my external drive, I get an immediate error that states "The new vault could not be created because the file system of the destination volume is unsupported". Any ideas how to address this? All I really want to do is have an off-site backup of my full Aperture library.

You will have this problem using that format, the Library needs to be on a disk formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled). You can reformat the drive. Or you could try creating a disk image formatted correctly and putting the library on that, then storing that on the MS format drive.
Regards
TD

Aperture - library management and external HDD question

Hi all.
I have just graduated from a point and shoot to a Panasonic GH2 (love it), and have now begun using Aperture 3 rather than iPhoto on my early 2008 MB Pro to manage my photos going forwards. Of course, I’ve now discovered that Aperture is quite the resource hog and so it’s upgrade time (darn, “have” to buy a new ‘puter!). I have a 2011 MB Pro (2.3Ghz i7 with 512GB SSD) on order and 8GB of DDR 3 arriving from Crucial. Since I have this brand-new-computer opportunity I want to make sure I’m organising things properly before I start transferring things across, and so have a few Aperture-related questions. (In case it’s relevant, I’m shooting in RAW+JPEG. So far I’ve been using RAW as master, but have since learnt it might be a good idea to import JPG as master and switch to RAW only when I need to make corrections, so I’ll probably do that going forwards.)
I understand that moving to referenced masters on an external drive might be a good idea and save me precious SSD-space. To that end, questions are:
1. Can anyone recommend a companion external HDD for Aperture and the 2011 MBPro? I guess either FW800 or Thunderbolt are the way to go. The Lacie Little Big Disk Thunderbolt might be an option but is this overkill for Aperture masters or would FW800 be sufficient. I’ve also seen the G-Tech G-RAID mini, Lacie Rugged – thoughts welcome.
Key requirements are a) as compact as possible, and b) bus powered.
2. What kind of performance can I expect if I go down this route? Is there going to be significant loading/processing delay whenever I switch to a new image?
3. How will Aperture cope with (eg) syncing photos to iPad / iPhone if the drive containing the masters isn’t connected? Put another way, are JPG renders saved in the Aperture library (i.e. on my MBP SSD) or with the masters?
Thanks in advance to anyone who responds!
Aljrob

Aljrob_UK wrote:
...I have a 2011 MB Pro (2.3Ghz i7 with 512GB SSD) on order and 8GB of DDR 3 arriving
...I understand that moving to referenced masters on an external drive might be a good idea and save me precious SSD-space.
1. Can anyone recommend a companion external HDD for Aperture and the 2011 MBPro? I guess either FW800 or Thunderbolt are the way to go.
...Key requirements are a) as compact as possible, and b) bus powered.
OWC (an excellent vendor) has the Elite Pro Mini hard drive that meets your specs:
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/EliteALmini/eSATA_FW800_FW400_USB
Thiunderbolt drives are not mainstream yet but eSATA and FW800 both work well. The multiple connection methods of OWC drives allow very desirable flexibility when purposing/repurposing drives.
Note too that the MBP optical drive can be replaced with up to a 1-TB hard drive DIY or OWC will do it for you. That is what I am doing with my 17" 2011 MBP.
2. Is there going to be significant loading/processing delay whenever I switch to a new image?
SSD latency is orders of magnitude less than hard drives. Switching to a new image even fast hard drives with fast connectivity add significant latency delay. To avoid that what I do is leave (Referenced) Masters on the SSD until all editing is complete (which may be a few weeks). Only then do I use Aperture to change the Referenced Masters location from the SSD to a large external drive.
What kind of performance can I expect if I go down this route?
With Masters on the SSD and 8 GB RAM imports/exports are very fast and all Aperture editing is essentially instant. You will be pleased!
Suggested workflow steps for Referenced Masters:
• Use a FW card reader or MBP slot to copy to a file folder on the SSD (never directly into Aperture or any other images management app). With fast camera cards copy times are quick, but cheap slow cards can slow this step down a lot.
• Eject and physically disconnect the card reader.
• Back up that file folder on external drive(s).
• Only after backup is complete, reformat the camera card in-camera.
• Import images into Aperture from the file folder on the SSD.
HTH
-Allen Wicks

Are vaults always needed to back up Aperture Library?

If I have an internal HD containing both managed and referenced images and an external HD backing up the entire internal HD it seems that it wouldn’t be necessary to create a vault or vaults to back up my Aperture Library. Why create vaults if my Aperture Library will be backed up every time I back up my internal HD? Is this reasoning correct or have I overlooked something?
Bob

Leonie,
Thanks for the quick response.
I have never used Time Machine. I use SuperDuper! to back up my internal HD. I back up my internal HD every time I import a new batch of photos from one of my Nikon dslrs. This happens frequently--at least once a week on average.
I have never found a need to keep versions of my library for specific dates.
Bob

About backing up Aperture Library

I must confess I never have done a Vault of my Aperture Library. My masters are stored directly in the Library and this library with the rest of my Mac is backed up in an external drive with Time Machine.
My question may be silly but really I´m a llittle worried about it:
Is the same to backup Aperture Library with T.M than with Vault?
Regards.
Guillermo

what you see is completely normal. Time machine uses hard links not soft ones.
on every backup it only backs up afresh new and changed files. everything else is hard linked to existing backup copies. finder has a bit of trouble with that and counts every hard link separately hence the size discrepancy.

Aperture Library-referenced and managed-how to add to...

I'm trying to put all my images in one library.
Right now, I have a library that contains some referenced images, and some managed images.
I want to make the entire library referenced. That is, I want all of th original images stored seperatley from the Aperture Library.
Should I reconnect (consolidate) the images that are currently referenced and then proceed to make all of them referenced, or can I select the images that aren't referenced and add them to the same folder where my other originals currently stored?
Thanks

For the ones currently managed: File -> Relocate Masters. or Relocate Original
Regards
TD

After migrating from iPhoto: Aperture library 81GB and iPhoto Library 17GB

I Have ~10K images almost all .jpgs. I just completed the "rebuild from masters" command after experimenting with Aperture for a while. I was surprised to find that my Aperture Library was 81GB and my remaining iPhoto library was 17GB. First of all I selected "move" from the "rebuild from masters" command so I thought my iPhoto Library would just disappear. When I open iPhoto all my pictures are still there. So why the large library size difference?
-thanks

How long since, you installed Aperture 3? You may need to leave the machine running for quite a while before things start to settle down. Sounds like you may be short of RAM and or a library with a lot of faces. Allan

TM backs up Aperture library over and over again!

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