Time Machine backup to disk image

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First, remove time machine data from the drive you will use for your backups, if desired.

NOTE: THIS WILL DELETE ANY BACKUPS THAT EXIST ON THAT DRIVE 

# sudo fsaclctl -p /Volumes/DRIVENAME -d
# sudo rm -rf /Volumes/DRIVENAME/Backups.backupdb/


Setup Time Machine to backup to network volumes: 

# defaults write com.apple.systempreferences TMShowUnsupportedNetworkVolumes 1


Create a disk image with Disk Utility.

  • Select a sparseimage or sparsebundle (I prefer sparsebundles).
  • Choose a size, at least twice the size of the data volume you intend to back up, but less that the available space on your server or your backup drive.
  • If encryption is desired, select it.
  • For format, use HFS+ Journaled Case Sensitive.
  • Save your image to the root of your backup drive, with the name "computername.sparsebundle" or if using OS X 10.5, "computername_MACADDRESSWITHNOCOLONS.sparsebundle".


If you encrypted the image, copy the access key from your login keychain to the system keychain.


Finally, to hide your backup image in the Finder, 

# chflags -R hidden /Volumes/DRIVENAME/name_of_image.sparsebundle/


It appears that the following may no longer work

To change the maximum size allowed for the Time Machine backup (in MB): 

# defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.TimeMachine MaxSize -integer  102400
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