LR3 Catalog backup

[Dale]

The statement is made on p137 that "The image documents...have a different set of backup needs. Lightroom catalogs in particular should not be backed up in the same way as text documents; this would slow the backup dramatically and and would often result in a bad copy of the Lightroom catalog (if the catalog was open when backed up)."

Since I use LR3 now along with IDImager I'd like to understand this statement better.

• What specifically is meant by "LR catalogs should not be backed up in the same way as text documents"? I use Bounceback Express to be sure that the latest copy of each file is on the external drive, which I rotate off site periodically. The backup is supposed to run overnight. When it doesn't and I have to run it during the day, I agree, it is slow. But then with a large catalog file, why wouldn't it be?
• I suppose I can see how an open catalog file could be corrupted on a backup. Is that a given, or a rarity?
• In what specific ways should LR catalogs be backed up differently from other documents?

Thanks.

Dale

[Dale]

I found additional clarifying information on p 331.

By letting LR back up the catalog rather than doing it through sync software, you can set it not to back up previews since that adds significant space and time requirements. The rationale, I assume, being that previews can easily be rebuilt. That must be what's meant by not backing up catalogs in the same way you back up text documents. So I suppose that answers the question.

If you have a laptop and your catalog is on the laptop but the images are not, my understanding is that you could still create a slide show based on the previews. That's the only possible reason I see to consider backing up the previews.

Dale

[K.Murat]

I've recently wrote a small article about Why is it better not to use the built-in backup feature on DAM systems:
http://bit.ly/n2Gbmk