OK....For anyone out there who is contemplating retiring their Apple Time Capsule.....here's my Thumbnail Summary (i've learned enough trying my SSD T5's & from my two posts and i've made a few decisions going forward).
Note the feelers i put out about experience using Portable Samsung SSD T5 ( as Storage) to replace a Time Capsule didn't produce any response about the SSD T5 (although there are Posts on problems using Samsung SSD T5 in Non Storage Applications).
1) my Airport Time Capsule will continue as an Airport Extreme Base Station dual band wireless.
2) my TC stored Data security back to 2013 is no longer an issue because i'm going to erase it all . I will use Support Article 10.15 as my Guidance about level of security. Likely "Zero Out" will do.
3) I will keep my TC around just to Play with.
Now onto my TC Replacement for iMac Back-up.
4) My Choice was Portable Samsung SSD T5 1TB (Model MU-PA1T0B).
100% of the Disk is Dedicated to iMac Time Machine Back-Up.
I bought two so one is always plugged into the iMac and One is Stored Off-Site. Costco sells them in reasonably priced Two Packs. The SSD T7's are still pricey.
(This may sound like overkill but being put on alert for a Bugout due to Floods and Wildfires is not un-common anymore where i live.)
5) Also, Apple now being clear that the iCloud is considered synchronizing Service Not Storage & i have a DSL connection to the World with very slow Upload, i want to keep my iCloud usage below 30Gb ( iCloud Documents & iOS Back-Up). Yes i am aware anything in iCloud is not included in Time Machine BackUp and i do regular iCloud "Documents" back ups to the iMac HD.
6) So i have to trust Samsung has done their job in protecting my SSD T5 stored Data when i enable the Security Access using their Software. A password up to 16 Characters and AES 256 encryption. Near as i can tell the Chips are all inside the SSD T5 case. With Samsung 1 800 xxx doesn't seem you can ever get to talk to an experienced technical person.
7) SSD T5 out of the Box , I use the iMac Disk Utility to Re-Format from windows to APFS. Note my iMac (late 2013) is stuck on Catalina.
8) Now i use the iMac Time Machine app to set up the SSD T5 ready for first iMac Time Machine BackUp. Time Machine doesn't agree with my Format APFS selection and reformats it as Mac OS Extended (Journaled). I think that is a Catalina Thing and when i get a new Mac with Big Sur and beyond i can reformat in APFS if advantageous. ( Note the iMac Catalina HDD is APFS Format.)
9) Now here is where i trust the Apple Engineers have done their part, so i hope someone who knows will tell me i'm Golden on this ....Don't want to find out down the road after my iMac fails...i have problem with restoration.
_ I use Samsung SSD T5 Device management Software to set my Password & Encryption.
_ I use the Time Machine app to set up the SSD T5 for iMac HDD back-up, Format Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
_ I tell Time Machine not to exclude any Data or System type files from the Back Up.
_ I tell Time Machine not to encrypt the SSD T5. ( no point in double encryption)
_ Time Machine as the SSD T5 Controller works Fine ..... just the same as with ATC.
- ( although there is one Quirk... when changing SSD T5 Drives , the Samsung Device Password has to be entered to satisfy the Samsung Security requirements. But even though my SSD T5 are always ejected properly, i get a consistent Error Message under the Finder Icon Umbrella...Disk Not Ejected Properly Eject "T5_SETUP" before disconnecting or turning it off.
I guess i'll have to live with this. If i enter Time Machine BackUps and look around at my Documents , everything seems in Order .
So i'm hoping ........If my iMac HDD should ever fail, the SSD T5 BackUp will be able to restore all my Data and Apps, from the Catalina Environment to BigSur and beyond, on my newer Replacement Mac.
I would ask for Apple Senior Advisor Level Help in a major restoration like this.
Comments & anything i may have missed are Welcome.