Hello.  This is my first post.  I’m developing a new plan for storing and backing up my Aperture Library (And other data) and was hoping for any helpful critiques/recommendations.

I currently run OS X 10.6.8 with Aperture 3.2 utilizing a referenced library (I had been using a managed library and Time Machine on a 500 GB external USB drive along with manual backups to my other large external USB drives but ran out of space on my 250 BG Macbook Pro drive)

My plan going forward (Using 4 external USB drives sized 500 GB, 2.5 TB, 3 TB, & 3 TB) is as follows:

1) Store my Referenced Aperture files on the 500 GB USB external drive (My Aperture “Working Drive”)

2) Create a 1 TB Time machine partition on each of the (3) large Drives

3) Create a 2 TB (or 1.5 TB) partition on the remaining portion of the drives for backup of other files.

4) Make sure that my Aperture working drive is connected (and included in the backups) when I perform my Time Machine backups

5) I’m not sure but I think I can set it up so Time Machine can back up to each of the 3 drives (whichever is connected at the time).

6) When I back up to time machine (I do it on a “manual” backup schedule cause it’s not always connected) I will immediately connect the other drive and perform another backup.  (Backing up to the 3rd - stored offsite - when I have it)

5) Manually backup my other data to the 2 TB partitions  (This is mainly for video files that do not fit on my hard drive that I don’t really “work with much” so they don’t change and i just add the new files to each of the drives as they are created)

6) Keep two of the large externals at home and rotate one offsite.

Is this a decent plan?  Is it difficult to restore an Aperture Ref Library from a Time Machine backup.  Any critiques/recommendations for this plan would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Ron