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Redundant backups to 2 USB sticks

Asked by Warren Post

I wish to save backups on two redundant USB sticks, changing the stick every day. That way at any moment one stick is in use plugged into the computer and the other is safe in my home as an offsite backup. That way I'm safer from fire, a power surge that takes out both the computer and the USB stick plugged into it, etc.

I formatted both sticks and gave them identical labels. Using stick 1 on day 1, all was well. Using stick 2 on day 2 failed, however: nothing is written. Reinserting stick 1, everything works again.

Is there a way to set up backintime to use two redundant sticks? If not, is there a more appropriate solution for my needs?

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Bart de Koning
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Best Bart de Koning (bratdaking) said : 		#1

I guess that both sticks are mounted on the same location? That is important
in this case. If you plug in stick two then you might have to open the
configuration dialog again, and click on the snapshot folder location.
Probably you have to agree to change the location to your second stick. What
it does is that it checks for the backintime folder in the snapshots folder
to see if the drive is attached or not. And the backintime folder is made
when this folder is initialized. I could be wrong but I guess that should
work.

2009/11/25 Warren Post <email address hidden>

> New question #91737 on Back In Time:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/backintime/+question/91737
>
> I wish to save backups on two redundant USB sticks, changing the stick
> every day. That way at any moment one stick is in use plugged into the
> computer and the other is safe in my home as an offsite backup. That way I'm
> safer from fire, a power surge that takes out both the computer and the USB
> stick plugged into it, etc.
>
> I formatted both sticks and gave them identical labels. Using stick 1 on
> day 1, all was well. Using stick 2 on day 2 failed, however: nothing is
> written. Reinserting stick 1, everything works again.
>
> Is there a way to set up backintime to use two redundant sticks? If not, is
> there a more appropriate solution for my needs?
>
> --
> You received this question notification because you are an answer
> contact for Back In Time.
>

Revision history for this message
Warren Post (warrenpost) said : 		#2

You were right, Bart: I plugged in stick two, opened the configuration dialog, set the snapshot location again, and ran a manual backup. Once I had done that with both sticks, all appears to work well.

I have only checked today. Tomorrow and day after tomorrow I'll keep an eye on it, but I do believe the issue is solved. Thank you for your help and for a great application!