zeigh
Level 1 (8 points)
Desktops

Q: Mac OS X Server- TimeMachine Via Network Question

Hello,

 

Can the TimeMachine via network feature of Mac OS X Server backup different folders/volumes of a remote Mac to different TimeMachine dedicated hard drives?

 

I have a Mac that serves as a security camera DVR. There are 12 cameras distributed between 6 hard drives (1 TB in size each). My backup storage media is limited to 4 TB hard drives in a 32 TB enclosure. My goal is to have TimeMachine backup this data between two different hard drives nightly, 6 cameras for each hard drive. So far I haven't been able to determine this capability from the Mac OS X Server documentation. If this can all be done, then I am buying the software essentially just for this purpose.

 

 

Peace,

Dr. Z.

Mac Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11.6)

Posted on Sep 10, 2016 12:28 PM

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zeigh

Q: Mac OS X Server- TimeMachine Via Network Question

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  • by cdhw,

    cdhw cdhw Sep 10, 2016 12:57 PM in response to zeigh
    Level 4 (2,628 points)
    Servers Enterprise
    Sep 10, 2016 12:57 PM in response to zeigh

    Pretty much everything known to users about Time Machine configuration is here:

     

         http://pondini.org/OSX/Home.html

     

    It's not been updated recently but neither has TM changed significantly.

     

    What you require is not possible using the standard TM interface. It would be possible using some elaborate autolaunch daemon system for switching the TM settings file before running a backup but I really wouldn't recommend this. TM's strength is its simplicity. If you have more sophisticated requirements get a third-party solution or script your own around rsync.

     

    C.

  • by zeigh,

    zeigh zeigh Sep 10, 2016 1:28 PM in response to cdhw
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 10, 2016 1:28 PM in response to cdhw

    C.,

     

    Thanks for that resource on Mac OS X TM. It better answers allot of my questions. Still, you are right that there is only one destination for TM data to be written to regardless of whether it is the basic Mac OS X or OS X Server. I have some workarounds that I can configure, but still not the centralized backup hive that I had in mind.

     

    In the meantime, do you recommend any of those third-party network backup applications? I regularly used Retrospect about a decade ago, but it seems as though there was an issue where that software really dropped the ball and I moved on for the TM simplicity.

     

     

    Peace,

    Dr. Z.

  • by dwbrecovery,

    dwbrecovery dwbrecovery Sep 10, 2016 11:43 PM in response to zeigh
    Level 3 (532 points)
    Servers Enterprise
    Sep 10, 2016 11:43 PM in response to zeigh

    Hi zeigh,

    Within the Server app -> Services -> Time Machine,  setup as many Backup Destinations as required.

    Refer: Add or Remove Backup Destinations

     

    HTH

    Cheers, dwbrecovery