[Housteau]

I guess maybe I am a little confused about how iTunes reads the files.  My understanding is that the library file stores the file path to the media location.  That location has specific name.  In my case that is the name of the external HD.  A CCC of that media on another drive would not be recognized by iTunes, since it would still be using the original file paths to a HD that no longer exists.

How do you get this to work then?  I suppose if the clone was made to another identical HD iTunes would see it the same as the original drive?

[GentleBender]

Here is an article that should help figure out how to go between iTunes libraries and much more. The link goes directly to page 5 where they explain how to move and change iTunes library, you may want to check out the other pages. There may be some differences, but most should be the same. http://www.techradar.com/news/software/applications/itunes-11-on-os-x-the-complete-guide-1136683/5

[Housteau]

That is similar to how I just moved my media over to a new HD.  Doing that I first set the new location under Preferences, then I Consolidated the files.  This moved everything over to the new HD and rewrote the file paths in the library file itself to that location so they could be found by iTunes.  That tutorial specifically said that one could not just simply copy the iTunes folder to a new location and then change to that location under Preferences.  The reason for this is that the library file path still shows the path to the former location and that iTunes will look for the media there.  This tutorial you posted says the opposite, basically move (the same as have a copy elsewhere) the media to a new location and just point to it under Preferences.  What am I missing?

[GentleBender]

The article I posted is how I go between libraries on my Mac Mini, I have no problems. How much storage does your iTunes library take up?

[Housteau]

The article I posted is how I go between libraries on my Mac Mini, I have no problems. How much storage does your iTunes library take up?

You have to forgive me if I am missing something here, because I am not a Mac person and I am just learning as I go along.  I have had the Mini server for quite a while, but like may things you really do not learn anything until something goes wrong.  I have other media storage not under iTunes and so iTunes itself is well under 1TB.  Although I have never switched between multiple iTunes libraries I follow and understand how that is done.  My understanding is that each library is pointing to its own area of media storage, the same as my single one.  The file structure within that library points to where iTunes stores the media and it is written when the media is placed in that location.  So, I am having a problem understanding how by simply having a copy of everything someplace else does any good if the library file shows it to still be in its original location?  Now that is why the RAID 1 system looks very attractive, because iTunes will see those multiple drives as a single location. 

[GentleBender]

No worries Housteau. You are correct that if you change the iTunes library location, it will be pointed to that location for storage. If you have an exact copy of that library and the old drive fails,  you would simply replace that drive with the backup drive and point to the new drive. Should be pretty simple, but do I love having the RAID so that I can replace the failed drive and continue on my way. Maybe use the current drive as an offsite backup to use in a catastrophic failure.

[AllynW]

I also agree with John.  I went with a QNAP TS-251 NAS and have a CCC back up which is updated every few months.

[Housteau]

If you have an exact copy of that library and the old drive fails,  you would simply replace that drive with the backup drive and point to the new drive. Should be pretty simple

This is the part that I do not follow.  By pointing to that new drive are you referring to Preferences and Change Location?  Because, my understanding of that is all that will happen is all future rips and downloads will then be placed there, but all the media previously placed in the former location will still be expected to be there.  Those former file paths do not get changed.

Or, do you mean replace the failed HD with the back up HD and be sure it shows the same name on the desktop?  I can see how this could work fooling iTune that it is looking at the same original drive as long as the file structure is the same.

[GentleBender]

Currently I have the split file system where the media in on the external HD and the library files are on the computer.  Should I have them combined on my external HD before trying to set this up?

I missed this earlier and believe this to be your issue or question to the problem. Why do you keep the Library portion on the computer? What happens when the main HDD crashes?

[Housteau]

I missed this earlier and believe this to be your issue or question to the problem. Why do you keep the Library portion on the computer? What happens when the main HDD crashes?

It does not need to be this way and that is why I had asked the question about having the entire iTunes folder on the HD.  But, even if it in on that HD with the media files, a copy of it will still show file paths to the original HD.

[GentleBender]

I'm not sure I am following you on the file paths to the original HD. If you copy the entire iTunes folder that currently has everything you need and put that on another HDD, then point iTunes to the copy everything should work. Is that what you are asking? If yes, I can test it on my Mac Mini at home. I have a small library on the local drive and can move it to a USB drive and see how it goes.

[Housteau]

I'm not sure I am following you on the file paths to the original HD. If you copy the entire iTunes folder that currently has everything you need and put that on another HDD, then point iTunes to the copy everything should work. Is that what you are asking? If yes, I can test it on my Mac Mini at home. I have a small library on the local drive and can move it to a USB drive and see how it goes.

By the way, thank you for your time.  I am sure you have better things to do.

I think you are missing what I am asking as we are going in circles a bit.  Let me start over by stating my understanding of how iTunes works and if this is not correct, then let me know.  A song is ripped to the media folder pointed to under Preferences.  As this song is ripped a file path to that song is made and stored in the library file.  Lets say that path location is volumes/iomega.  The iomega HD fails, but I have a back up of my iTunes, media, library, everything. 

The back up of that library file shows the individual file paths for all of my media placed in itunes to be volumes/iomega.  The copied library does not show the location to be where the back up of those media files are.  Without the library pointing to the location of the media iTunes will not find the music, because it is looking for an iomega no longer connected to the computer.

When I just recently moved my library I had to copy my entire media folder to a new HD using iTunes Consolidate feature so that a new library with the new file paths pointing to the new HD could be written, creating the new library files.  Now I got lucky because my old HD had just enough life left to allow me to do this.  I still had an online back up of everything, but that would have still involved building a new library from scratch, because that copy would have still shown the iomega as the volume for storage.

I don't see a way around the library files needing to be rewritten as I needed to to.  That is why I was wondering if the back up drive was identical to the primary and named such, that it would be seen as iTunes as the new primary?

[srb]

Your are correct that the filepath for each song file is hard coded in the iTunes Library.itl database file.  If the replacement hardrive copy is named with the exact same volume name, then it will work seamlessly.  If it has a different volume name, iTunes will not find the files. You can inspect this path by performing a Get Info command and noting the path on the File tab.

There is no way to "point" iTunes to a new location as the iTunes Media Folder Location only will affect newly added files, as you've noted.  You can move a library by entering the new media folder location AND Consolidating Files, but that involves time consuming copying of all the files in the library.

As far as storing the library files on the internal drive vs the external drive, if you store them in the default internal location (under your profile) and the external drive becomes unavailable for any reason, the media folder location (Preferences > Advanced) will revert to the default internal drive location and any new additions will be stored on the internal drive unless you change it back.

If you store the library files on the external drive then you will avoid that particular problem.  In either case, your backup routine should include backing up the all important library files.

So if you use the mirrored RAID 1 drive as a standalone drive then you just need to make sure that the volume name is the same as the current volume name.

In any case, RAID is not considered a backup strategy because it only provides redundancy in case of single drive failure (which I know is what you recently experienced), but it will not protect you against other fault scenarios beyond complete drive failure such as file corruption, file system corruption, viruses, etc. , which if encountered on one drive will be duplicated on the other RAID 1 mirrored drive, so a backup is still important.

Steve

[Housteau]

So if you use the mirrored RAID 1 drive as a standalone drive then you just need to make sure that the volume name is the same as the current volume name.

Thank you.  I will weigh my options.  If I do the RAID 1 I will start from the beginning and move everything over to it as I just did for my new HD and create a new library file.  If I just go with a back-up HD I will get a duplicate of what I already have to make the switch over as easy as possible, if it comes to that.

[GentleBender]

You can always name the volume whatever you want in Disk Utility. Glad it is all sorted. Do you backup your Mac Mini? Maybe with time machine?

[Housteau]

You can always name the volume whatever you want in Disk Utility. Glad it is all sorted. Do you backup your Mac Mini? Maybe with time machine?

Yes.  I am using Time Machine to an external HD and the entire system, including all external HDs online to Backblaze.

[GentleBender]

I figured, but just wanted to be sure. Nothing like starting from scratch.   

[skolis]

It looks like a nice back-up program, but I don't think it will do what I need as well as RAID 1 system would.  I may get a perfect back-up of what is existing, but if my media HD fails, that back-up of media would be on a drive that the iTunes library does not point to and so would not be recognized.

iTunes can be pointed to any library on any device as long as the computer that iTunes resides on can "see" the backup device (which can be another computer, HDD; NAS; etc.)

[JohnR]

Your are correct that the filepath for each song file is hard coded in the iTunes Library.itl database file.  If the replacement hardrive copy is named with the exact same volume name, then it will work seamlessly.  If it has a different volume name, iTunes will not find the files. You can inspect this path by performing a Get Info command and noting the path on the File tab.

There is no way to "point" iTunes to a new location as the iTunes Media Folder Location only will affect newly added files, as you've noted.  You can move a library by entering the new media folder location AND Consolidating Files, but that involves time consuming copying of all the files in the library.

If you have "Keep iTunes folder organised" and "Copy file to iTunes Media Library" checked, then if you move the (whole) library and open iTunes with Option key, and select the new library location, iTunes updates the paths.

That's certainly seems to be what it does anyway (just tried it).

[Housteau]

If you have "Keep iTunes folder organised" and "Copy file to iTunes Media Library" checked, then if you move the (whole) library and open iTunes with Option key, and select the new library location, iTunes updates the paths.

That's certainly seems to be what it does anyway (just tried it).

Did you move the media to a new location, or just the library file.  Did that path become rewritten under the Info tab for the songs?