Critique my back-up plan...

Hi all,
I've got a plan in my head for back-ups on a macbook pro, and I'd be interested in hearing what people think!

1. Install 250GB SSD as primary storage.
2. Remove optical drive and install 750GB HDD into this area.
3. Partition this drive 500GB for time machine, and 250GB for a "Superduper!" bootable back-up for my primary drive...

This above set-up is designed for protection against failure only (and lazyness)... it should cover primary drive failure and file protection, and will allow for completely automated backup (as all drives are connected all the time) and quick file finding or rebooting if required...

Obviously this does nothing to protect for theft or damage to the computer, so I am thinking of adding an external 750GB G-Raid Mini External Drive (partitioning it to 500gb and 250gb so its sizes match the 750GB internal) and regularly (weekly or so) plug it in and "SuperDuper" copying both the time machine backup and the internal bootable backup... The advantage of this is simply if my computer gets "knocked off" or run over by a bus, I've then got the external drive...

I consider if something happens to both my Computer and external (which won't be stored together) at the same time, that Karma didn't want me to have the data, and i'd cop it on the chin...

What do you think? Its easy to get snow blind when thinking about backups, so i'm interested in anything i've overlooked...

Cheers
Tony

I have seen backup systems in place where I work (fortune 500 company with 50k people worldwide) with less complexity than this. However, if it works for you, do it.

I have been running for over a year now with Time Machine and have used it a few times to recover files/directories without issue.

My MacBook Pro's TM drive is hooked up to my AirPort Extreme. MBP has a 500GB drive, TM drive is 1TB. Have never had an issue and it is really a fire and forget. Restoring is just as easy. I have not had a reason to need to do a full system restore after a reimage, however I expect it would work the same. I have restored over 100GB worth of FCPx projects that got deleted accidentally...

My MacMini has a 500 GB system drive and a 1 TB TM drive hooked up via USB. This has also been flawless. This one is not very old (2 months, maybe) and I have had no reason to restore anything. As this is a media center, and all of my iTunes files are on another USB drive (3TB), not much is on the system drive I care about outside my iTunes library files.

What would I recommend? Simplify. Use an external for your Time Machine or Superduper and dont worry about a onboard redundancy with a normal HDD (which, incidently, is the weak point as the HDD has a higher probability of failure than the SDD).

Thanks for the reply...
I guess I consider Time machine as not primarily being a backup tool, but more of an insurance against an accidental file deletion or set-up change. As this is a macbook, it isn't always going to be hooked up to an external HDD or on the local network, so I was thinking internal 2nd HDD for time machine would be ideal and always on hand for the purpose...
I want to get SDD as my primary for its performance improvement, and use HDD as second due to low cost (large sizes cheap), and no performance requirements from Time machine...
I know this sounds like im building a bomb proof system, but really just trying to think of the best use of extra HDD when i buy the SDD...

Thanks for the feedback!

What model MacBook Pro is it? If it is a newer model, leave the HDD where it is. The HDD location is cushioned against shocks. The HDD is mounted on rubber screws so it kinda floats. The SSD will be hard mounted to the computer chassis in the optical drive slot, but it doesn't matter as it isn't a moving drive.

The flaw I see in your plan is this: what happens if whatever is you do to make the SSD boot drive stop working (pour Coke on it, fling the machine down some stairs while tripping, run over it with your car) also ruins the internal "backup" drive?

While a notebook computer doesn't need to spend a LOT of time hooked up to an external, I think you can see why I think some periodic external backs are a good idea.

consider a bank safety vault to store your external drive also.