Outsourcing Photos Library to TimeCapsule isn't working

You have been lucky. Hope your luck holds or that you have a good back up when it doesn't.

Sorry Guys, no offence, but this is pretty bad discussion style. How about some real information instead of quoting obscure treats? Like, saying WHY a network volume's file system is dangerous to use (we all know it can at times be slow, but so is the cloud!). If network file storage was generally not to trust how would larger enterprises operate at all, then? And if the iPhoto library is such a complicated database that needs always to be online for writing, how come it is simply organized in files and folders for most if it's part? We wouldn't be asking the same question over and over again if there was an explanation for this lame behaviour, or a viable workaround for it instead of upgrading our macs and upgrading our iCloud storage, which of course it what apple would prefer us to do.

Search the forum these questions have been asked and answered many times.

The data structures on disks not formatted correctly mean that there is a very high risk data corruption. It fails to save the changes.

Larger enterprises would not be using a consumer app like iPhoto or Photos. Simply, they just would not. How on earth would a large enterprise manage multiple users of a library that only one user can open at a time?

And if the iPhoto library is such a complicated database that needs always to be online for writing, how come it is simply organized in files and folders for most if it's part?

No really? If that's all it was it would be simple. It's an sql database that manages these file and their interrelationships. Don't confuse file storage with a database.

The workaround for iPhoto, Aperture, Photos libraries is simple: an external ask formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled) with a direct connection to the Mac.

See, NOW we're talking!!! Thanks for the hint. Here's some info!

Don't confuse file storage with a database.

If the database is NOT the file storage, then, what about separating these two? The file storage (folders "originals" and "modified" within the "iPhoto Library" folder, are taking up about 95% of the storage space.

So here's what I'll do if my internal ssd gets too crowded:

1. copy anything older than X years in the "originals" folder to an external or network drive.

2. copy the same folders from the "modified" folder to the same target, thereby consolidating / replacing originals with modified versions where applicable

3. DELETE the matching years from iPhoto

4. go to iPhoto settings and disable copying files to the iPhoto library when importing

5. re-import the files which are now on the external drive / network drive.

6. go back into iPhoto setting to re-enable copying files when importing.

This way I can keep the recent years on my SSD, while storing older photos on an external / network drive and still seamlessly browse through them.

I have not tested the export part yet, so don't try this at home; but I have been working with many photos that are outside the iPhoto library yet have been imported into the database for years (these are my photos from pre-iphoto times that were already on the network drive) with iPhoto 09 ver 8.1.2. The performance of these external photos is rather well, even if the network drive is a particularly lousy NAS; the key point for me is that I can quickly browse the thumbnails (part of the database = on the local SSD), and whenever I click on them, it takes 1 - 5 seconds (depending on the wake up time of the external hd) to load the full resolution.

If the external / network drive is not present, it will simply not show the full resolution image; as soon as I reconnect, and re-click the photo, it will come up.

If someone can make a tool to streamline steps 1 - 5 I'll be all up for it.

By saying 'Don't confuse file storage with a database' I meant don't think it's only file storage.

You're free to do anything you want, but what you propose will entail significant dataloss and destroy the non-destructive editing feature of iPhoto and/or Photos. It will also corrupt the Library. Basically, it's a mess. If that's what you want to do, why on earth use any of these apps at all?

Seriously, why?

Terence Devlin wrote:

... what you propose will entail significant dataloss and destroy the non-destructive editing feature of iPhoto and/or Photos.

It will also corrupt the Library.

I know, and it will also make my HDs speed up and spin backwards until they start burning. 😁

How would deleting Images from iPhoto's Interface after backing up manually and re-importing them afterwards corrupt the library?

Indeed, it will disable the possibilites of resetting edited images, but I am not likeley to use this feature on photos that I am going to archive externally.

But actually, you are right about the data loss – the REAL downside it that I will loose all information about the photos I archive, which is stored in the database , and not in the photos, for example face recognition data, event- and album names, which is a real pity. Hm. 😟

BUT, looking at my iPhoto library's storage structure of the images I imported earlier, without copying them to the library, I observe that each photo inside the "originals" folder is simply represented by a normal alias pointing to the file outside the library. So I would conclude that any tool that could leave aliases behind while moving the images to an external drive would work on slimming down the iphoto library, without loosing any of its capabilites! 😍

Does anybody know such a tool?

What version of iPhoto do you have? It's quite a while since aliases for referenced libraries.

BTW there is no such tool.

Also, be aware that when you have a library on one disk and the photos stored on the other, any change to the path to the file will trash the library.

For more on iPhoto and file management see this User Tip:

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6361

1) Run Disk utility on Mac & restart Time Capsule (it runs disk utility on every reboot)

2) Copy the Photo library for NAS to your Mac drive. Open it with Photos app and once it is recognised, paste it in NAS and it shall work.

Just be aware that you need to have a back up as it shall also be corrupted at some point in the future.

Did you ever find a solution to your problem? I am considering getting a TC to try and put Photo library on it. If that doesn't work, I may find a different way to manage photos. Library is too big to keep on my laptop.

A large external disk, formatted Mac OS X Extended, Journaled, is the solution.