Best way to deal with backups (and backups of backups)?

Hey there,

I've decided to get serious about organizing all my files. Up to this point, I've been getting away with time machine, and using mostly my computer.

But, as I've gotten more serious about production and and doing more projects over the years with Logic, it's clear I have to change my system.

My question is:

How do you manage your backups with externals?

The reason I'm asking is because I may for instance go into my external harddrive, and then update a session. But what's an efficient way to go to the backup of that external HD? Especially if I take few weeks, and forget what I just updated.

An idea was doing command A each time and dragging everything over at once, so in that case in theory if there was any redundancies if I click "replace all", it would kind of like having 1 most recent time machine backup. (Unless I'm wrong)

When I have done this on my computer, I don't have to think about it because time machine is so mindless. So I just want an easy streamlined process...looking for any advice here. Thanks so much!

I also drag my projects manually to an external back up drive from the first external drive I am working form at the end of each session.

Though I have never heard of FTP? what is it!? excuse my ignorance!

Though I have never heard of FTP? what is it!? excuse my ignorance!

File Transfer Protocol. It's a protocol for uploading files to and downloading files from a web server. That is also how many professionals exchange files that would be too large to send via email. If I am part of a team and working on a file, when my work is done, I upload it to a server (using FileZilla which is a free FTP client) and alert the team members that the file is available for download on the server, and whoever needs to continue working on the file can go download it at their convenience, complete their tasks and upload an updated version of the file, etc.

I keep all my projects organized under a single "main" folder. When I'm ready, I use rsync to sync that folder to another external HD. It only copies new or changed files. Fast and efficient. For example, I have a script with this command in it:

rsync -auvl /Volumes//MusicProjects/ /Volumes//MusicProjects/

Once a month or so, I'll clone the backup HD(s) and take that to my brother-in-laws home for safe keeping.

I also use Carbon Copy to automatically clone my system drive to a dedicated external HD EVERY night just after midnight. This is also very efficient/fast because it only needs to copy new or changed files.

BTW, CCC can clone to a disk image as well; it doesn't have to be a dedicated HD. That way you can clone multiple sources to a single drive.

Though I have never heard of FTP? what is it!? excuse my ignorance!

File Transfer Protocol. It's a protocol for uploading files to and downloading files from a web server. That is also how many professionals exchange files that would be too large to send via email. If I am part of a team and working on a file, when my work is done, I upload it to a server (using FileZilla which is a free FTP client) and alert the team members that the file is available for download on the server, and whoever needs to continue working on the file can go download it at their convenience, complete their tasks and upload an updated version of the file, etc.

I see, thank you, thats very useful actually!