Backup deltas, how?

[Ron-Alexander]

Lightroom Version Number

15.6

Operating System

1. macOS 26 Tahoe

I think I have heard/saw several members mention or allude to using 'backup' software for the catalogue and maybe additional files that are a 'delta' type.
I'm only backing up on exit and saving many of the zip files it creates. Is there a tool/step I am missing, or have I totally misunderstood what others are saying?

What about image files? I use Backblaze, Time Machine, and an external drive, plus a current copy on my system drive. Am I missing anything there?

 

[clee01l]

First point, the advice I have always adhered to is the 321 backup strategy, 3 copies, 2 media, 1 offsite. Offsite is BB, the 2 media are SSD and HDD, there are at least 3 copies.

That is my system too, except I have timeMachine backups in two places - A local EHD and on my NAS. So 4 copies all together.

I have had mixed success with TM so do not rely on it. Perhaps I should see what is on TM that I don't have elsewhere,

Perhaps you just need to learn and understand timeMachine By default it includes all of the primary volume and none of the External volumes.
You need to exclude the local folders that you do not want. (like Lightroom Previews) and include the folders on the external volumes. (like your image folders)

 

[Ron-Alexander]

Perhaps you just need to learn and understand timeMachine

I am fine with TM.

 

[clee01l]

I am fine with TM.

If you are fine with it, why do you say you do not rely on timeMachine?

 

[Ron-Alexander]

If you are fine with it, why do you say you do not rely on timeMachine?

I was replying to your comment suggesting I didn't know how to use TM. I know how to use it; I just don't trust it 100%.
It looks like I confused LrC backups with what I call System Backups. I don't think of BB or TM as backups for Lightroom, although I know both contain the files. I prefer a faster, custom approach. Thanks for your involvement, but my original question has been answered, so we can move on.

 

[Ron-Alexander]

If you are fine with it, why do you say you do not rely on timeMachine?

I just realized I haven't told you the specifics that make me lose confidence in TM. In fact, it is my TM process, not TM in general. I use LaCie 2TB rugged drives sold by Apple. A few times I have lost the TM drive/data I think to a random disconnect. I thought it was the cable, but I purchased very expensive Thunderbolt 4 cables from Apple. I spoke to LaCie support, and they're willing to replace the drive at no charge, but since it's happened on 2 different drives, I am certain it's not the drive. I have tried wiggling the cables, and nothing bad happens. I know my way around computers, and I was trained from the hardware up when I worked at IBM. I know it's different tech, but there is enough commonality to tell me it's unlikely I have 2 identical drives with the same failure and more than 2 cables. This is what has driven me to protect my Lightroom data. When I can buy more drives, I am seriously looking at manually (with CCC) backing up my entire home dir plus Library folders that I update in the course of using the computer. This is a lower priority because original images can't be recreated most of the time.

 

[bcarlson78248]

I don’t use TM, so I don’t know exactly what error messages it displays. However, most commercial backup software will try to backup every file, log an error message when it does not work, and continue with the rest of the files. A short disconnect may lose a few files, but the remainder get backed up. However longer disconnects may cause the entire backup routine to terminate.

With a 2Tb backup drive, I assume you have space that is at least twice as big as the primary drive you are backing up with TM? TM apparently does a lot of housekeeping and creating of temp files, so the backup drive needs to be larger than you might expect.

If your primary need is preserving your Lightroom data and catalog, and then being able to quickly restore Lightroom after a drive failure, you might be better served by making a clone or synch backup of selected directories. That clone/synch software will make an exact copy of any part of the primary disk, and it will be equally accessible as the original files (no special file names or compression). If you have a full clone of the data on an external drive, and a recent catalog, you can just bring up that catalog and point it to the new data location, and you are back in business.

If you use a clone or synch app, updating your clone copies will be quick because it only copies files that are changed.

 

[Ron-Alexander]

I don’t use TM, so I don’t know exactly what error messages it displays.

None in my case, I explained why I don't trust it.

 

[Ron-Alexander]

A short disconnect may lose a few files,

The entire disk became unusable; TM had to start over.

 

[Ron-Alexander]

With a 2Tb backup drive, I assume you have space that is at least twice as big as the primary drive you are backing up with TM?

Yes, 1TB -> 2TB. About 50% used, 15 backups so far.

 

[Ron-Alexander]

If your primary need is preserving your Lightroom data and catalog, and then being able to quickly restore Lightroom after a drive failure, you might be better served by making a clone or synch backup of selected directories. That clone/synch software will make an exact copy of any part of the primary disk, and it will be equally accessible as the original files (no special file names or compression). If you have a full clone of the data on an external drive, and a recent catalog, you can just bring up that catalog and point it to the new data location, and you are back in business.

If you use a clone or synch app, updating your clone copies will be quick because it only copies files that are changed.

It sounds like you didn't read my posts. All my Lightroom files are in one folder and CCC manages them just fine and it is automated, I don;t have to click anything.

 

[Conrad Chavez]

How long ago was the last corruption, and was it an HFS+ or APFS Time Machine backup?

I used to see Time Machine corruption more often in the past, but I haven’t seen it happen in a while. One reason might be because Apple upgraded Time Machine to APFS, which was supposed to improve reliability, speed, and space usage. But even then, because losing an only backup is very bad, anyone who relies on Time Machine should take advantage of its easy multiple backup feature. If you add another drive to Time Machine, it will back up the same system to whichever of those drives is connected. If multiple Time Machine drives are connected to the same Mac, Time Machine cycles through each drive for the next hour’s backup so you end up with multiple recent backups of the same system. That way, if any one is corrupted, you still have at least one other recent working backup to restore from if needed.

Over the years, as I’ve had to buy larger SSDs for a growing photo archive, I’ve put the old SSDs to use as additional Time Machine drives. But there are other options. For those who don’t know, many NAS devices support Time Machine backups over your LAN, and similarly, if you have another Mac on your LAN you can set that up as a network Time Machine destination too. So if you don’t want to have to remember to plug in a Time Machine drive, those network options are another way to maintain redundant Time Machine backups.

Because of the switch to APFS and the ability to have Time Machine maintain multiple backups in parallel for the same Mac, I think Time Machine is a lot more robust today than it was when its backup corruption was much more common.

If anyone reading this is still using an old HFS+ based Time Machine backup, it’s highly recommended that you start another one that’s APFS which is the current default. In recent versions of macOS I don’t think HFS+ is even an option any more for new Time Machine backups.

(The way I back things up is Time Machine for the boot volume, and Carbon Copy Cloner for the external volume storing photos and videos.)

 

[clee01l]

A few times I have lost the TM drive/data I think to a random disconnect. I

Did you check this setting?

 

[Ron-Alexander]

How long ago was the last corruption, and was it an HFS+ or APFS Time Machine backup?

Not what I would call corruption; the connection broke for an unknown reason, which reset the drive, so we need to make a full copy again. I am sure I already posted all that.

 

[Ron-Alexander]

How long ago was the last corruption, and was it an HFS+ or APFS Time Machine backup?

I used to see Time Machine corruption more often in the past, but I haven’t seen it happen in a while. One reason might be because Apple upgraded Time Machine to APFS, which was supposed to improve reliability, speed, and space usage. But even then, because losing an only backup is very bad, I think anyone who relies on Time Machine should take advantage of its easy multiple backup feature. If you add another drive to Time Machine, it will back up the same system to whichever of those drives is connected. If multiple Time Machine drives are connected to the same Mac, Time Machine cycles through each drive for the next hour’s backup so you end up with multiple recent backups of the same system. That way, if any one is corrupted, you still have at least one other recent working backup to restore from if needed.

Over the years, as I’ve had to buy larger SSDs for a growing photo archive, I’ve put the old SSDs to use as additional Time Machine drives. But there are other options. For those who don’t know, many NAS devices support Time Machine backups over your LAN, and similarly, if you have another Mac on your LAN you can set that up as a network Time Machine destination too. So if you don’t want to have to remember to plug in a Time Machine drive, those network options are another way to maintain redundant Time Machine backups.

Because of the switch to APFS and the ability to have Time Machine maintain multiple backups in parallel for the same Mac, I think Time Machine is a lot more robust today than it was when its backup corruption was much more common.

If anyone reading this is still using an old HFS+ based Time Machine backup, it’s highly recommended that you start another one that’s APFS which is the current default. In recent versions of macOS I don’t think HFS+ Time Machine backups are even an option any more.

(The way I back things up is Time Machine for the boot volume, and Carbon Copy Cloner for the external volume storing photos and videos.)

I use two TM drives. NAS is much too slow and I am on 6E at 2.5GB All my lighhtroom stuff is on the 1TB system drive.

 

[Ron-Alexander]

Did you check this setting?
View attachment 30562

Not relevant, it happens when I am actively using the drive. As I said earlier, it is either the new Mac USB port, the cable, or the drive's USB port. I have spoken to LaCie/Seagate. I bought another couple of cables, and it happens much less often, but it's still not bulletproof. You should know I work on my lap and move the laptop around with the TM drive hanging by a short TB4 cable. It happens much less often, but it's still not perfect. At the moment, I am using my 2nd drive, and I am on battery.