MelvinD

Q: How do I make periodic backup of my time machine backup?

MacBook Pro late 2011. OS 10.6.8

I would like to weekly make a backup of my time machine backup.

I like the idea of having the archives in the time machine, but after having lost a time machine drive to failure in the past, I realized it would be a good idea to have backups of my backups!

I still use SuperDuper for weekly backups, but that doesn't provide the archive history of Time Machine.

When I use SuperDuper to backup the time machine disk, it does something different, because the size of the backup is a lot larger than the size of the time machine disk.

Mac OS X (10.6.8), MacBook Pro 15" early 2011

Posted on Nov 6, 2015 8:46 PM

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Q: How do I make periodic backup of my time machine backup?

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  • by UGADog,Helpful

    UGADog UGADog Nov 7, 2015 11:31 AM in response to MelvinD
    Level 4 (1,902 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 7, 2015 11:31 AM in response to MelvinD

    You can make a copy of the time machine disk with Carbon Copy Cloner and similar apps but it sounds like SuperDuper does the same thing according to your report. Except it doesn't inflate the size of the backup like you say SuperDuper does.

     

    What I do is have two TM backup disks.  The time capsule and an Offsite Backup disk I plug into the USB port of the Time Capsule.  I update that Offsite Backup TM once a month but it could easily be done weekly.  If you did weekly, you run the risk of losing a week of data maximum if the primary TM fails.

     

    I use time capsule because I'm backing up three machines and don't want to shuttle a disk between the machines to make backups.  I keep it offsite (work) to protect against theft and hazards like fire at my home. 

     

    I think this is as close as you can come to having a back up to a time machine back up with versions.  It not technically a time machine backup, but accomplishes most of what you want.

  • by Eric Root,Helpful

    Eric Root Eric Root Nov 7, 2015 11:32 AM in response to MelvinD
    Level 9 (71,578 points)
    iTunes
    Nov 7, 2015 11:32 AM in response to MelvinD

    Another option is to have 2 Time Machine backups in your home and then the offsite as UGADog suggested. Time Machine will backup to 2 drives by alternating between them.