Scheduled backups: Must you leave the backup HD running 24/7?

1. AES - 3 February 2005

   I'd like to do a incremental backup of my desktop computer's HD to an external HD as often as every evening, either as a scheduled backup or initiated when I quit for the day -- but does that mean I either have to attach and detach the external HD each time, or else leave it running 24/7?

   Do any of the standard backup programs (e.g., Retrospect) provide for mounting and ejecting an external HD under scheduled control?

   I can do the backups to either a LaCie 40 GB FireWire PocketDrive which is powered by the FireWire cable, or a LaCie 200 GB FireWire HD which has a power supply and ON/OFF switch, but which seems to be turned on automatically when connected to my laptop. I can probably program Retrospect to put my computer to sleep following the backup -- but will that also put either of these external HDs to sleep? (I suppose it probably will?)

   Could AppleScript maybe do this? Are any external HDs Apple Scriptable?

2. Donald Hall - 3 February 2005

   I use Retrospect to back up nightly to a LaCie FW external drive. This drive sleeps most of the time, but wakes up when Retrospect wants to do its thing at 2 AM. Seems to work just fine.

   Don

   Donald S. Hall, Ph.D.
   Apps & More Software Design, Inc.
   http://www.appsandmore.com don at appsandmore dot com
   "Schedule your scripts with Script Timer"

3. o-chan - 4 February 2005

   Some drives, actually most these days, are smart enough to spin down when not in use. You can leave the power on, and other than a small amount of stand-by power used to keep the drive "communicatable" they won't do anything until needed.

   LaCie external drives have been good about this for a long time. I'm not sure how you can tell beforehand, but you can always contact the manufacturer of a drive before you buy and ask them about power management. I also have a Maxtor external FW/USB drive that spins down properly.

4. AES - 4 February 2005

   Previously, Donald Hall wrote:

   I use Retrospect to back up nightly to a LaCie FW external drive. This drive sleeps most of the time, but wakes up when Retrospect wants to do its thing at 2 AM. Seems to work just fine.

   Don

   Thanks . . . Is yours the one with a silver-grey case that can be stood upright (on edge) using a snap-on foot and has a blue combined pushbutton indicator light near one end of the front face? (Can't give a model number because there doesn't seem to be one on the unit itself and the paperwork is long gone.) I'm never sure whether the blue light means it's actually spinning, or just alive and responding when needed.

5. Kir?ly - 4 February 2005

   In comp.sys.mac.system AES wrote:

   and the paperwork is long gone.) I'm never sure whether the blue light means it's actually spinning, or just alive and responding when needed.

   It's the latter.

   K.