“Cloning technology refers to creating a
replica of an object to another of similar kind, where the resulting object
possesses properties exactly same as that of the original object.”
In order to
keep your data protected from various threats, you might have been backing it
up regularly, as data backup is one of the most reliable ways of data security
and it is preferred the most.
In this regard, which backup strategy you have been implementing ever since you started backing up your data? Have you been backing up your files manually? Alternatively, are you using a data backup application? Well, in reality, backup techniques do nothing apart from copying the files from the source disk to the destination disk in an archived form. In adverse situations like, if the original files get corrupt or become inaccessible, you can easily restore them from the backup.
Even though you can back up every file manually, it becomes quite easier and more efficient if you use a professional data backup application. Alternatively, you can also use Mac OS X inbuilt data backup tool – Time Machine.
Mac OS X includes a data backup tool, called Time Machine, which automatically backs up data every hour once it is configured. In fact, Time Machine is highly compatible with a range of hard drives (such as internal and external hard drives, and Time Capsule), so you can choose any of these to be used as the backup drive. However, ever since cloning has set up its feet in computers world, data backup techniques are no longer in fashion. Now, you can clone Mac volume containing your valuable data, which is much more advanced as compared to a simple data backup. In fact, in addition to an individual volume, you can also clone the entire Mac drive, which is termed as the bootable backup. The term bootable backup states that you can boot from the clone drive too.
“Hard drive cloning refers to a process that involves replicating a hard drive to another based on certain criteria.”
In this regard, which backup strategy you have been implementing ever since you started backing up your data? Have you been backing up your files manually? Alternatively, are you using a data backup application? Well, in reality, backup techniques do nothing apart from copying the files from the source disk to the destination disk in an archived form. In adverse situations like, if the original files get corrupt or become inaccessible, you can easily restore them from the backup.
Even though you can back up every file manually, it becomes quite easier and more efficient if you use a professional data backup application. Alternatively, you can also use Mac OS X inbuilt data backup tool – Time Machine.
Mac OS X includes a data backup tool, called Time Machine, which automatically backs up data every hour once it is configured. In fact, Time Machine is highly compatible with a range of hard drives (such as internal and external hard drives, and Time Capsule), so you can choose any of these to be used as the backup drive. However, ever since cloning has set up its feet in computers world, data backup techniques are no longer in fashion. Now, you can clone Mac volume containing your valuable data, which is much more advanced as compared to a simple data backup. In fact, in addition to an individual volume, you can also clone the entire Mac drive, which is termed as the bootable backup. The term bootable backup states that you can boot from the clone drive too.
“Hard drive cloning refers to a process that involves replicating a hard drive to another based on certain criteria.”
·
Make sure the secondary disk is larger (in
capacity) or at least equal as compared to the primary disk.
·
The primary disk should be formatted as Mac OS
Extended (journaled), so the secondary disk as well.
·
The primary disk should be using GUID Partition
Table as the Partition Map Scheme, so the secondary disk as well.
·
In case you are going to clone the entire hard
drive (i.e. containing multiple volumes), the secondary drive must have
partitions equal to that of the primary drive.
Now, if you
are still wondering why to go for cloning even since you can back up your
precious files manually, then you need to go through the following significance
of cloning:
·
As you know that clone drive is the exact replica
of your Mac drive, you can use both drives interchangeably.
·
Once you clone your Mac drive, since both drives
are independent of each other, you can use any of them even if the other one is
no longer available.
·
In corporate, engineers use cloning technology to
replicate their system's hard drive and use the clone drive for software
testing and other similar operations
·
Since cloning results in bootable backup of your
Mac drive, you can boot from a clone drive as well
These
features collectively make cloning techniques an edge over typical data backup
techniques.
Since hard drive cloning refers to creating a bootable replica of your Mac drive, you must have a secondary hard drive and a cloning application to satisfy its major requirements for cloning. In case you are going to clone the boot volume of your Mac OS X Lion or Mountain Lion, you need to boot it in Recovery Mode. For earlier versions of Mac OS X (i.e. Snow Leopard and earlier), you can boot with Mac OS X install disc.
In case you are going to clone one of the secondary volumes (i.e. containing data only, except Macintosh HD) to another volume of your Mac drive, you can directly jump to Step4.
Step1: Secondary disk must be formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
Since hard drive cloning refers to creating a bootable replica of your Mac drive, you must have a secondary hard drive and a cloning application to satisfy its major requirements for cloning. In case you are going to clone the boot volume of your Mac OS X Lion or Mountain Lion, you need to boot it in Recovery Mode. For earlier versions of Mac OS X (i.e. Snow Leopard and earlier), you can boot with Mac OS X install disc.
In case you are going to clone one of the secondary volumes (i.e. containing data only, except Macintosh HD) to another volume of your Mac drive, you can directly jump to Step4.
Step1: Secondary disk must be formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
The secondary drive connected to your Mac is shown on its desktop. Alternatively, if you use a new drive, a Disk Insertion message pops up. This message says, “The disk you inserted was not readable by this computer.” Therefore, click the initialize button given on this message box; it launches Disk Utility.
- Select this drive in the left pane of Disk Utility and go to the Erase tab in the right pane
- In the Format dropdown menu, choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
- In the Name field, specify a name for this drive
- After that, click Erase button to format it
Step2: GUID
Partition Table should be the Partition Map Scheme
Once the secondary drive is formatted, you see it on the desktop with the given name. Since cloning requires the secondary drive be using the GUID Partition Table as the Partition Map Scheme, it should be an Intel-based Mac.
Once the secondary drive is formatted, you see it on the desktop with the given name. Since cloning requires the secondary drive be using the GUID Partition Table as the Partition Map Scheme, it should be an Intel-based Mac.
- Select this drive in the left pane of Disk Utility and go to the Partition tab in the right pane
- Click the Options button and choose GUID Partition Table in the window that opens, and then
- Click the OK button
As mentioned earlier, the secondary drive must have the number of partitions equal to that of the primary drive.
- Select this drive in the left pane of Disk Utility and go to the Partition tab in the right pane
- Click the Volume Scheme dropdown menu and choose the number of partitions you need to create
- Select one volume and give it a Name, choose its format as Mac OS Extended (Journaled), and specify its Size
- Repeat the step 3 for other partitions as well
- After that, click the Apply button
(I.) If you
are going to clone a secondary volume of your Mac
- Select your Mac drive in the left pane of Disk Utility and go to the Restore tab at the right
- Drag the volume that you need to clone to the Source field and
- Drag the secondary volume to the Destination field, and then
- Click the Restore button
(II.) If
you are going to clone the boot volume of your Mac
- Boot your Mac Lion or Mountain Lion in Recovery mode or boot with Mac OS X install disk if your Mac is Snow Leopard or earlier
- Launch Disk in the Utilities window
- Select your Mac drive in the left pane of Disk Utility and go to the Restore tab at the right
- Drag the boot volume to clone to the Source field and
- Drag the secondary volume (i.e. it should be a volume of the secondary hard drive) to the Destination field
- After that, click the Restore button
(III.) If
you are going to clone the entire Mac drive
- Once in Recovery mode, launch Disk in the Utilities window
- Select your Mac drive in the left pane of Disk Utility and go to the Restore tab at the right
- Drag your Mac drive to the Source field if it is not already shown therein
- Drag the secondary hard drive to the Destination field, and then
- Click the Restore button
Apart from
Disk utility, you can also use a professional cloning application to clone Mac volume. However, it is recommended to use a professional cloning
application only.
No comments:
Post a Comment