backup solution for 3TB SATA media server?

[Steve]

I am setting up a 3TB "Western Digital My Book Live" drive on my (Win7) home
network that will act mostly as a media server, and also backup space for a
couple of PCs. I am thinking I would like to get a 2nd, identical 3TB drive
to be able to back up the first. I would prefer it if the 2nd 3TB drive
backed up the actual file structure, rather than a giant archive. In this
way I could just use it immediately if it needed to replace the first.

Can anyone suggest a software answer for this?

Here's the drive
http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=280

Thanks in advance.

 

[Steve]

oops. Apparently I already have the answer. From the product page...

You can automatically make a second copy, or safepoint, of your My Book Live
on another My Book Live or NAS drive on your home network. Now you've got
double-safe protection for all your media and ultimate peace of mind.

 

[Rod Speed]

I am setting up a 3TB "Western Digital My Book Live" drive on my (Win7) home network that will act mostly as a media
server, and also backup space for a couple of PCs. I am thinking I would like to get a 2nd, identical 3TB drive to be
able to back up the first. I would prefer it if the 2nd 3TB drive backed up the actual file structure, rather than a
giant archive. In this way I could just use it immediately if it needed to replace the first.

Can anyone suggest a software answer for this?

Yes, Acronis True Image will clone the original drive to the copy
effortlessly and you can just use the second one if the first one dies.

If you want to repeat the copy frequently, xxclone does copy just
the stuff thats changed with the later clones, but is much slower
than TI for the first copy so if the contents of the first drive dont
change much, TI may be a better way to go given that an ocassional
clone of the first drive done when you arent using it for anything
much will be fine when the contents of the original drive changes.

Here's the drive
http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=280

Doesnt really matter what the drive is, the same thing applys to almost every drive you are likely to use.