I've been aware of Time Machine for quite some time, but never used it for two reasons. The first reason is because it required an additional hard drive that I didn't want to pay for. The second, and larger reason, is because using it would eliminate my control over what was going on with the backups. Interestingly, this is a selling point of using the software. I have a touch of digital OCD, and like to know what is being backed up and when. However, after the copying errors I received in May exploited the vulnerability in my once monthly start from scratch backup scheme, I knew it was time to ease up a bit on my control and allow for some help in the form of software. Enter Time Machine.
For the first issue regarding needing an additional hard drive, it's a good thing hard drives these days are large and cheap. I originally had 6 terabyte of online storage - 2 terabyte for OS and apps, and 4 terabyte for files. I had an additional 4 terabyte offline that was used for backup purposes. Time Machine makes hourly backups, so I knew I would need a hard drive at least as big as my current drive if not larger. I read that utilizing a drive 1.5 to 2 times as large as your current drive was appropriate. I was able to get a massive 10 terabyte drive for just a few hundred bucks. This expanded my total online storage to 16 terabyte, 10 of which is reserved for Time Machine. This should be adequate space to make backups as we move forward.
Time Machine couldn't be easier to setup and use. When you plug a hard drive into the computer, most of the time the OS asks if you want to use it for Time Machine. If not, going to the Time Machine section in Settings will accomplish the same thing. Time Machine keeps hourly backups for the past 24 hours, daily backups for the past month, and weekly backups for all previous months. Once the disc becomes full, it erases the oldest backups. Obviously, there is no way that I could keep such a meticulous backup schedule. The best part about Time Machine is that it is able to perform these backups completely in the background. I went ahead and added the Time Machine icon to the task bar. Its symbol changes when Time Machine is performing a backup. Otherwise, I would have no idea the software is doing anything.
Regarding my second issue with Time Machine and control, I got around this with a compromise. Time Machine's hard drive is plugged in constantly so that it can perform its frequent backups. However, I still have my mirrored drive that remains offline except for once per month when I erase that version and copy my current hard drive for a backup. This allows me to keep a mostly up-to-date version of my system offline incase of electricity surges, theft, etc.
Having Time Machine's frequent backups available completely eases my mind in terms of data loss, and should eliminate the major vulnerability that is present when I erase my offline drive to make a fresh backup. Knowing that I can go back into time to retrieve files or versions of files that existed every day for the past month or every week for as many months as the drive can store is a fantastic feature that my offline mirrored backup approach cannot replicate. Of course, I will only truly be able to see how well it works if I have a hard drive failure or a bugged file that needs to be replaced. Hopefully I never have to use it, but knowing it is there just in case makes me less anxious about failures.
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