TimePreserver
TimePreserver is designed to do one complex task easily: making archives of your Time Machine backups stored on a Time Capsule. In keeping with Time Machine there is no complicated setup, no myriad of options. It just works.
Stuff happens…
which is why backups are important. Whether a precious photo, vital term paper, or SOHO invoice is accidentally deleted; or your Mac’s hard drive fails losing everything; a backup is there to get your items back. Time Machine and Time Capsule together provide a simple and effective backup solution for one or more Mac desktops and laptops, keeping your data safe.
However…
should you suffer a disaster which takes out both your Macs and your backup what then? Business, colleges, etc. have long kept multiple and “off site” backups to protect against data loss.
If you are a home, student or SOHO user relying on Time Machine and Time Capsule then the provided solution is the Time Capsule archive function, which can take hours and hours to complete during which time Time Machine is blocked and the Time Capsule inaccessible.
TimePreserver makes multiple, off site, archiving of the Time Capsule convenient.
New in Version 2.0: SMB Support
Time Machine has traditionally used AFP, Apple’s own networking protocol, to communicate with the Time Capsule and third-party Time Machine Servers (TMS).
Apple is in the process of switching to SMB, a cross-platform networking protocol, for accessing network file systems; and is deprecating AFP.
TimePreserver now supports connecting to TMS over SMB provided those TMS comply with Apple’s specifications. In keeping with the TimePreserver philosophy this support is transparent and automatic and AFP/SMB is used on a per-TMS basis as appropriate.
Users intending to use a non-Apple TMS, such as a third-party NAS, and in particular one which only supports SMB are advised to first use TimePreserver Lite to ascertain compatibility before purchasing TimePreserver. Dalamser cannot guarantee that a third-party TMS meets Apple’s specifications and is supported by TimePreserver.
Operation
- Attach an external disk to your Mac, run TimePreserver, and then store the disk away from your Mac and Time Capsule.
- Re-attach the disk and run TimePreserver to update the archive.
- Use multiple external discs in rotation to provide extra protection. A minimum of two is good, always keeping one in a different location.
Benefits
- Complete archive of the Time Capsule without it being unusable for hours.
- Integrity of the Time Machine backups is protected, TimePreserver understands Time Machine backups unlike generic backup applications.
Further Details
- Walkthrough
- A step-by-step visual walkthrough of creating or updating an archive in TimePreserver.
- Walkthrough: Lite & Eval
- As above, but for TimePreserver Lite; the steps are the same but the feedback is different as the archive is non-incremental.
- Common Tasks
- Simple text based instructions for restoring from a TimePreserver archive.
- Q & A
- Further questions and answers.
