Syncing between iMac and a NAS

Assuming your NAS supports it, its built right into OSX with time machine.

Otherwise backuplist+ is free and very good, basically a nice GUI for RSYNC.

The only problem with Time Machine, is that it keeps a history of files, not just the changes to the file. With small files such as your average word file, or excel file, this usually isn't a problem, but with larger files like music, video or raw photos it can become an issue. If you update the metadata, then it will keep a copy of the whole file. That's a lot of duplication if you've only changed the Album name or added album art. Your Time Machine backup can get very bloated if you are updating your metadata regularly, or moving your files between folders. If you don't plan to do this regularly, then Time Machine is easy to use and has a nice interface.

I would certainly agree with Gary's recommendation of a tool over the top of Rsync. I've not used backuplist+, but I've had good experiences with http://www.superflexible.com/features.htm

I personally use Rsync directly, as my NAS box will synchronise automatically between Rsync servers, but it's more difficult to setup and a bit riskier if you don't know what your doing.

Once you've got your backup strategy in place, test it.  There's nothing worse than thinking you're backed up, loosing data and finding out your backups either can't be restored, or you didn't backup everything.

Hope that helps,
Rich

I already have Time Machine in use.  But it backs up everything.  What I was after is something that only backs up my iTunes folder. I believe PCStockton's suggestion fits the bill perfectly. I have installed it and set it to run every 24 hours. If it does that, I will be over the moon. I have been haphazardly backing up by deleting the whole folder on the NAS and then re-copying everything.

Effective, but very crude and time consuming.   

So thank you all for your help.

Richard

I Hope that solution works for you Richard.  If not in your in Time machine preferences you can 'exclude' folders to backup, that way you won't back up things you don't want to.  Exclude everything but your iTunes Music folder on the NAS.

It's in 'Time machine' then 'options'

regards

Mick

Hi, sorry but I don't think this isn't directly related, but as you seem to know about the Mac time machine, I just wanted to check something with you.  I have been thinking of buying a time machine to save my music (it would be ripped on a iMac).  I would then like to use the time machine to stream the music wirelessly to my Uniti - is that possible?
Thanks
Best wishes Amer

@MNait:  Thanks for that suggestion, but I am no expert and to try and minimise fouling things up, I will leave Time Machine well alone. It does work as I had to get Apple Support to guide me through restoring something once.

I believe my NAS fits the bill very well.  I can stream from it, but I prefer to keep it as a backup.  I can backup my iTunes downloads to it and then access them via the N-Serve. 

@Amer. I do not know if streaming is possible from Time Machine.  Personally I doubt it as it backs up incrementally and to Apple's standards. 

Richard

Amer, that is not easily possible.

In this case use something like backuplist+

This will do what you want.

Also to be clear, timemachine is the software for backing up, what it backs up to is just yer run of the mill harddrive.

Time Capsule is the hardware - a disk system built by apple with built in wifi that will run with Time Machine which is the software.   It's a nice fit a forget backup solution - but won't act as a NAS.  The Time Capsule can sit anywhere in the house as long as it gets a wifi signal.  Recently my Mother in Law was burgled and the criminals took the backup drive too...  A good case for for one of these things hidden in the loft or somewhere...



Time machine the software will work with any disk.  You may even be able to 'partition' a disk - that is get the disk behave like two separate disks.  So you can have time machine and storage space. Not sure if that would be a good idea for accessing audio as it may slow up speed of access.



NAS solutions are getting cheaper all the time - but often they deserve a physical Ethernet connection direct to you router or wifi box.

As I started this thread, please allow me to update my system. I have abandoned the idea of using iTunes altogether as my primary music source.  I will keep what I have on the NAS in a separate folder.  But henceforth all ripping will be via the UnityServe direct onto the NAS into the designated Naim folder.  The NAS has a Raid configuration, but will itself also be backed up.  I have been advised to get a 4 bay Raid enabled QNAP NAS drive.  This is something for the future.  I want to digest what I have just succumbed to first.

Thank you all for your thoughts. I hope I do not appear ungrateful if I decline taking up some of the suggestions.  I now feel the Naim UnityServe SSD with a NAS is the way forward.

iTunes is frustratingly restrictive Richard and really if you want to get to the music then something dedicated to the task is the way to go.

> I now feel the Naim UnityServe SSD with a NAS is the way forward.

Richard - that will certainly work.

I back up my iTunes Library to a firewire drive using rsync
It's built in to every Mac, but Apple don't advertise the fact.  

I haven't had any problems with iTunes so far and have about 1500 albums in my library now, but the Sonus front-end is every bit as good if not better. The Meridian Soloos front-end is superb. I've not had any hands on with Naim front-end, but no reason why it shouldn't give great results as well.

I may get a NAS to replace my firewire drive later in the year. 

Let us know how you get on.   

All the best, Guy  

Good luck Richard.  Apple isn't the evil empire we sometimes make it out to be - they have brought the idea of digital audio to us all...  itunes will work with a lot of differing formats, and I think that HD 24 bit files will only be a matter of time.  Good luck with your system - backup and NAS systems are separate.  RAID systems with multiple disks aren't as essential as they used to be a reliability gets better.  But for the price of an extra disk you get piece of mind.  In the future when we move to solid state drives with no moving parts we'll look back with nostalgia at multi disk back up systems... 

regards

mick

@Guido Fawkes & mNait:

Thank you both.  I have a NAS drive with two disks in Raid format.  Awaiting delivery of a new UnityServe, meanwhile I am using the UHES demo unit set to rip to this NAS drive.  I am at the bottom of a steep learning curve.  But things are looking up.  My only concern and it is a temporary one, is the Naim remote is too crude for the sophistication offered by the Qute. I am waiting for the new iPad in a couple of weeks, when I hope to be able to use both N-Stream and N-Serve software to control things.  

We live in exciting times.