Overview
The backup agent and Time Machine complement each other well and can be used on the same computer, side-by-side, backing up your live data. For best results, do not use the backup agent to back up Time Machine or Time Machine to back up the backup agent. Use them both independently to back up your original files.
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Can I back up my Time Machine data with the backup agent?
You should not do this. Backing up this data with the backup agent is unnecessary as long as the original files are already included in your backup agent backup file selection.
If Time Machine data is included in your backup, then you end up storing multiple copies of the same file in your backup archive, making it much larger than necessary. A larger archive can take longer to back up, and may even prevent your important files from ever getting backed up.
Here's how you can use the backup agent and Time Machine side-by-side:
- If you use an external drive solely to hold your Time Machine backup, then exclude the entire external drive from your backup set.
- If you use an external drive to hold your Time Machine backup and you also use it for storage, exclude the Backups.backupdb folder that contains your Time Machine backup from your backup set.
About the Backups.backupdb folder
The Backup.backupsdb folder is where Time Machine stores its backup data. The location of this file can vary:
- If Time Machine is used for local backups only, the Backup.backupsdb folder is located at the top of the drive's directory.
- If Time Machine backs up computers over a wireless or Ethernet network, then the Backup.backupsdb folder is contained within what is known as a sparse bundle disk image. The sparse bundle is located within Time Machine's HD, and it will be prefixed with the name of the corresponding computer. There is a sparse bundle disk image for each Mac backed up over the network.
Back up with the backup agent to a Time Machine destination
When you specify a volume as a Time Machine destination, it erases the volume first. In order for the backup agent and Time Machine to back up on the same volume, set up Time Machine first and then point the backup agent to the volume as a backup destination.
Local vs. remote backup
Time Machine is designed for local backup only, while the backup agent is designed for remote backup. If you prefer to use two systems, use the backup agent for remote backup of your files only (not Time Machine data) and use Time Machine for local backup.
The important thing to remember is don't use the backup agent to back up Time Machine data; use the backup agent to back up your original files. If you'd like, you can also use Time Machine to back up your original files. This provides a much more comprehensive and efficient backup solution than trying to use the backup agent to back up Time Machine directly.
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