Label Media and Files


Most backup programs ask you to give descriptive names to each recurring backup procedure"Daily Archive," "Weekly Duplicate," "Backup Set A," or whatnot. Some applications use these names to label archives, bookmarks, catalogs, or other files stored as part of the backup, while others simply use them as an internal reference. In any case, applications usually make a distinction between the name of a given backup and the name of the media on which it is stored. You may duplicate a volume named "Greg" onto a volume named "Marcia," and you may store your daily archive, which you've named "Backup Set Delta," onto a volume named "Cindy." If you aren't careful with these names, confusion can easily result.

I strongly recommend consistency and clarity in names. Here are some specific guidelines:

  • If using hard disks, give each volume (disk or partition) a different name in the Finder. Although you can use sequential letters or numbers to label the volumes, longer and more meaningful names may be less confusing. For example, if you use two rotating disks, each partitioned into two volumes, the first drive might have a piece of tape on it with the name "Bart." Bart could be partitioned into a volume named "Bart Duplicate Disk" and another named "Bart Archive Disk"; another drive, labeled "Lisa," would have "Lisa Duplicate Disk" and "Lisa Archive Disk." Notice that I used the word "Disk" to differentiate the name of the volume from the name of the backup procedure.

  • Resist the temptation to name the backup disks the same as the source disks! After all, you'll still be able to boot from "Greg" if duplicated onto "Homer Duplicate Disk."

  • If your software asks you to label backup procedures, scripts, files, or backup sets, follow a similar pattern, but add the frequency. For example: "Bart Weekly Duplicate" or "Lisa Daily Archive." And be sure to store a given backup on media with the corresponding label! That way you can easily keep track of which backup is stored on which media, without getting the labels of the procedures confused with the labels of the volumes.

  • Put physical labels on all media (which could be writing on a CD with a marker or sticking a piece of masking tape on a hard drive case). The label should indicate the names of the volume(s) on the media.

  • For multi-CD or -DVD sets, be sure to label each disc separately, following the name and sequence number the software gives it.



Real World Mac Maintenance and Backups. Industrial-Strength Techniques
Real World Mac Maintenance and Backups. Industrial-Strength Techniques
ISBN: N/A
EAN: N/A
Year: 2004
Pages: 144

flylib.com © 2008-2017.
If you may any questions please contact us: flylib@qtcs.net