jprint Posted December 4, 2014 Report Share Posted December 4, 2014 I'm a radio producer, and my colleagues recommended that I get Retrospect 10 so that it can copy one folder of audio files from one external HD to another external HD. (For what I do, it's best not to keep the audio files on the HD of the machine one uses to edit them.) I have one master "AUDIO FILES" folder, and then subfolders (within it) that have been created according to the topic / story. I'm setting up Retrospect so that it will copy the master "AUDIO FILES" folder (which contains all of the subfolders and respective files) from the source ext. HD (i.e., the main repository HD) to a back up ext. HD. That means whenever I add files to the subfolders, I expect Retrospect will recognize these incremental changes and perform the back up copying accordingly (i.e., incrementally) instead of re-copying everything all over again. Is that correct? If not, what can I do to enable this? Some other questions... -I saw an option that said "All Files Except Cache Files," and thought that might be an appropriate selection. Given what the work activity I've described dose that seem correct? -I would like schedule these back ups copies to run once a week (say, Sun. mornings). Do I need to have Retrospect running at that time or will the schedule automatically launch Retrospect and begin the copying process? If not, is there any way to enable this? -I don't know if this is possible, but I'd love to figure out a way for Retrospect to launch and automatically engage in some kind of automatic, incremental copying whenever I add to the audio files to subfolders to the "source" external HD. Is that possible? If so, how could I set this up. Thanks very much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lennart_T Posted December 4, 2014 Report Share Posted December 4, 2014 There is one important question you don't say anything about: Do you ever delete files from the source "AUDIO FILES" folder (and its subfolders)? If you do, you must run "backups", which is different from a "duplicate". With a "duplicate" you will get a (let's say) Finder-readable copy of the "AUDIO FILES" source. That means that files deleted from the source will get deleted from the copy as soon as Retrospect runs. With a "backup" you will get Retrospect-readable copies of the "Audio Files" folder. These backups can be restored to the state it had when the backup ran. Files present at the previous backup will not be copied again. Old backups will be retained until you EXPLICITLY delete them. So if you want to get hold of a files that has been deleted from the source, you must restore from a backup that was made at the time when the files existed in the source. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jprint Posted December 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2014 Hmmm... I see. Well, I do delete file, and I like the idea of having a back up. But I also like (and, at the moment, most urgently need) the "Finder-readable copy of the 'AUDIO FILES' source." So, for now it seems that I ought to stick w/ the duplicate function (which is "Copy," correct?). Maybe it's best to get another drive and also run a "Backup" as well... Anyway, thanks very much for your answers! Really appreciate it... Would welcome any thoughts re: my other questions...whenever possible... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twickland Posted December 4, 2014 Report Share Posted December 4, 2014 Actually, you can configure a Copy script pretty much any way you might want to deal with the existing files on the destination volume. You can wipe all files on the destination so that the destination will exactly match the source. You can also overwrite only matching files, overwrite only older files, or overwrite nothing. As regards your question about the scheduling and whether Retrospect needs to be running, there are two components to Retrospect: the Retrospect Engine, which is the process that actually performs the backups and is generally configured to run all the time, and the Retrospect Console app, which is the user interface to the engine and does not need to be running for any scheduled events to occur. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lennart_T Posted December 4, 2014 Report Share Posted December 4, 2014 Actually, you can configure a Copy script pretty much any way you might want to deal with the existing files on the destination volume. You can wipe all files on the destination so that the destination will exactly match the source. You can also overwrite only matching files, overwrite only older files, or overwrite nothing. Cool. I didn't know that. (That indicates how often I use the "Copy" in Retrospect. ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jprint Posted January 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2015 A belated thank you to those who replied to my questions... I very much appreciate it! One addition question -- or rather, a question I listed and am repeating! I would like to set up Retrospect so that whenever I add to an audio file to my primary folder/subfolders, it launches and automatically copies my main source folder from my main external HD to my backup HD. In other words...when I move an audio file to my primary storage folders/subfolders, I'd like Retrospect to automatically launch and copy that new file in my back up HD (which will have the same, corresponding folders/subfolders and files). Make sense? What's the best way to do this? Can I set this up within Retrospect? Or should I do it through some other means, e.g., Hazel or a trigger script or some such thing... Thanks very much again for your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lennart_T Posted January 2, 2015 Report Share Posted January 2, 2015 Try "folder actions" with Automator. http://www.maclife.com/article/howtos/how_use_folder_actions_automator Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jprint Posted January 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2015 Brilliant! Thank you very much for your help... Greatly appreciate it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jprint Posted November 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 Hi, For some reasons, the set up I once had for has stopped working I need to put it together again. I'm trying put together a kind of incremental backup that works as follow: whenever I add an audio file to my folder/subfolders (located on my external HD), Retrospect launches and automatically copies the newly save file from my folder/subfolders (located on my external HD) to my backup HD (located on another external HD). In other words...when I move an audio file to my primary storage folders/subfolders, I'd like Retrospect to automatically launch and copy that new file in my back up HD (which will have the same, corresponding folders/subfolders and files). What's the best way to do this? Thanks for your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lennart_T Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 Didn't we agree on Automator back in January? #7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jprint Posted November 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 Yes, that's right. But can you outline some of the steps one would take within Automator to achieve the process than seeking to set up? I spent a good amount of time trying to set up the process, but I wasn't able to figure it out. Thanks very much for your help – again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jprint Posted November 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 Just to be clear, are you suggesting I just use some sort of Automator set up to accomplish the desired tasks I outlined? Or would Retrospect still fit into that process? Thanks very much again.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lennart_T Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 (edited) The link I posted i January no longer works as the site changed. Here is another link that tells how to do what you want with just Automator, No Retrospect needed. http://www.macworld.com/article/1157339/automate_backup.html Edited November 7, 2015 by Lennart Thelander 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lennart_T Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 The above is a schedule. You probably want a folder action instead: http://computers.tutsplus.com/tutorials/quick-tip-use-folder-actions-to-speed-up-productivity-in-os-x--mac-45394 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jprint Posted November 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 Yes, that's right -- I think I do want a folder action. I've spent a while trying to set it up via Automator, but I'm missing some crucial part of the setup up process to make it work. As I said, I'm a novice with that app. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lennart_T Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 I'm a novice with that app. So am I. I made a folder action AppleScript many years ago. I don't remember how I did it and Automator is replacing AppleScripts anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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