Backing up to Backblaze B2. I thought it was the initial backup, but I’m already at 35% this month, 5 days in. Initial backup of everything finished last month.
$50/mo for unlimited data is not an option. Sigh. Another challenge.
At this point you might want to look at CrashPlan For Business. $100/yr but it ought to cover your needs.
1 Like
$50/mo is for unlimited internet data. I’m currently on a 1T plan. I get two courtesy months to go over, then it’s $10/50GB.
oh man I would be so screwed if I didn’t have unlimited, I’m over 1TB systematically every month. My daughters take a fare share of that data though, with all that Netflix and Youtube watching. If you’re alone, maybe. Have you checked what is using all that bandwidth? Surely it’s not just backblaze.
2 Likes
It could be the data to B2 storage if the backups include frequently changing things such as TimeMachine backups or additions of ripped DVDs/Blu-rays that are stored on the NAS.
I’m in a house by myself and usually can stay under my 1TB cap if I limit Netflix 4K show binge watching but one month I downloaded some iTunes movies (HD) to my desktop which uses Backblaze. Between the file downloads and subsequent BB uploads, it pushed me over.
2 Likes
Yeah, it’s time machine backups, data that I analyze which takes a ridiculous amount of storage, and some Netflix, Amazon, etc. watching.
I’d exclude your Time Machine drive from Backblaze, if it isn’t already (I think this is the default?)
1 Like
Backblaze exclusions settings are your friend. Since I have multiple Time Machines already, as well as regular clones, I only save a subset of ~/Documents to Backblaze.
These are TM backups on the NAS. My thinking was to end my individual computer backups with Backblaze, and just backup all the TM backups to B2.
Looks like I might need to rethink that.
Slightly off topic, but why have your own NAS opposed to using a ready-made service like Macstadium?
Mac stadium is $70/mo, at a minimum, with only 1T of storage. Their virtual servers are $50/mo minimum. There may be other charges, such as bandwidth, above these base rates.
A NAS seemed like the way to go, and I have my own box with 12T of storage and with a B2 backup.
1 Like
I would definitely NOT count on your TM backup, especially if save on a NAS, than to Backblaze, too much can get corrupted with all those hoops.
Is there any point to backing up your TimeMachine sparse bundle? I might have mis-understood something but when I had TM issues recently I queried about restoring the TM files on the NAS from an earlier version copied/backed up to a USB disk. The prevailing advice at the time seemed to be that was a ‘un-wise’ way forward. Since then I’ve dumped the idea of backing up my TM repository and instead get TM on the Mac to backup to multiple disks (so far one to a NAS and one to a USB disk though I’m likely to add a third option to that at some point).
Has anyone been able to take an older copy of a TM backup, overwrite a later version that’s been lost/corrupted and have it ‘back-fill’ the differences? Or is there just no point in restoring older TM files as due to the passage of time; the Mac would be ‘out of sync’ with it; therefore rendering a restore of the sparse bundle completely useless?
1 Like
@stu_w I wouldn’t advise on doing 3 TM backup, rather try to use different backup software, like one Clone with Carbon Copy Cloner or Chronosync, one TM and on in the cloud, or something like that. That way you have 3 types of backup so even if one gets corrupted, you have the other two to fall back on. If something is not working with your TM for whatever reason, I don’t think it would be best to rely on 3 TM backup. Just my thoughts on this. YMMV.
2 Likes
Okay, I think there’s some superstition around TM backups, perhaps left over from The Old Days. But I’ve revised my plan to save on bandwidth, and will alleviate these concerns as well.
Backups
iMac Pro
- 4T attached, TM backups every other hour
- TM backup to Synology, not synced to Backblaze, alternating every other hour with the above
- 1T SSD, CCC bootable backups when connected (once per month reminder), stored in my backpack, so offsite most of the time.
- CCC backup to Synology, once per week
- Backup of CCC backup on Synology to Backblaze B2
- Backblaze backup using their Personal Backup system
- Share on Synology where research data is stored, backed up to Backblaze B2 when changed
MacBook Pro
- 1T spinning drive as school, TM backup, hourly when connected
- TM backup to Synology, not synced to Backblaze, hourly when connected at home
- 1T SSD, CCC bootable backups when connected (once per month reminder), stored in my backpack, so offsite most of the time.
- CCC backup to Synology, once per week
- Backup of CCC backup on Synology to Backblaze B2
- Backblaze backup using their Personal Backup system
- Same share on Synology for research data, without huge fMRI data folder
iPad Pro
- iTunes backup to iMac Pro
- iMazing backup to iMac Pro
iPhone
- iTunes backup to iMac Pro
- iMazing backup to iMac Pro
2 Likes
This looks a lot better. Only suggestion would be to have a CCC backup run every night or a couple times a week in addition to your monthly schedule.
1 Like
Not sure the NAS will ever catch up. It has 2.2M files to upload to Backblaze. I have the speed limit off so I can go ahead and use my other courtesy month of bandwidth to get the job done. Not sure that’s going to happen though.
John, not sure you need to upload the CCC backup on the NAS to Backblaze, you have a local copy, and you have Backblaze backup of you iMac and your macbook pro. I think this is overkill and like you saw, it will take forever.
2 Likes
I completely agree, it seems like overkill.
1 Like
I thought this might be a way to do away with the Backblaze Personal accounts and save $10/mo.
I got errors trying to backup to the NAS using CCC, and their tech support says to back up to a disk image, then back that up to the NAS. No way I’m uploading a couple of disk images a month.
Thanks @JeffLambert670, @Jonathan_Davis, et al. for the continued feedback.
I’ll stop the CCC backups to Synology and stop (attempting) uploading that to B2. Actually, I might not need B2 now. But I might continue to use it as a backup of my research data. I’ll have to think it through.