Provided it doesn’t have to back up large folders containing many small files, Time Machine backing up to APFS on a network share works well.
macOS 11
The first full backup is performed as a manual backup, and largely occurs in file-by-file copying from source to the backup store. It is more efficient than to HFS+, but differences could be less than 10%.
Addresses problems with time formatting, so you should now be able to use Ulbow with a Buddhist calendar, 12-hour clock, set to summer time in Mongolia.
Should now be fully compatible with all locales, calendars, and with both 12- and 24-hour clocks.
Before Apple added T2 chips to Intel Macs, external boot disks were valuable for many users. How has that fared since?
A summary of the known benefits and current limitations of Time Machine backups to APFS, with links to more detailed accounts.
When a “fixed” formatting string proves anything but fixed, then breaks without warning or even mention in a release note.
Does Big Sur’s Time Machine preserve sparse files and clones when backing up to APFS volumes?
How Apple made changes to Foundation routines which format dates and times which can break their formatting when in 12-hour clock mode.
Adds support for reporting whether a file is a sparse file, or has been cloned, in Big Sur.
The Eclectic Light Company 