Selective file backups in TimeMachine?

Steve Grammont1 wrote:
Well, this morning I went to grab a specific file from TimeMachine and found that all copies were dated 7/1/2010 even though I have worked on this database several times since then.

Are you doing this from the Finder?

Two of the 10 files from the database were more recently updated, but even then I've worked on it since those dates. So basically for three weeks TimeMachine wasn't backing up my database!!

What kinds of files are these? Are they "bundles" that are actually directories containing a number of files? You can look at the Time Machine backup directory and see all of the timestamped backup directories.

What possible conditions could cause such a thing?

Do you have any Time Machine exclusions? The less you mess with Time Machine, the better it functions.

I've only recently started relying 100% on TimeMachine

That's not really a good idea. Backup software is still software, and as such may fail or have bugs. For maximum safety, you not only need to have a minimum of two separate backups (difficult to do with TM), you also need to use two different backup programs. I use a single TM backup plus two separate drives with backups made using [Carbon Copy Cloner|http://www.bombich.com>, and one of those two drives is always in the safe deposit box at the bank. The only data I've lost since starting this system was at one point during a trip to the Grand Canyon, when I was away from my backups and lost a few new photos thanks to doing something stupid.

As to your problem, I'm not sure why that would happen... Pondini would be the best person to answer, and may actually already have an answer in his [Time Machine FAQ|http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1964018] or [Time Machine Troubleshooting guide|http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2057525].

Steve Grammont1 wrote:
I've only recently started relying 100% on TimeMachine to backup a Filemaker Pro database I have. Out of paranoia, and decades of habit, I've always manually backed up the folder as well as having TimeMachine do its thing.

Thomas is correct, as usual -- secondary backups, of some sort, are highly recommended. All hardware fails, sooner or later, and no app is perfect!

Well, this morning I went to grab a specific file from TimeMachine and found that all copies were dated 7/1/2010 even though I have worked on this database several times since then. Two of the 10 files from the database were more recently updated, but even then I've worked on it since those dates. So basically for three weeks TimeMachine wasn't backing up my database!!

There are several possibilities.

Start with #D5 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum).

If nothing there helps, it's possible that the files were open when the backups were done. Make sure they aren't open, run a backup, and see if they get backed-up.

It's a long shot, but it's possible that the modified dates themselves aren't correct. Are the dates shown on your system correct? If in doubt, can you check the content of the files on the backups to see if it's actually up to date?

You might also want to try one of the 3rd-party apps in #A2 of Troubleshooting, that show exactly what was backed-up on any particular backup.

Steve Grammont1 wrote:
I edit data in one file the other ones are triggered to do something (find/sort at the very least).

Open and reading - find/sort etc won't change the modify date. On;y writing to the file will change it.


Steve

Steve Grammont1 wrote:
Thanks for the answers.

What about the questions? I still don't know if you are using some fancy Time Machine interface or looking at the files on disk. Those fancy Time Machine interfaces are known to be flaky and sometimes display incorrect information when the files inside the actual Time Machine archive are fine.

Up until a month ago I kept a running duplicate backup folder on my primary harddrive (which was, of course, also backed up to TimeMachine) of this database. At some point I decided this was silly and stopped doing it. I guess it wasn't so silly after all!

It seems to be hip to trash Time Machine these days. I don't know why. Time Machine does some clever tricks, but it is essentially just copying modified files. If Time Machine isn't behaving correctly, it is usually indicative of some other problem that needs to be addressed, not any bugs in Time Machine itself.

I know TimeMachine has problems, or simply doesn't, backup open files.

Is that a problem? Is it possible that you have been running this database continuously? Most database servers keep their files open forever and need a little bit of extra help to work properly with backup software.

I can't rely upon TimeMachine

I wouldn't be so quick to jump to that conclusion. For most users, Time Machine is very reliable. You have a copy of your data on your machine and at least another copy in Time Machine. Certainly all hardware fails eventually. But it is very unlikely that two hard drives would completely fail at exactly the same time.

I think your first step is to double-check the actual files inside Time Machine using the Finder. Then review how your database functions with open files.

Steve Grammont1 wrote:
Please understand I am not trashing TM or even blaming it for what happened to me.

I don't mean to be harsh. I am reacting more towards a general trend of Time Machine postings here on Apple Discussions rather than your post specifically. The problem is that people tend to be far too quick to attribute strange problems to bugs in some Apple OS software. These problems need research and I usually see no evidence of such research. Recently I've had quite a bit of trouble getting people to answer basic questions about their software and configuration. Without that information, I have no idea what is going on.

I checked the outdated files and confirmed that they were indeed as old as the time stamps said.

How did you do that, specifically? I'm not familiar with FileMaker or its data. I don't know if your FileMaker program is just something you run run from time to time or a server that is always running.

Have you checked the Time Machine files in the Finder, or are you only using the Time Machine "space warp" interface? The indexes used to drive the "space warp" interface may be corrupt and/or out of date. The application Time Machine interfaces (such as in Address Book) are known to be buggy. The Time Machine files themselves are fine. The first thing you need to check is if the problems you are seeing are just in the interface. The only way to determine that is to look at the files in the Finder, not using Time Machine. Mount the Time Machine drive and go poke around in the "Backups.backupdb" folder. Don't change anything, but look at the files and dates and that will tell you what Time Machine is really doing.

Now, you could make the argument that Time Machine should be easy to use and that you shouldn't have to poke around in its internal files. That is certainly true. Most people don't, only those with problems. But if you want to solve that problem, you have to check everything, including the things you are sure it isn't.