Archiving software for incremental backup of image files

Here's the plan/issue:<p>I want to back up image files on a weekly basis until I fill a 250G drive, then yank it,

duplicate it,

and start backing up on a new 250 gig drive. <p>The issue I have is identifying a software that will not make a

copy of the

already backed up files from week one, when I back up new files on week two, and so on . <p>Essentially, I want it

to (automatically) ignore files already copied to the backup drive and with subsequent backups, copy only the

new files to that backup drive by duplicating them <i>as they are organized on the primary drive</i>. I think

this is called an

"incremental" backup protocol. I want to instruct it to back up "this" drive to "that" drive and then go have a

beer/coffee/nap/getlaid/swim/makepictures/workout/walkthedog/whatever while it does it's thing.<p>The back up

drive is and

will be unplugged except during backup. When it is full of images (with associated LR library/catalog/xmps etc)

it will be

duplicated on a third drive which will be stored miles away from drives one and two. The primary drive (hardwired

to the CPU in it's case) will be cleaned (reformatted?) when full/emptied and replaced every year.<p>I tried

Acronis a year ago and it was a major PITA. Anything that does simply what I want? Even ImageIngester is more

complex that what I want... I think. <p>Thanks for your considered replies... t

I've been using SecondCopy for years, excellent product and lots of options. - http://www.centered.com/

Most backup packages will allow you to make full, differential (everything since the first backup) or incremental (everything since the last backup) backups. I use "BackItUp", which is part of the Nero 8 suite. Symantec and others make similar packages. BackItUp will output to CD's, DVD's or a designated hard drive.

 

An alternative is to set up a RAID 1, where the main drive is always mirrored on the second drive in the array. If you replace the second drive, the RAID 1 software will regenerate the mirrored image. This constitutes a rather painless solution and gives you excellent on-going security.

My preference is freeware XXCopy which is typically used in command line batch files. Here's an explanation of

pertenant switches for copying directory structures, ingnoring identical files AND deleting destination files that have

been deleted at source, if you wish.

 

/bi: Backs up incrementally, different (by time/size) files only. (If different drives are involved having different file

systems with different minimum time interverals, there will be some redundant copying)

 

/yy: Suppresses ALL prompts unconditionally (good in a batch script).

 

/zy: Deletes extra files or subdirectories in destination, WITHOUT PROMPT.

 

/e: Copies directories and subdirectories, including empty ones.

 

And here's an example:

 

xxcopy /bi /yy /zy /e "C:\My Documents\*.*" "d:\My Documents\

 

Just Google the name. It's worthwhile updating every so often, particularly if there's been a major revision to your

operating system, Windows XP SP3 for instance. The program will warn if there's a compatibility issue.

RAID is NOT a backup solution per se, it's more of a disaster recovery solution. RAID won't help you if an image

is corrupted or accidentally deleted two weeks after it's taken. Only an incremental backup will do that. Do some

google searches on backup techniques involving RAID versus file-level incremental backups, and you'll find plenty

of info to support this assertion.

 

(FYI, I do both. My active drives are in a RAID array, and this helps to keep me running if a drive fails. At the

same time, the data on those drives (photos, word docs, mp3s,etc) are backed up to a separate drive).

 

The built-in Backup tool in XP or Vista will do what you want. It won't be fancy, but you can backup only

new/changed files to the same backup file, until the backup file size approaches the total size of the hard disk.

<i>RAID won't help you if an image is corrupted or accidentally deleted two weeks after it's taken. </i>

<p>

This is correct, but not all backups are equal. A parallel solution is to backup images to optical discs on an on-going basis. CD's and DVD's can be broken or scratched, but they can't be erased (unless you are so foolish as to use RW's as backups). They don't fade either - that is a concept held mainly by folks who wear aluminum foil caps.

Edward - yes, you're also correct. I do that as well, probably should have mentioned it. Photos are "live" on a raid drive, backed up with software (in my case, Retrospect on a Mac) to external drive, and also archived onto DVD for offsite storage.

CD and DVD's aren't a substitute, they are part of the backup system. I will continue to burn high quality CD

and DVD versions of all my original NEFs at the time of ingestion and derivative files at the end of a project.

That won't change when I adopt this new protocol. I just order The DAM book (a little late) and like the idea of

triplicate copies in multiple locations and other ideas I have only heard about from that work. Time for a

change.<p>Second Copy looks promising, and I am also studying <a

href="http://www.genie-soft.com/products/gbm/us/default.html">Genie Back Up Manager Home</a> which I found

referenced on <a href="http://thedambook.com/smf/index.php">the DAM forums</a>.<p>Thanks for the pointers and

ideas. Tell me more... t

Mendel: What does xxcopy do what xcopy can not do?

I use a batch file with xcopy "C:....." "E:....." /s /d /v /h /y

 

xcopy is a windows built in command which works very well for me for storing on external harddrive. You can look at the options by typing "xcopy /?" in the command box.

I use Cobian's free backup at work (non photo related). I found out about it from an article in the paper a while back. Simple to use, many paramters, and yes it can be incremental. AT least worth a look.

 

http://www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/cobianbackup.htm

retrospect would do that, i use and prefer intego personal backup.

MirrorFolder http://www.techsoftpl.com/backup/index.php $39.00

 

This is from their site "MirrorFolder is a real-time mirroring and synchronization software to backup files from your local computer drive to another local/removable/network drive".

Charles, I like that one the best so far. Seems less complicated and yet most flexible. I like that it runs in

the background, that it's user interface is so minimal and direct, and that you can unplug the destination drive

and it remembers what has yet to be backed up from the source drive when you plug it back in. You may also either

prevent or allow that file deletes also get mirrored. It creates a kind of "soft raid"... pretty sweet. <p>Up to

4 computers for $70 is one of the better deals out there. That it is <a

href="http://www.outbackphoto.com/computers_and_more/backup_02/essay.html">endorsed and used by Uwe

Steinmueller</a> is a definite plus. Thanks... t

Hi Pascal, sorry for taking so long to get back to this thread.

 

I'm aware of Microsoft's XCopy, and have used it. Suffice to say XXCopy picks up where Xcopy stops. This is

explained in (exhaustive) detail on the XXCopy website. Just from my perspective, things it can do that (I don't think)

Xcopy can do:

 

* Delete files (or folders) at destination that have been deleted at source. Thus, it can mirror source and destination.

With Xcopy, you will alway have files accumulating at destination, even though they're deleted at source, and need to

do a workaround delete-all every so often, followed by a full (not incremental) copy.

 

* Flatten directory structures: copy all files from various sub-directories to a single destination folder, with

contingents for duplicate file names, if it happens.

Does anyone know of a soft ware that will do that? ie: <p>"<i>copy all files from various sub-directories to a single

destination folder, with contingents for duplicate file names, if it happens</i>" <p> This might make it easier for

me to rename, catalog and file all the images I have made over the last 10 years. Please say yes... t (sigh)