How can I keep a NAS volume mounted/connected?

Question

How can I keep a NAS volume mounted/connected?

I use a WD MyCloud Mirror NAS backup system, but am trying out CCCloner as an alternative to TimeMachine. The softwre works fine. However, unless I manually do a "connect as" to the NAS volume I want to use for backup and manually put in my login credentials, the volume can't be found by CCCloner.

Once a volume is mounted this way, it seems to hang around for a while and then, presumably after some time-out (?) it goes away and, to use it, it has to be mounted agin.

CCCloner doesn't seem to have a way to put in the login credentials to CCCCloner's destination spec. SO, each time an automated backup wants to run, it bombs because it can't find the destination volume. I know that I can declare the volume as "PUBLIC" on the WD NAS and then it seems to stay mounted, but I don't want it public - I want it as secure as possible and to require a password.

Is there a way to tell OSX to keep the volume mounted?

Thanks,

Dave

Updted system infi: MacBPro with Yosemite 10.2

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013), OS X Mavericks (10.9.3), null

Posted on Mar 5, 2015 6:42 AM

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Answer 1

BobHarris

Level 9

53,009 points

Mar 6, 2015 2:25 PM in response to davidfromspencer

You should be able to specify a shell script that runs before CCC starts a clone.

You can have the shell script open a Mac OS X Alias that includes your username, and if you saved your password in keychain, then when the Alias is opened, it will mount the NAS volume.

So basically, mount your NAS.

Finder -> Go -> Go to Folder -> /Volumes

Find your mounted NAS volume

Select your NAS volume

Command-Option-Drag your NAS volume to a folder where you want to keep the Alias. The Alias should have a little curved arrow in the lower left corner of the icon. That is how you know you have created an Alias.

Create a shell script using something like TextWrangler (free download from Bare Bones Software)

<http://www.barebones.com/products/textwrangler/>

#!/usr/bin/env bash

open /path/to/your/Alias/file

Where /path/to/your/Alias/file would be something like /User/yourShortUsername/name.of.your.Alias

Using Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal

make the shell script executable

chmod +x <from the Finder, drag your shell script icon to the Terminal windows to get the path information to your shell script into your chmod command>

type <return>

In theory you now have a shell script that will open your Alias and cause Mac OS X to mount your NAS. The first time you may be prompted for a password, and there should be a check-box that asks if you want to store this in your keychain. If you check the box, it should no longer ask you for the password. The Alias should have the connection information for the NAS and your connection name all stored inside, and with the password in the keychain, the Alias should be able to mount the NAS volume my by opening the Alias.

It is a theory at least.

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Answer 2

rccharles

Level 6

12,957 points

Mar 6, 2015 2:35 PM in response to BobHarris

Is there a way to tell OSX to keep the volume mounted?

You can have a volume auto mounted at login. From simple to complex

http://osxdaily.com/2012/05/04/automatically-connect-to-network-drive-mac-os-x/

http://useyourloaf.com/blog/2011/01/24/using-the-mac-os-x-automounter.html

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