Backup methods

[VS]

Hi,
I'm considering my (non-existent) data backup and how to develop something practical (and sane ). Currently, I burn discs yearly with the most important stuff and copy most of myself-generated data to portable harddisc. That's not exactly great, as the HD is not safe at all and the discs can't hold everything.

So... what works for you? Any recommendations?

[Ashley]

I use Time Machine to backup my mac onto my file server, which then backs up onto two sets of hard disks using rsync. One set of disks I store offsite and swap them every so often.

My servers I backup using rsync to the file server, and then onto disk the same way. My VPS provider also does image backups once a day.

For windows machines I'd probably use rsync too, but then I don't store anything too important on my windows machine

[IgorEliezer]

Dropbox!

http://www.dropbox.com

Dropbox is a real-time file sync, sharing and backup software that makes a backup of your files and folders, between computers of your choice and an on-line server (if all your computers fail for some reason). I've been using it for almost 2 years. Even if I don't have access to one of my computers, I can access my files via a member account... Well, better you access the site I pointed you out to know more about.

(BTW: I could send you an invitation, if you get interested in it. )

[sdog]

i'm syncing important things between several computers

[prissi]

I use a similar "strategy" as VS. MOst important stuff is mirrored once a month o another computer (from my wife and vice versa) and to an USB disc. Wenn and since we gone Open Source, most stuff I produce is anyway in some SVN or so.

[VS]

So... nobody here really trusts optical media?

[Ashley]

I have ~4TB to backup, that's 455 DVDs

[ojii]

My code is backed up on github (and all the public stuff thanks to git to a lot of different users).

My important documents I put in Ubuntu One (same as dropbox).

Everything else is not important (music, movies, programs, etc)

[mEGa]

Hi timothy,

Do you know soft backuppc ?
It's system (server/client) wich make backups from Linux, Windows and MacOS.
http://backuppc.sourceforge.net/
the flux of backup/restore is based rsync over ssh or tar over ssh or real rsyncd process and also smbclient to Windows machines.
It is possible to use an USB disc, but not DAT or tape.
I use it on my job with more satisfaction.

[ӔO]

So... nobody here really trusts optical media?

I've used various makes of writable DVDs, but a lot of them were becoming unreadable after 3 to 5 years.
Hard drives are cheaper per GB and they last a long time if you just leave them on the shelf. They also speed up the process greatly.

I don't know the prices where you live, but here, it's $60 for 2TB, compared to $65 for 300 4.7GB DVD-R

[sdog]

writeable DVD/CD are very unreliable, only useful for short-time storage. Also quite tedious to use.

If you use external hard-drives, make sure to start/use them from time to time. The bearings tended to deteriorate when long time without use. (not sure if that is old information though, as those obsolete screen-savers, technically not necessary since the mid 80s)

It depends also quite a bit on what you want to do. Do you want to have rolling backups, where you can restore the data of a certain point in time, as it was back then? Or do you only need a backup of the data of it's latest date for recovery in case of harddrive failure or your house burning down.

For most private data, the best backup method used to keep the data in use. Most private data gets lost due to people forgetting what it was and where it was. When migrating to a new computer or reinstall of the OS quite a lot usually dissapears. Here a cloud sollution and/or synchronizing between different computers might be the best way. (That's redundancy instead of actual backup)

My approach is actually a bit more complex than i described before. Firstly i synchronize all my research data between my office computer, home computer, notebook (and partially our cluster). All the source code is synchronized through a git repository. (in case of it's loss the local branches are the base for recovery, i don't have a backup for the git server -- yet.)

My buerocratic documents, forms, scans, excell files etc are synchronized through ubuntu one. My mp3 i keep on my office and home computer. The best photos i upload to flickr. (i need a new backup for the rest though [mental note: TODO]) Then there is all the rest, where i consider the loss of data less of a problem than the work involved in backing it up. Oh, mp3 and photos are mirrored on a second drive in the same computer btw, but that's only partial redundancy.

[greenling]

Good Day
The Talking over Backup methods it´s a good idea!
I Have find out That the backup on Harddisk not the best way.
I will try to upload my Data in to the Web!

[sdog]

I wouldn't recommend to completely rely on cloud-storage. Companies can go bankrupt, or decide to change their business model etc. There are also some security concerns. In particular if the storage is in jurisdictions with less privacy rights than your own (eg. US storage for EU citizens).

[Zeno]

I have a NAS with two 1TB disks. I manually backup stuff to one of those disks, then there are automated incremental backups from one disk to the other one each week. The NAS was expensive (140 to 180 € w/o disk) but IMHO it's worth the money.