Will Time Machine backup the whole Photos Library after migrating from Aperture

Question

Level 1

8 points

Will Time Machine backup the whole Photos Library after migrating from Aperture

Hello,

I am just migrate my photo from Aperture to Photos in Yosemite, that's around 500GB Aperture library package file. After migration, another 500GB Photos library package file is found in my Pictures folder. It is understood that the picture & videos are only kept in one single copy as per the methodology of "hard link" concept.

I am wondering how's the Time Machine will work. Will it do the backup for those 500GB library package file again, in order to keep two sets of files? Or just backup the differential? It is because it's still under "Preparing backup..." for couples of hours.

Any one has similar situation? And any idea on this?

Thanks.

Regards,

Kam

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch,Early 2015), OS X Yosemite (10.10.5)

Posted on Oct 4, 2015 1:33 AM

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Answer 1

mario49

Community Specialist

Oct 4, 2015 11:08 AM in response to Curtis Kam

Hello Curtis Kam,

After reviewing your post, it sounds like you want to know how Time Machine will backup your photos. I would recommend that you read this article, it may be able to help the issue.

Use Time Machine to back up or restore your Mac - Apple Support

Your first backup may take a long time, depending on how many files you have. You can continue using your Mac while a backup is underway. Some Mac computers make backups even when asleep. Time Machine backs up only the files that changed since the previous backup, so future backups will be faster.

Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
Have a nice day

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Answer 2

Curtis Kam Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 7, 2015 11:42 PM in response to mario49

Thanks for your reply.

While after migrating the Aperture to Photos, it has two photo libraries in my Mac (migrated Aperture & newly created Photos). Understood that it is a hard link relationship between them. But I think that Time Machine treat this as two separated sets of file and intend to backup the whole Photos library again while the Aperture one has already backup from time to time. Thus, Time Machine will regard hard link files are duplicated sets of file, not share the same files.

Thanks.

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Answer 3

léonie

Level 10

200,699 points

Oct 8, 2015 2:33 AM in response to Curtis Kam

It is not documented, how Time Machine will handle the hard links between libraries. But Time Machine is using hard links for its own backup structure, so it could handle them.

I made a test and restored a small migrated iPhoto Library and a Photos Library from my Time Machine backup. At least the restored libraries are no linger hard linked, as I can see when I am looking at the inode numbers of the files in the Masters folders. These numbers are different for files that should be identical. In the Terminal I am seeing:

[SiriusKogsmac1:~] dreschle% ls -i /Users/dreschle/Desktop/Restored/Photos\ Library\ test\ orig.photoslibrary/Masters/2011/09/03/20110903-154334/31829268BunthaeuserSpitze .jpg

14357482 /Users/dreschle/Desktop/Restored/Photos Library test orig.photoslibrary/Masters/2011/09/03/20110903-154334/31829268BunthaeuserSpitze .jpg

[SiriusKogsmac1:~] dreschle% ls -i /Users/dreschle/Desktop/Restored/iPhoto\ Library\ test\ orig.photolibrary/Masters/2011/09/03/20110903-154334/31829268BunthaeuserSpitze. jpg

14354139 /Users/dreschle/Desktop/Restored/iPhoto Library test orig.photolibrary/Masters/2011/09/03/20110903-154334/31829268BunthaeuserSpitze. jpg

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Answer 4

léonie

Level 10

200,699 points

Oct 8, 2015 2:35 AM in response to léonie

From this test I can tell, that restored libraries will no longer be hard linked, but it is not possible to test for hard links in the Time Machine Starwars display.

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