On an exterior drive, I’ve 3 APFS containers every with 1 quantity in them respectively. The three containers and their respective volumes are used for Time Machine backups from 3 totally different Macs. The APFS containers use APFS (Case-sensitive, encrypted).
It occurred to me that my setup won’t be optimum. In keeping with a cursory search, with APFS it may be attainable to have the three totally different Time Machine backup volumes share one APFS container, as an alternative of getting them reside in 3 separate containers containing 3 totally different volumes. This could probably permit the Time Machine backup volumes to dynamically make use of the container house as wanted (rising & shrinking).
Is that this appropriate, and a extra advisable answer?
Take into account that Time Machine backups sometimes do not shrink, they solely develop with time, and finally there must be some limiting quota (which is why I initially opted for 3 separates) so there is not an excessive amount of cannibalization between totally different backups from totally different units. Maybe there’s a means in Terminal to set a quota on every Time Machine quantity?
Alternatively, if APFS containers might be resized on the drive with out dropping the information within the volumes in these containers, then that successfully works okay as properly. Associated query: Can APFS containers be resized whereas retaining their contents? (Case-sensitive, encrypted)
Lastly, I’m at the moment undecided on which degree encryption ought to occur on this regard. If I backup to a single APFS container, ought to the encryption occur on the degree of the container, or on the extent of the volumes/backup locations?
