Question about backing up using a Unity Core

Like I would take out the HDD, put it in a USB enclosure (SATA to USB) and just clone that HDD on a PC to another and put the new one straight back into the Core? 

You could use a USB to dual SATA docking station with offline clone function. Disclaimer  - I have not tried it for your scenario (Unity core HDD) but don't see why it should not work.

You should have a backup anyway, so you can restore that backup wherever it is to the new drive in the Core. It might be slightly quicker to clone it in a PC but I'm not sure that it would make that much difference.

best

David

Thank you.

Will the "cloning" process on the PC not "disturb" or "disarrange" the NAIM-system of the source HDD?
Meaning: Will the Naim formatted playback system still work on the source HDD AFTER I plugged it in the PC?

I don't think the source disk would be disarranged. Whether the new disk would work is slightly more doubtful in my mind, but that's because I don't know how the Core remembers which disk is it's music store. I think there is a risk that you would put the new disc in the Core and the Core won't recognise it. It should identify that it is a new disc set up as a music store and ask you whether you wish to use that one, but this is all outside my own experience.

Whereas if you make a backup on a USB HDD or a NAS or a PC, then you can put the new disc into the Core, set it as a music store and restore your backup to it. Possibly slower but more certain to work.

best

David

Thank you. Greatly appreciated. Good point.

I did a full backup weeks ago, but until now, several Gigabytes of music had been added. So, how do I add these added LPs to my already existing backup? 

Do I have to do a FULL backup again?

Thank you.

Like the backup was 1TB...now it is 1,2 TB...

The Core backup is automatically differential so it will back up your new music and add it to what you did before.

i left it a year between backups and it was over 1000 files on the second backup but when I did it again a month later, it was 18 files. (In total I've got about 500 albums so several thousand files.)

best

David

So, I just plug in my external USB HDD (with the current backup) and then I just create a new backup? The Core will recognize the "backup" USB HDD?

You plug it in, go to Manage Music in the app, then Make a backup (or similar - I'm not near my Core to check), then it will say "Choose a disc to backup to" and your USB will be offered. You select that, tap Backup or whatever.

Then the Core says "processing" or something like that for a minute or so and then you will see it say "Backing up xxx files" and the number of files backed up will start to increase from zero to whatever xxx is.

When it's finished it says "Success".

best

David

johnG posted:

You could use a USB to dual SATA docking station with offline clone function. Disclaimer  - I have not tried it for your scenario (Unity core HDD) but don't see why it should not work.

Google "Startech USB Dual docking station" or search for it in the Big River and you'll find a device which will automatically mirror two hard drives (as well as acting as a USB drive bay). This is done at a sector level, so the contents of drive B will the exact same as drive A. That having been said, this seems a sledgehammer to crack a nut as the dock will cost you £££'s, whereas the backup and restore function within the Core is effectively free.

Thanks.

I tried to do a "backup now" and it started to again backup the over 17000 files...whereas it should just have added the additional files...so I guess I have to click "make a backup plan" and choose "monthly".

Not?

David Hendon posted:

You plug it in, go to Manage Music in the app, then Make a backup (or similar - I'm not near my Core to check), then it will say "Choose a disc to backup to" and your USB will be offered. You select that, tap Backup or whatever.

Then the Core says "processing" or something like that for a minute or so and then you will see it say "Backing up xxx files" and the number of files backed up will start to increase from zero to whatever xxx is.

When it's finished it says "Success".

best

David

That’s very impressive. It sounds well thought through and really user friendly. Does it back up everything, including any added downloads?

hungryhalibut posted:

David Hendon posted:

You plug it in, go to Manage Music in the app, then Make a backup (or similar - I'm not near my Core to check), then it will say "Choose a disc to backup to" and your USB will be offered. You select that, tap Backup or whatever.

Then the Core says "processing" or something like that for a minute or so and then you will see it say "Backing up xxx files" and the number of files backed up will start to increase from zero to whatever xxx is.

When it's finished it says "Success".

best

David

That’s very impressive. It sounds well thought through and really user friendly. Does it back up everything, including any added downloads?

Yes.

Thorsten_L posted:

hungryhalibut posted:

David Hendon posted:

You plug it in, go to Manage Music in the app, then Make a backup (or similar - I'm not near my Core to check), then it will say "Choose a disc to backup to" and your USB will be offered. You select that, tap Backup or whatever.

Then the Core says "processing" or something like that for a minute or so and then you will see it say "Backing up xxx files" and the number of files backed up will start to increase from zero to whatever xxx is.

When it's finished it says "Success".

best

David

That’s very impressive. It sounds well thought through and really user friendly. Does it back up everything, including any added downloads?

Yes.

Hi - Just to clarify, once a back-up has been done using the steps outlines by David, any subsequent back-ups using the same procedure will only add the new CD tracks to the existing backed-up tracks. In other words, it doesn't waste time re-doing already backed-up stuff.

Robert Burgess posted:

Thorsten_L posted:

hungryhalibut posted:

David Hendon posted:

You plug it in, go to Manage Music in the app, then Make a backup (or similar - I'm not near my Core to check), then it will say "Choose a disc to backup to" and your USB will be offered. You select that, tap Backup or whatever.

Then the Core says "processing" or something like that for a minute or so and then you will see it say "Backing up xxx files" and the number of files backed up will start to increase from zero to whatever xxx is.

When it's finished it says "Success".

best

David

That’s very impressive. It sounds well thought through and really user friendly. Does it back up everything, including any added downloads?

Yes.

Hi - Just to clarify, once a back-up has been done using the steps outlines by David, any subsequent back-ups using the same procedure will only add the new CD tracks to the existing backed-up tracks. In other words, it doesn't waste time re-doing already backed-up stuff.

Nope. I did a full backup weeks ago, then added about 150 GB new music. 

So I did what David wrote, but it started to back up everything now on the SSD.

I think I must do a fresh backup but with the option "make a backup plan" => "monthly".

Strange, it worked Without duplication for me.

Using the same SSD USB backup drive of course 

Sorry I've been working, so off-line this afternoon.

It should work the way I said. Are you sure it backed up properly last time? How long did that backup take? It's quite slow. I would think 12 hours or so for a full back up of that many files.

The "Plan a backup" option is about regular backups and not relevant to a one off back up. You can do one off differential backups whenever you like.

And yes it backs up downloads as well as rips.

Anyway the best plan now is to leave it backing up overnight and it should be finished this time tomorrow.

best

David

My Core is set to automatically to back up any new music to an external HDD every morning at 2.00pm so simple and easy.

David Hendon posted:

Sorry I've been working, so off-line this afternoon.

It should work the way I said. Are you sure it backed up properly last time? How long did that backup take? It's quite slow. I would think 12 hours or so for a full back up of that many files.

The "Plan a backup" option is about regular backups and not relevant to a one off back up. You can do one off differential backups whenever you like.

And yes it backs up downloads as well as rips.

Anyway the best plan now is to leave it backing up overnight and it should be finished this time tomorrow.

best

David

Hi David!

Yes. I successfully backed up my entire SSD weeks ago (17800+ files). It took about 20 hours and the backup monitor said: SUCCESSFULL.

Then I plugged the backup USB disk in yesterday and did what you wrote (BACKUP NOW) and the monitor started with "1,2,3...of 17800+ files"....This should not be right?

So I will make a new full back up soon and then try after some weeks again.

Pcd posted:

My Core is set to automatically to back up any new music to an external HDD every morning at 2.00pm so simple and easy.

So, your external HDD is always powered on directly on the Core? 

Thorsten_L posted:

David Hendon posted:

Sorry I've been working, so off-line this afternoon.

It should work the way I said. Are you sure it backed up properly last time? How long did that backup take? It's quite slow. I would think 12 hours or so for a full back up of that many files.

The "Plan a backup" option is about regular backups and not relevant to a one off back up. You can do one off differential backups whenever you like.

And yes it backs up downloads as well as rips.

Anyway the best plan now is to leave it backing up overnight and it should be finished this time tomorrow.

best

David

Hi David!

Yes. I successfully backed up my entire SSD weeks ago (17800+ files). It took about 20 hours and the backup monitor said: SUCCESSFULL.

Then I plugged the backup USB disk in yesterday and did what you wrote (BACKUP NOW) and the monitor started with "1,2,3...of 17800+ files"....This should not be right?

So I will make a new full back up soon and then try after some weeks again.

It certainly shouldn't be like that. I did a full backup a year ago and it was about 4000 files which took all evening and finished just before I went to bed.  Then a month ago I did another backup to the same USB hard disc and it backed up 1000 files which took it nearly an hour. Then two weeks ago I did another backup and it backed up 18 files which would be right for the two or three albums since the previous backup.

I don't know why yours didn't work that way.....

best

David

Ok. Thank you very much, David. I will try again.