Is Time Machine working properly with SSD iMacs in Lion

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Level 2

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Is Time Machine working properly with SSD iMacs in Lion

There seemed to be an issue with the new SSD equipped iMacs (mid 2011) running Time Machine - very slow incremental backups, huge numbers of files being backed up when no changes are being made etc.

A couple of threads under the Snow Leopard discussions at:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3088396?answerId=15303710022#15303710022

and

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3144862?start=0&tstart=0

Since I have upgraded to Lion, my incremental backups appear fast but I am still concerned that the logs show strangeness, such as each backup copying the exact file size of data from each of HD and HD 2 each time it backs up. Too much of a coincidence. Have any of you with these new SSD equipped iMacs who noticed an issue in Snow Leopard found an improvement in Lion? I have a case open with Apple and want to report back as accurately as I can.

Posted on Jul 21, 2011 12:34 PM

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Answer 1

Jul 21, 2011 1:15 PM in response to WebSailor

I have the same issue as WebSailor and am very interested in hearing back from Lion users.

Time Machine runs almost continuously on my Mac, hammering my disks with hundreds of I/Os per second and generally causing slow downs.

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Answer 2

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Jul 22, 2011 7:45 PM in response to John Kitchen

John,

It's a very loooong shot, but is your Mac subject to this?

iMac 1TB Seagate Hard Drive Replacement Program

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Answer 3

WebSailor Author

Level 2

323 points

Jul 22, 2011 8:04 PM in response to Pondini

I know I thought of this as soon as I heard that some of the 1TB drives were problematic. But I checked my own serial number and it is not one with a know issue.

I am curious where all the people with mid 2011 iMacs with SSD and 1TB drives have disappeared to suddenly. There was much discussion about the issues using Time Machine, but now suddenly they have all disappeared into the woodwork. Have they all upgraded to Lion and no longer have this issue? I would expect anyone buying this class of machine would certainly be upgrading to Lion, so maybe no news is good news!

Oops, just gave myself a "helpful answer" flag. Sorry about that! Not on at all!

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Answer 4

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Jul 22, 2011 8:08 PM in response to WebSailor

WebSailor wrote:

. . .

I am curious where all the people with mid 2011 iMacs with SSD and 1TB drives have disappeared to suddenly.

Run off by the flood of Lion problems? 👿

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Answer 5

Jul 22, 2011 8:18 PM in response to Pondini

My HDD is the 2TB version, so I'm guessing the HDD is not the cause of my TM problem.

I just had a thought. What if I turn off both SSD and internal HDD from TM backup and just include an external USB disk in the backup set?

Might try that over the weekend.

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Answer 6

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Jul 22, 2011 8:25 PM in response to John Kitchen

Hmm. Might turn up a clue!

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Answer 7

Jul 27, 2011 2:40 PM in response to WebSailor

Mine has cured itself for no obvious reason.

Backups are now taking about 20 seconds for small quantities, a few minutes for a few gigs.

I can't correlate the improvement with any software update or other change.

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Answer 8

The hatter

Level 9

60,990 points

Jul 27, 2011 2:49 PM in response to WebSailor

Maybe they bought this class, but have the class to wait a few weeks for you to kick the tires, (or wanted to get an iMac that didn't require Lion and still use SL), and are still blissfully ignorant what they are missing! or just getting things done; hanging over on...

iMac (Intel)

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Answer 9

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Jul 27, 2011 2:52 PM in response to John Kitchen

Glad to hear it's fixed, but sure wish we had even a glimmer of a hint of a clue! 🙂

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Answer 10

Jul 27, 2011 3:05 PM in response to Pondini

@ Pondini. Anything I should look for in logs or whatever?

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Answer 11

WebSailor Author

Level 2

323 points

Jul 27, 2011 3:10 PM in response to Pondini

Pondini wrote:

Glad to hear it's fixed, but sure wish we had even a glimmer of a hint of a clue! 🙂

Well, just when I thought all was well and my new iMac was working properly again since the Lion install, I called back to discuss the results with the senior advisor at Applecare with whom I had been detailing this issue.

Then I decided to do some updates to my wife's first generation MacBook Air running Snow Leopard. Once I brought it up to the latest incarnation of 10.6.8 with all other available updates applied, her Time Machine backups then started to take forever! (1/2 an hour perhaps.) And I had been under the impression this problem only happened to the new SSD equipped iMacs. :-(

Not sure I want to bring this first generation Air up to LIon, I read reports that it will likely run very hot if I do.

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Answer 12

WebSailor Author

Level 2

323 points

Jul 27, 2011 3:15 PM in response to John Kitchen

As for myself, even though my Lionized iMac is now doing Time Machine backups at a blistering pace, the System logs are still showing strange data. It continues to indicate huge numbers of files are being backed up from HD and HD 2 with an identical file size for each even when I am making absolutely not changes to HD 2 between backups.

So not sure if that is indicating a possible problem or if it is just a case that the reporting of the backup is faulty.

In any case I mentioned this to the person at Applecare to whom I had been reporting my situation.

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Answer 13

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Jul 27, 2011 3:27 PM in response to John Kitchen

John Kitchen wrote:

@ Pondini. Anything I should look for in logs or whatever?

Since we couldn't find a cause, it's doubtful a fix will jump at us!

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Answer 14

Pondini

Level 8

38,863 points

Jul 27, 2011 3:29 PM in response to WebSailor

WebSailor wrote:

. . .

It continues to indicate huge numbers of files are being backed up from HD and HD 2 with an identical file size for each even when I am making absolutely not changes to HD 2 between backups.

Yes, it does that sometimes, has for quite a while. Often, there's nothing wrong -- backups run well, nothing out of the ordinary. One of Time Machine's little mysteries . . .

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Answer 15

JFrieds

Level 1

0 points

Aug 22, 2011 5:23 PM in response to Pondini

I'm having a similar problem with my new MacBook Air. I was having the hardest time figuring out what was going on with my Time Machine backups but I guess it must be the same problem with these SSDs.

It's unpredicatble. Sometimes it'll start backing up no changes and go about 1 KB/sec, and then 30 seconds later it will say it is done. At his rate, my hard drive is going to fill in no time!

I hope Apple can patch this in their next installment of 10.7... Really annoying!

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