Backing up (SD) on LaCie Drive

[tuni]

I haven't backed up my SD (biggest partition) backup (or Sandbox - small partition) which are both on my LaCie 500GB drive.

Should I be doing so? If so, how would I do it? I think:

1. I'd have to attach another external drive to back up the LaCie
2. How would I set SD to backup the SD backup to another external drive

Can this be done/Should this be done?

clueless,
tuni

[dnanian]

I'm not sure what you mean. You're not backing up your backup, you mean? Or you're not backing up?

[tuni]

Dave,
I'm definitely backing up with SD - I love it! But, I saw something in a post on this forum about backing up the backup!!! I guess, in case the external with the SD backup dies! One can be totally ridiculous with backups, but maybe having a spare backup of my backup drive (sounds silly) might not be a bad idea???

Since both my SD backup and my Sandbox backup are on the external LaCie 500 FW, if I did lose that, I wouldn't have any backup other than what TM does on my iMac.

????

Sorry to confuse things,
t

[dnanian]

You can certainly make more than one backup - say, a daily and a weekly. But I wouldn't back up your backup. I'd make a second backup.

[tuni]

Dave,
<make a second backup>...

I think you mean buy and set up another external drive for a SD backup? So I'd alternate between backing up to ext. drive A and B? Disconnect A, connect B - and vice versa?

If that is so, would it be best to partition the "new" drive for both SD and Sandbox like the older one?

????

[dnanian]

Yes, another drive, but you wouldn't alternate. Just set one to back up, say, every Sunday, and the other to back up daily. There's no need to back up your Sandbox.

[tuni]

thx dave,
Am looking around for a good deal on a 500GB FW - just to complicate things, TM has started deleting old backups on my other external drive Maxtor 1 touch. <sigh> Looks like I have to look for 2 additional b/u externals.

Its annoying the TM (as I understand it) will copy all the old backups on to any new external drive I install thus wasting a heckofalot of space.

<more sighs>

[dnanian]

Well, it's generally a mistake to think of Time Machine as an 'archive'. It's kind of like the "if you haven't unpacked that box after 5 years, throw it away" rule - if it's starting to delete old backups, they're probably backups you don't really need...

It's pretty easy to find a LaCie d2 Quadra for ~$100 or so, lots of interfaces, good drive, cables, etc.