Plato Complete Guide V1.3.0
Convert Technologies 94
17. Backup and restore
Plato is designed to form the central hub for all digital media data. This could include ripped
files from a CD collection, recorded albums, downloaded hi-resolution material, as well as
video files and photo collections. Putting all your data in one place has many advantages, it is
easier to access, and easier to manage. However, it also leaves you exposed to a single point
of failure resulting in the potential loss of all your digital media data. For this reason, backing
up your data is no longer a luxury, it is essential.
Plato app versions 1.3.0 and above support a built in automated backup feature. Using this
feature, you can configure an incremental backup to run on a repeated schedule which will
ensure your data remains protected against accidental deletion or drive failure.
Automated restore tools also mean that if the worst does happen, with a few touches from
your tablet you can restore your Plato system back to its previous state and start playing
music again very quickly…
The backup feature is designed to be incremental, that means once you have successfully
completed one backup, subsequent backups will only record differences between the
current collection and the last backup. This will minimise wear and tear to your disk drives,
and ensure you remain up to date with your backups.
Plato’s backup has been designed to ensure normal service continues during the backup
process. However, it should be remembered that any backup, however carefully
implemented, requires additional system resources to do its job, so some reduction of
performance may be detected during backups. For this reason, we suggest you schedule your
backups during quiet periods of use or inactivity. Remember, once the first backup has
completed, Plato will only backup changes, so subsequent backups should run very quickly.
17.1. Selecting a backup device
Plato uses an external USB disk drive to store its backup data. The backup drive is not
included with Plato, but can be bought from third party vendors. When purchasing a backup
drive please ensure the drive is independently powered, rather than drawing power from its
USB port. Externally powered drives are possible using a powered caddie, or by connecting
the drive via an externally powered USB hub. Convert Technologies recommends the
following powered backup drive:
LaCie USB 3.0 Desktop 3.5” External Hard Drive for PC/Mac
Before connecting your backup drive please ensure it is formatted correctly using a PC or
laptop before connecting it to your Plato unit. Different manufacturers prepare their drives
differently so please follow the instructions carefully to present a single GPT partition for
backup purposes. Normally we would recommend you format your drive using NTFS as this
supports large (>2TB) drives, and large (>4GB) files. However, Plato is also able to access
FAT32 partitions (which will not support single files >4GB). Note that Plato is not able to
access ExFAT or MacOS partitions. The screenshots below show how to partition the La Cie
To Next Page
Loading...