Time Machine Wears Out Disks?

Can TM be set up to backup a non-local drive?


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In article <g7ql2p$9qf$1@reader1.panix.com>,
David Lesher <wb8foz RemoveThis @panix.com> wrote:

> Can TM be set up to backup a non-local drive?

Define "non-local".

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In article <jollyroger-7DB946.19401911082008.DeleteThis@news.individual.net>,
Jolly Roger <jollyroger.DeleteThis@pobox.com> wrote:

> In article <g7ql2p$9qf$1@reader1.panix.com>,
> David Lesher <wb8foz.DeleteThis@panix.com> wrote:
>
> > Can TM be set up to backup a non-local drive?
>
> Define "non-local".

David replied to me privately, through e-mail:

> A drive that is mounted in the finder but not directly connected. Say an
> ftp site, or a MacFUSE volume.

If you want to back up to an FTP site, you'll have to use an FTP program
to do it rather than Time Machine.

MacFUSE supports many different file systems, some of which are
network-based. I've run MacFUSE just once, to mount a NTFS volume on a
single Mac over a year ago.

The way I remember it, MacFUSE allows you to mount volumes with
supported file systems on your desktop. To Time Machine, a MacFUSE
volume would therefore appear to be a local volume, even if it was a
sshfs, ftpfs (read/write FTP), or say a wdfs (WebDAV) volume. I would
think in this case, Time Machine would be able to use it.

I am, however, unsure of the ramifications. I'd be cautious relying on
such a setup for backup purposes, because it is unknown how MacFUSE and
Time Machine will behave should one of the network volumes become
unavailable during use. The integrity of backup data is paramount!

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Jolly Roger <jollyroger DeleteThis @pobox.com> writes:


>If you want to back up to an FTP site, you'll have to use an FTP program
>to do it rather than Time Machine.

I want to back up FROM a sftp site, such as mounted with MacFuSE/sshfs.
Yes, it mounts in the Finder.

The destination is a local [FSVO] drive; likely a Firewire connection.

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A host is a host from coast to coast.................wb8foz DeleteThis @nrk.com
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

In article <g7t4td$qjf$2@reader1.panix.com>,
David Lesher <wb8foz DeleteThis @panix.com> wrote:

> Jolly Roger <jollyroger DeleteThis @pobox.com> writes:
>
>
> >If you want to back up to an FTP site, you'll have to use an FTP program
> >to do it rather than Time Machine.
>
> I want to back up FROM a sftp site, such as mounted with MacFuSE/sshfs.
> Yes, it mounts in the Finder.
>
> The destination is a local [FSVO] drive; likely a Firewire connection.

Time Machine backs up TO a destination volume; so you'd be backing up TO
an sftp site. Not that the direction matters anyway - either way if you
point Time Machine at the mounted volume, Time Machine will probably use
it. Again, though, what happens when there is a network hiccup is
anyone's guess. I feel fairly comfortable saying the integrity of the
backup data stored on the remote volume will be at significant risk.
Backups you cannot rely on are useless!

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Send responses to the relevant news group rather than to me, as
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JR