Mac storage: RAID vs Time Capsule???

[Trius]

I have an MBA connecting to an Extreme. The Extreme has two USB drives attached. One is the drive for Time Machine, backing up all other storage devices. The other drive is my work drive for photos, iTunes database and files, and anything else I don't need to store locally on the MBA.

I'd prefer to have a RAID 1 drive as my Time Machine target (I have a friend using this implementation at my suggestion), but I feel fairly comfortable with my current setup until I have made some other investments in photo equipment, supplies and my daughter's year of study in France, and then have the option to upgrade the backup drive.

[kuzano]

Do the deep research...

Who builds their drives.... no, really who builds them?

Google and Yahoo the words LaCie Issues or Lacie Problems

Sorry, that's just 25 years of computer consulting talking. I would not take on a service contract for network support for any networks incorporating LaCie drives.

[RObert Budding]

Originally Posted by kuzano

I would not take on a service contract for network support for any networks incorporating LaCie drives.

I would - if the price were right.

[Godfrey]

Originally Posted by robklurfield

Wow. I'm getting quite an education here. Some of you are clearly more technically proficient than I am. Let's talk budget and an approach that would allow incremental capacity upgrades later. If I could only spend $600 or less and wanted the simplest solution, where would you recommend I spend the money?

Here's my system:
- MacBook w 500G internal
- working drive for photos - 1T external
- Time Machine backup to external 1T drive (exclude photo directories)
- use Chronosync sw to sync photo directories to external 2T drive archive
- use Chronosync to sync the archive 2T drive to another 2T drive (archive 2)

That's four external drives, two 1T and two 2T, and $30 worth of software, beyond the computer itself. Should be doable (minus the computer, of course) for right around that $600 mark total, maybe a hundred dollars more.

[RObert Budding]

I also run a cloud backup (CrashPlan) because I'm a belt and suspenders guy when it comes to data.

[Trius]

From my limited research/reading, I'd rather go with G Tech drives (Seagate if budget dictated) over LaCie.

[zauhar]

Rob, sorry , just saw your thread, do not have energy to read it all ...

But I will say I have been burned a couple times by time capsule, where I could not restore all data.

The safest solution is to back up using BRUclone to an external RAID. You can elect to make the copy bootable.


Randy

[flip]

Perhaps a different take here. I use time machine on the local computer, but keep images (actually, all non-application data) on external drives. I should use an array to be more secure. But I'm cheap and settle for manual mirroring on a semi-regular basis. The key to me is that it be on an external unit from which data could be extracted by an OS other than mac. You'd be surprised the amount of times failed drive' contents can be salvaged with a linux CD. Choose wisely when you format your discs.

[willie_901]

Time Capsule has saved my butt so many times It's embarrassing. My raw archive (everything I've ever downloaded from a card or scanned) has been a lifesaver a few times too

[john_s]

Originally Posted by photomoof

I don't expect there are really any drives which would love being kept above the insulation in a roof cavity (attic). It makes sense from a theft standpoint, but in many parts of the US those areas could easily get to 125° F.

The drives themselves are not usually the problem, drives operate at up to 140° F (60° C) it's the power supplies which literally burn up, and cause all sorts of problems with data. Almost all drives run too hot to touch, without problem.

Environmental requirements
Operating temperature: 50° to 95° F (10° to 35° C)
Storage temperature: -13° to 140° F (-25° to 60° C)
Relative humidity (operational): 20% to 80% (noncondensing)
Relative humidity (storage): 10% to 90%
Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet
Maximum storage altitude: 15,000 feet

They will run, but that sort of temperature definitely shortens their life. That's why the quoted operating temperature is 35°C.

Ask me how do I know this!

[majid]

Avoid the Time Capsule. It is unreliable because of inadequate thermal disspation (plastic rather than metal case) and dog-slow in any case, as it is designed for backups, not as a primary work drive.

Get a Thunderbolt RAID enclosure with a metal chassis acting as a passive heat sink. such as the Hitachi G Drive or Promise Pegasus (Wiebetech and OWC/Newer Tech do not make Thunderbolt arrays yet). I wish WD would make a Thunderbolt version of their excellent metal-bodied My Passport Studio line.

[MiniMoke]

I use a Time Capsule 2Tb to back up 3 Macs at home, both wirelessly and wired and apart from the initial backup which takes ages, everything runs smoothly.

Then again, I do not trust ANY harddrive, so I have about 110 Gb of Dropbox space I use to back up all my data! My iPhoto libraries as well as Aperture.

Last but not least, I periodically back up my main mac to a USB drive I store at the office..... you never know. House burns down and Dropbox..... well, what could happen? Anyway, I just do it.

Of course, all the time I backed up everything, no problem whatsoever has occured. Just waiting for the time I stop backing up I guess.

[kanzlr]

use a QNAP Box on our LAN.

you can pack in 4 drives to have a raid, use it for timecapsule, connect an external USB drive to the QNAP for additional automated backup, etc.

superb little unit, fast enough for even big files referenced from Aperture...