[comp.sys.mac.misc] incremental disk mirroring/backup software wanted

jonathan@cs.pitt.edu (Jonathan Eunice) (03/26/91)

As backups, I want to keep SyQuest cartridges as exact images of my
main hard disk (ie, periodically mirrored disks).  That way, if/when
my main disk goes down, I can just whip out the most recent SyQuest
cartridge, plug it in, and go.  In order to ensure that I get all
files updated, I just use the Finder to transfer whole top-level
folders, which could hold megabytes of data each.  This works, and I
feel confident that I've managed to backup any files that might have
changed, but it's not a very efficient method.

I want a program that incrementally updates the backup disk, making it
a mirror of the main disk.  It should traverse both disks, and copy
any new files or any files that have changed since the last backup to
the backup disk, and optionally delete any files from the backup disk
that have been deleted from the main disk.  Note that this is
different from a simple incremental backup program, which just copies
files that have changed, but does not create a mirror image.

A plus would be the ability to also work with floppy disks in an
intelligent way.  Ie, I copy files onto the floppy, go on the road,
change the files, bring them back, and the program can incrementally
copy back to my main disk any files that have changed.

Are there any programs like this around?  Cost, within reason, is not
an issue.

Fabian@cup.portal.com (Fabian Fabe Ramirez) (03/28/91)

Jonathan,

Consider SuperMac's DiskFit 2.0, as DiskFit will work with any Mac HFS volume
that can be mounted/ejected/unmounted from the Finder's desktop.  DiskFit
allows for Duplicate and SmartSet backups, and subsequent backups are always
an incremental backup.

Fabian Ramirez
SuperMac

fabian@cup.portal.com

jas@ISI.EDU (Jeff Sullivan) (03/28/91)

I'm using Retrospect 1.2, and I have no complaints.  It does multiple
incremental backups and is pretty easy to use.  I recommend it.
jas
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Jeffrey A. Sullivan		| Senior Systems Programmer
jas@venera.isi.edu		| Information Sciences Institute
jas@isi.edu                    	| University of Southern California