This is why you back up your data offsite

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#1468247 12-Jan-2016 09:58

joker97: My backups on SSD ... Does that last longer than spinning?

Probably not. SSD cells die. And if powered up, left in the computer, could be taken out by a power surge ...

WyleECoyoteNZ

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#1468255 12-Jan-2016 10:09

So, In light of this story, what is the best way to backup files?

Let's say I want to have another backup of my personal digital photos, dating back to 2004. Currently, the size on disk is circa 90Gb. Aside from external HDD, what other alternatives are there?

MikeB4

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#1468261 12-Jan-2016 10:15

I feel there should be very clear warnings on storage devices about limited life cycle and clear instructions regarding backup. A family member recently purchased a NAS unit and on the packaging there were statements
along the lines of 'never lose your data'. Nowhere did it advise to store off site etc as per backup best practices. I have advised them what to do.
With these being sold in the likes of HN and JB there should be proper advice for users of all technical abilities.

shk292

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#1468262 12-Jan-2016 10:15

Two suggestions for this:
- back up to a portable HDD and keep this at work, or even in your car
- US Amazon has unlimited photo storage for quite a small fee ($30 per year I think). It's possible to create a US account to use this service, then automatically copy all your photos to the cloud

MikeB4

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#1468264 12-Jan-2016 10:17

WyleECoyoteNZ: So, In light of this story, what is the best way to backup files?

Let's say I want to have another backup of my personal digital photos, dating back to 2004. Currently, the size on disk is circa 90Gb. Aside from external HDD, what other alternatives are there?

I use the following....

Back up to...
1. connected device and NAS
2. Disconnected and securely stored device.
3. Back up to Cloud service
4. Back up to offsite.

Geektastic

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#1468283 12-Jan-2016 10:28

OTOH I am still waiting for my computer to complete an offsite backup using Backblaze that has been running for over 3 months due to the ludicrous idea of asynchronous broadband....!

k14

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#1468285 12-Jan-2016 10:29

WyleECoyoteNZ: So, In light of this story, what is the best way to backup files?

Let's say I want to have another backup of my personal digital photos, dating back to 2004. Currently, the size on disk is circa 90Gb. Aside from external HDD, what other alternatives are there?

I have cloud storage, backup to my server at home, backup to external hard drive at work and then also when I visit my parents I back up my photos to their nas. This is all manual, so I usually have 1-3 months of unbacked up data. Need to get more proactive at doing it!

Sharesies

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Geektastic

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#1468286 12-Jan-2016 10:30

shk292: Two suggestions for this:
- back up to a portable HDD and keep this at work, or even in your car
- US Amazon has unlimited photo storage for quite a small fee ($30 per year I think). It's possible to create a US account to use this service, then automatically copy all your photos to the cloud

Out of interest, how many people backed up their negatives before digital cameras were invented?

jonathan18

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#1468296 12-Jan-2016 10:54

WyleECoyoteNZ: So, In light of this story, what is the best way to backup files?

Let's say I want to have another backup of my personal digital photos, dating back to 2004. Currently, the size on disk is circa 90Gb. Aside from external HDD, what other alternatives are there?

I know people will jump on me for this not being a true 'back-up', but for my photos (and other documents) I use OneDrive - I have about the same sized archive as you do, and currently are not paying for 120GB (I think) with OneDrive, but even if charged it's very affordable.

I like the simplicity of it, in that the OneDrive app can be used to automatically upload photos from our various handheld devices (cellphones, iPad, tablet), which includes those from my camera (as these are automatically transferred to my phone via wifi); once in the cloud, OneDrive then downloads these onto our three computers (including a Mac), and of course all files are also accessible from the internet. There's some protection with it retaining previous versions and being able to recover accidentally deleted files, and an acceptable online photo-viewing interface.

I also maintain a NAS, onto which my main laptop automatically backs up (using a free software that just does its thing perfectly well in the background), and occasionally I will back up the NAS onto external drives - ideally held off-site!

This means that I have at least five copies of the files (six if you count the NAS mirroring!), and all with minimal on-going effort on my behalf.

Of course, there are heaps of other equivalents to OneDrive, eg Dropbox (which also uses encryption). I just made sure I was using one that retained the photos' metadata, which isn't always the case.

PolicyGuy

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#1468297 12-Jan-2016 10:54

128GB USB-3 flash memory sticks cost retail, in NZ, about $60 each, 256GB about $200. There's even a Kingston Traveller 512GB product, but that's over $700.
Terabyte-capacity external USB drives are less than $150.
File-compression products like WinZip Pro ($$$) or 7Zip (free) have command-line usage so you can make a simple .bat file to compress (even JPEGs by about 20% with WinZip) and encrypt your files and copy them to the USB stick / drive.
Then you keep one USB stick/drive in your locker or desk drawer at your workplace as an off-site backup, and rotate it with another one every week. then your offsite backup is never more than a couple of weeks old.

Does require a not-completely-clueless user, but is definitely not 'sysadmin-level' geekery. ;-)

Online backups with an ADSL service can be just too hard if you have more than a relatively small amount of data

networkn

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#1468299 12-Jan-2016 10:58

richms: Ive just found that a majority of my stuff that is supposed to be going up to crashplan isnt, the email summarys say all is fine, but it never completes the back up before the service just kicks the bucket and dies.

When a service that is supposed to protect you fails like that, its hard to trust them.

Restore tests! Twice annually!

And Yeah, you aren't the first person I know of who has had a similar issues. I just don't trust cloud the way some people seem to.

networkn

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#1468301 12-Jan-2016 10:59

Geektastic: OTOH I am still waiting for my computer to complete an offsite backup using Backblaze that has been running for over 3 months due to the ludicrous idea of asynchronous broadband....!

Good grief man, bring your gear to our office, you can upload it on our 100Mbps upload which is unlimited, won't take too long to seed the inital backup!

networkn

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#1468303 12-Jan-2016 11:02

MikeB4: I feel there should be very clear warnings on storage devices about limited life cycle and clear instructions regarding backup. A family member recently purchased a NAS unit and on the packaging there were statements
along the lines of 'never lose your data'. Nowhere did it advise to store off site etc as per backup best practices. I have advised them what to do.
With these being sold in the likes of HN and JB there should be proper advice for users of all technical abilities.

I agree, but the reality is that most people won't read what is more than about a sentence long on the outside of the box. Just the "highlights".

Same applies to most people going to HN for backup solutions. An explanation would likely go in one ear and out the other.

The number of times I have had to explain that a backup isn't a backup till it's in 2 places is.. a Lot! We see SO many people "move" data to a USB drive (YUK) and off their computers. It's insane really.

freitasm

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#1468340 12-Jan-2016 11:39

Here's what I do:

OneDrive folder (Documents, Pictures, Movies, Music) on laptop syncs to OneDrive cloud (not a 100% backup as if file deleted from laptop also deleted from cloud but if laptop stolen then still have files)
OneDrive folder on laptop backup to Crashplan cloud
Laptop disc image backup to external USB3 SSD
OneDrive folder syncs (one way) to HP Microserver at home
OneDrive folkder on laptop backup to Crashplan service on HP Microserver
HP Microserver shared folders (all of them) backup to Crashplan cloud

Local Crashplan backup means fast restore if needed, Crashplan cloud backup means history/versioning available and OneDrive sync means availability when not in possession of laptop. Disc image means easy to rebuild if all lost, then restore latest changes from local/cloud backup versions

networkn

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#1468341 12-Jan-2016 11:39

Yes agree. People underestimate how long it takes to restore from Cloud.

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