clye@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Christopher Lye) (04/15/89)
I am currently looking for a utility to back up my 50 odd meg of software on my hard drive. I recently called up mac connection, and while they are usually full of good advice, they were very little help in this area. The name that I've heard thrown around for months now is Diskfit by SUPERMAC technologies. I've never used it but it comes highly recommended by members of my MUG group. However, I recently read about a new utility called REDUX by Microseeds. It seems to have all the features of Diskfit, with a compressed file format, that I'm not sure Diskfit has. Can anyone who has used either of these two programs help me out. I am purposely postponing my monthly backup till I can decide which new program to buy, so time is of the essence. Chris
aberg@math.rutgers.edu (Hans Aberg) (04/16/89)
If you back up to floppies, the main advantages with DiskFit are that it does not use a keydisk, and that the files are saved in Mac file format. That is, if you lose a disk, you can still retrive the files on the other disks, and you can use standard Mac procedures to retrieve it. Redux use a key disk, and use its own file format. This is probably much faster, and it enables a wide range of backup options, but if you lose the keydisk, or the program gets into trouble with its own file format, then you are out of luck. Hans Aberg, Mathematics aberg@math.rutgers.edu
bruceh@mntgfx.mentor.com (Bruce Holm) (04/18/89)
------ In article <Apr.15.16.01.01.1989.23181@math.rutgers.edu>, aberg@math.rutgers.edu (Hans Aberg) writes: > If you back up to floppies, the main advantages with DiskFit are that > it does not use a keydisk, and that the files are saved in Mac file > format. That is, if you lose a disk, you can still retrive the files > on the other disks, and you can use standard Mac procedures to > retrieve it. > > Redux use a key disk, and use its own file format. This is probably > much faster, and it enables a wide range of backup options, but if you > lose the keydisk, or the program gets into trouble with its own file > format, then you are out of luck. > > Hans Aberg, Mathematics > aberg@math.rutgers.edu Redux 1.5 now allows you to reconstruct the "keydisk" if you do hose it or lose it...so you aren't out of luck. It also allows you to deal with disks in the backup set that get lost or destroyed, without fouling up the file retrieval process. I own Redux 1.5 and find it very flexible, powerful backup utility, with its own scripting language available and auto-logging of the backup session transcript for later viewing. It allows selection of files/folders based on their type, starting with..., ending with..., modified before/after any date/time, etc. It even offers the ability to write the files out in Finder format (with some restrictions) on the backup disk. I am sure Diskfit does the job fine for many users. But if you are a power user or like complete flexibility, try Redux. Its easy to use, too. A *very* satisfied user... --Bruce -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** These are my opinions, & not necessarily those of Mentor Graphics Corporation ** Bruce Holm, Design/Analysis Div. | USENET: bruceh@pdx.MENTOR.COM Mentor Graphics Corp. | UUCP: ...!{sequent,tessi,apollo}!mntgfx!bruceh
Fabian@cup.portal.com (Fabian Fabe Ramirez) (04/18/89)
Chris, Well...it depends upon your needs. If you'd like a backup program that will backup your hard disk with the easiest of interfaces, then BIASLY I'd recommend that you seriously consider DiskFit (current version is 1.5). DiskFit starts off with the basic premise that a full and complete backup is the best; whereas Redux allows the user a very high degree of file selectivity. DiskFit does allow the user some degree of file selectivity, but no to the extent that Redux does, but in order for Redux to do what DiskFit does natually, you have to go into their Power User mode. With DiskFit, all you do is launch the application, hit a return, insert the first destination volume, hit another return, and then simply follow the prompts. That's it.
Fabian@cup.portal.com (Fabian Fabe Ramirez) (04/18/89)
Oops! Sorry 'bout that...continuing: Both are excellent choices for backing up one's information. If you're looking into archiving...actually moving information to an archive, as opposed to just backing up (copying) the info, then take a look at Retrospect from Dantz Development Corp. Oh one other thing to remember, DiskFit does have a 30 day money back guarantee. Fabian Ramirez SuperMac Technology fabian@cup.portal.com sun!cup.portal.com!fabian
cbcscavc@csun.edu (04/23/89)
In article <Apr.15.16.01.01.1989.23181@math.rutgers.edu> aberg@math.rutgers.edu (Hans Aberg) writes:
+ (stuff about DiskFit edited)
+Redux use a key disk, and use its own file format. This is probably
+much faster, and it enables a wide range of backup options, but if you
+lose the keydisk, or the program gets into trouble with its own file
+format, then you are out of luck.
+
+Hans Aberg, Mathematics
+aberg@math.rutgers.edu
Version 1.5 of Redux has much improved handling of missing disks including
rebuilding the directory file if the first disk is damaged or lost.
You can also look at the directory for any backup set and have multiple
named backup sets. They had also improved the scripting language, so that
Redux is now even more flexible.
Just a very satisfied user,
Aviram Carmi (cbcscavc@mx.csun.edu)david.laine@canremote.uucp (DAVID LAINE) (04/24/89)
I have both and back to floppies. I suggest you use Diskfit if you bakc to floppies, and Redux if you back to another hard drive or mega volume. --- * Via ProDoor 2.9a --- MaS Relayer v1.00.00 Message gatewayed by MaS Network Software and Consulting/HST Internet: david.laine@canremote.uucp UUCP: ...!tmsoft!masnet!canremote!david.laine