Aperture Library Backup

what file(s) do I need to ensure are backed up in order to protect my library?

You need a backup of the complete Aperture library package "Aperture Library. aplibrary", also of any original images that are referenced.

Have you checked, if your online backup utility works well with MacOS X and can restore aliases and links correctly? For example, putting an Aperture library into a dropbox folder and syncing it there will break it for sure.

I'd try to create a small test library, back it up, also backup increamental changes, and try to restore from the backup. Does it work well?

Regards

Léonie

If you cannot confirm that the on-line back-up works reliably, you can always just make a second vault on a second portable drive, and keep one of the two off-site at all times (never have your three copies of your Library* in the same location).

Slightly less secure, but still very good, is to use Time Machine as your first back-up, and your Vault as your second. Except when up-dating your Vault, store it off-site.

*working copy, Vault1 on Drive1, Vault2 on Drive2.

Another option is multiple Time Machine backups on separate external drives. You can rotate the drives offsite periodically. Or you could buy a fire-proof safe and rotate the backups between the safe and your Mac. Here's a Macworld article on keeping multiple Time Machine backups.

But the online backup is obviously more convenient and more likely to be up to date.

Poiks wrote:

I'm using Time Machine for my regular backups, so I assume my Aperture library is being backed up.

Never ever assume anything when it comes to backups. The time to discover your assumptions are wrong is not when you actually need the backup.

What Frank says bears repeating, with emphasis added:

Frank Caggiano wrote:

Never ever assume anything when it comes to backups. The time to discover your assumptions are wrong is not when you actually need the backup.

(though I know most who read this have already learned that lesson 😉 ).

Oddly enough ...

Thomas Emmerich wrote:

Another option is multiple Time Machine backups on separate external drives. You can rotate the drives offsite periodically. Or you could buy a fire-proof safe and rotate the backups between the safe and your Mac.

this review of a fire-proof hard drive just came across my desk.