Can Time Machine Backup mirror 2nd Mac?

Thanks Kappy.

Eric Root -

So there's CCC backups (user since 3.x) of everything, but using CCC involves migrating the entire CCC backup each time I choose to update from the MBP current backup to the MacPro.

I did try a MBP Time Machine migration into a fresh Sierra install on the MacPro, and issues were not so bad -

(Dock, monitors, ccc & TM tasks, Mouse speed, Audio I/O, Audio Midi),

so it's doable and works better the more I trim-down, cleanup the MBP content.

But I have yet to try a 2nd update since trimming down the MBP, so I do not know if this is the most efficient way to mirror two Macs.

One bonus, along with software updates, is Apps like Mail and Opera data is easily synced now.

I was concerned, mirroring 2 Macs, about software authorizations, same User/Data but with different Machine IDs, and whatever else, etc, - but no issues so far.

This setup allows for dealing with update compatibility issues on the MBP before updating the MacPro, allowing the MacPro to work without interruptions.

Thank you for your help.

Yes, Mac-2 must be running for Mac-1 TM to find it's TM drive and backup to it.

Issue #1 - once Mac-2 TM drive is available, the Mac-1 TM App, that created it, is unable to recognize it once it is again on the LAN. WHY? It only is capable(?) of recognizing the free space on the Mac-2 TM drive, not the Archive that it created, sitting right there.

Issue #2 - once the Mac-2 MacHD is created by migrating the TM Archive from Mac-1 now on an attached drive on Mac-2, the Mac-2 TM App cannot recognized the TM Archive that just created it. WHY? If it could, I could simply ENTER TIME MACHINE and pick a date for updating the Mac2 MacHD.

The Inherit a Backup link is out-of-date. The only buttons within TM is "Back up Now", "Enter Time Machine", "Open Time Machine Preferences" - and once Preference are open - "Select a disk" and "Options" (to unselect disks).

That's it - (see) macOS Sierra: If you want a new Mac to “inherit” your backup history

There is no way for a newly migrated MacHD to see the TM Archive that just created it. You have to start all over with a new one.

QUESTION -

How can I do incremental updates on the Mac-2 MacHD with updates occurring on Mac-1 MacHD?

Sorry, I'm not sure I follow you Kappy.

Both MBP and MacPro had fresh installs of Sierra and were each independently updated to 10.12.6. Both are bootable. The MBP then also migrated User/Data from an El Capitan TM backup.

The question is asking about possible issues that may be, using TM backups now originating from the MBP (w/ updating User/Data), and periodically using those to migrate/update the MacPro, as a method of mirroring the the two Macs.

I've never set this up before and thought to ask.

Thanks.

I will look into Super Duper, as TM and CCC are unable to incrementally "update" the 2nd Mac without fully erasing and migrating a TM Archive, or erasing and cloning a CCC backup.

The goal is to do all updates on Mac-1 and then update (incrementally over time) a "clone MacHD" on Mac-2.

I have TM on Mac-1 updating 2 drives, an attached TM USB drive, and, it also logs in and updates a 2nd TM drive over the LAN attached to Mac-2, but only if it stays permanently attached.

Problem #1-

If Mac-2 is not running during a Mac-1 TM backup, it can no longer recognize the Mac-2 TM drive logging in over the Lan, or even if it is loaded manually onto the Mac-1 desktop. The only option is to wipe the Mac-2 TM drive and start a new Archive (4+ hours).

Problem #2-

After using a USB boot drive to fresh-install 10.12 on Mac-2 and migrating from the latest Mac-1 TM Archive (2+ hours),

TM on the new Mac-2 MacHD is unable to recognize the TM backup that just created it,

therefore, in the future, it cannot go "back in time" on that TM drive, to an already updated Mac-1 TM Archive, so "updating" Mac-2 with future TM updates from Mac-1 are not possible.

CarbonCopy Cloner, same problem - CCC makes a clone of the Mac-1 MacHD, but there is no way to use that clone-file to make incremental "updates" of the Mac-2 MacHD, unless it's a total erase and clone.

Question-

Why is a newly created MacHD TM app, just created by migration from a TM Archive attached to the same Mac, why is that TM app incapable of recognizing the TM Archive that just created it?

As CCC and Time Machine are capable of doing incremental backups of an HDD's contents (on the Mac-1 MacHD), -

what, on an ongoing basis, can then take either the TM or CCC backup and then do incremental updates off the Mac-2 Mac HDD?

Thanks for jumping in. Had an online Apple CHAT yesterday. Seems 10.12.6 TM sees only the available space on a desktop image of TM Logo HDD. During CHAT, TM spun for several minutes attempting to fit "new" backup on available space remains on TM-logo HDD desktop image of previously used external backup drive. I sent desktop images through CHAT to show it recognized the TM-logo HDD in the TM System Preference pane, and was listing it's capacity as limited to the free space available. Eventually it found the " Backups.bakcupdb " file and did it's job, likely only once it began to do an actual "new" backup did it see the Backups.bakcupdb and carry on.

So there is a glitch. So I will try again.

Ccc the Mac-1 MacintoshHD to the Mac-2

Start a Mac-1 TM-app Archive backup on an external Mac-2 TM HDD.

Let Mac-1 TM-app continue auto backups

Have Mac-2 TM-app spin away, trying to do a backup, until it recognizes the attached Mac-1 TM-archive Backups.bakcupdb, but stop it before it begins writing anything.

Then ENTER TIME MACHINE and attempt to - go back to the future - to the latest Mac-1 TM update.

TM can only re-find a re-attached older TM Archive to carry-on backups.

But, although it can find a newer re-attached TM Archive, it cannot migrate a later-dated archive-save.

Back to updating the Mac-2 (apps, passwords, documents, downloads, bookmarks, etc) using a boot drive 'erase and migration' of the attached Mac-1 TM Archive (hard on SSDs).