Backup?

[Othbarty]

I am just wondering, how are you guys managing your backups?

I have recently thought about getting a online solution for a off site backup, and are looking at Carbonite which looks like a *to good to be true* offer, 55$ a year for unlimited storage.

Ive also been looking at Dropbox and Ubuntu One too, but that is more like the Foldershare / windows live sync crap from MS which is just file sync between computers, which is sort of backup, but not really off site.

Anyways, I just thought I'd make use of the collective intelligence of the community (read: Borg Collective) and hear what y'all think, and what you do.

[kregoron]

i was actually thinking about the same thing for a while, but decided on local backup instead
So i bought a NAS box with 4 HDD slots, running continual backup of the important data on 2x1.5Tb mirror raid on the Nas.. 2 spare slots are used for  2x1tb media data storage

but this isnt a cheap solution

[Jabbs]

I'll just comment on a couple of things about Dropbox.

Dropbox can be used as a file syncing service - great. But it can also be used as a version related backup service too!

Basically, whenever a change is made to a file it of course syncs that to other PC's if you have them.  However, it also keeps versions of files so if you edit a file and then save it it keeps the previous version for you. This is useful if you make a lot of changes to a file one time (or it gets corrupted somehow) because you can go back to a previous version.  

It doesn't stop there as you go back numerous versions (I haven't tested to see how many).  You can also retrieve deleted files in the same fashion.  Delete a file in your Dropbox and later realise you need it?  Then you can get it back.  I'm pretty sure this versioning doesn't effect your storage limits either.

There are many other functional bits and bobs of Dropbox such as a MAC version, a Linux version and even an iPhone version!

[Jabbs]

i was actually thinking about the same thing for a while, but decided on local backup instead
So i bought a NAS box with 4 HDD slots, running continual backup of the important data on 2x1.5Tb mirror raid on the Nas.. 2 spare slots are used for  2x1tb media data storage

but this isnt a cheap solution

Not cheap and isn't an off-site backup which a lot of businesses require these days (just in case of theft/vandalism/fire etc.

[Gandalf]

I've used carbonite in the past and it worked very well. Now however, all my important stuff is on email which is stored remotely and files I just use a NAS device with mirrored HDD.

[smilodon]

Just to make the point that both Dropbox and Ubuntu One store your files on their servers as well as sync them between multiple machines. However I'm not sure if Ubuntu One works on a Windows box or does versions like Dropbox?

[Claw]

i usaly dont take backup of my stuff, since i have never experienced a dead disk.

but this can be done alot cheaper.

i do have something simmelar to dropbox, tho its my own solution, and i dont have a folder i have a drive.
due to the my company im running, i need to get access to my files, databases, invoices etc etc etc from annyware annytime.

now i do have a virtual winxp running on my master server wich i do all my buissness related stuff, such as support programming and so on,
that virtual pc has a drive that is on a virtual NAS (freenas) and wich is hooked up to my main storage area, wich are there where all images are loaded from
my nas is mounted as a network drive on all my pcÃ,´s and my mac, where all devices are hooked up to my drive trought a secure tunnel, even my iphone.

incase i need my calendar witch is important aswell, then im dumping calendar shares, contact and even my emails on my drive (i have more than one drive, but a bit of structure 1 drive is enought)
where my mail clients can sync from, also using the same tunnel.

this is on a much bigger scale that you need, but in the theory its the same
if you have questions feal free to ask.



- claw

[Bob]

I am just wondering, how are you guys managing your backups?

I have a home server with folder duplication to separate physical drives, which provides me with a redundant copy should one of the disks fail. In addition, I bring a copy on an external drive home to store at my old folks' house a couple of times a year or something, which covers the all-hell-breaks-loose cases.

I have pondered about paying for some off-site solution such as the ones you mention, but I've found that I really don't have that much data which is a total catastrophe to loose, so my current way of doing it works just fine

i usaly dont take backup of my stuff, since i have never experienced a dead disk.

Was that meant as a joke of some kind...?

[Claw]

Was that meant as a joke of some kind...?

no bob, i still have my first ide disk witch is retired due to its capasity but it sill runs like a champ.

mine sata discs that i am using for system are 2 years old now, and still running like chaps. and do 150meg/sec

<--------edited by Penfold-------->

- claw

[smilodon]

Both Dropbox and Ubuntu One give 2 gig free space, so if you have both then you obviously get four gig of online space that can be synced with multiple machines for free. That's my basic set-up.

[Whitey]

no bob, i still have my first ide disk witch is retired due to its capasity but it sill runs like a champ.

mine sata discs that i am using for system are 2 years old now, and still running like chaps. and do 150meg/sec

so whats your point?

- claw

If there is nothing on your PC that you care about then fine but if there is, then you should be backing up the things you wouldn't want to lose. Hard disks do fail and sometimes they fail in a big way (no way you'll get the data back).

[Claw]

If there is nothing on your PC that you care about then fine but if there is, then you should be backing up the things you wouldn't want to lose. Hard disks do fail and sometimes they fail in a big way (no way you'll get the data back).

heh, no offence mate but no i dont do backups never did never will.

drives dont "just" fail.
i kinda dont care if you have experienced something else with your drives, the reason of your drives die and mine dossent are propedly becuse my drives has an excilet enviroment and the drives are high quality drives.
(no WD raptor or velasiaptor are not quality drives)
drives lifetime is limited by the enviroment, if your drives are 60c celcius then no they will die.

i have been listening to peoples whine about their drives and how they died.
if you buy a good drives, and you take good care of your drives then they dont just die on you.

in the last 5 years i have been running with the same discs for my system drive in same raid array just other systems and i had never ever experienced anny issues with them

now in not a normal user, im an end user and maybe more than that unfortinetly i dont waste money on cheap disks and there for i do save time and money in the last end.

in the last 5 years of my OC career i have met a guy who has studdied harddrives and storrage in more than 10 years, and his point of view is that people do **** whit their pcÃ,´s and the peace of hardware that takes the lagest beating is the HDD.

since its realy the only peace of hardware in there that has a "moving" peace, and makes the head and plate open for damage.

i have sevaral disks that have been covered with dryice, ln2 or even water, the only thing that it has been done to them is they have been whiped with a towel and they have worked ever since.

so i **** you not, buy crap brand disks and you will need that backup, treat your hardware as ****, and you will need that backup...

-claw

[TeaLeaf]

I think you seem to be way off the beaten track here.  

drives dont "just" fail

Speaking as someone for whom drives have "just" failed (see my current signature for more info) I can tell you that they *do* just fail.  My most recent experience saw the following happened within 48 hours of each other:

-a WD Special Edition HDD fail (it was 15 months old and kept in a server rack in an air conditioned dust-free room)
-a Seagate Maxtor HDD fail (it was 18 months old and kept in an air conditioned room
-a WD Special Edition HDD fail (it was 20 months old and kept in an air-conditioned room)
-a WD Passport HDD fail (it was 1yr 10 days old and was working the week before and had just been sat on my desk for that previous week)

if you buy a good drives, and you take good care of your drives then they dont just die on you.

I'm sorry, but you are plain wrong on this point.  Even the HDD manufacturers will tell you that you are wrong.  They will happily admit that the product they provide is not perfect, they expect a certain percentage to 'just fail' even within any warranty period.

so i **** you not, buy crap brand disks and you will need that backup, treat your hardware as ****, and you will need that backup...

Ignoring personal preference and the clear indication that perhaps my faith in the WD brand is misplaced, I do not think you could accuse me of buying 'crap brand disks' or 'treating my hardware as ****".  However I have had 3 HDDs in 3 different systems 'just fail' on me in the last 2 months (4 drives if you include the Passport).  None gave any warning, none showed any SMART errors, they just failed.

heh, no offence mate but no i dont do backups never did never will.

I still managed to lose all the digital photos I have ever taken, despite having what I thought was a pretty resilient backup process in place.  Not taking backups practically guarantees you will lose something at some point, let's hope your nonchalent attitude to backups doesn't end up losing somethng too important to you.

[Claw]

TL:
as you see WD`s arent that good of a disc.

5 x 10000 rpm SCSI raid 0 MAXTOR running for 3rd year so far, without anny errors.

about SMART monitor well it has been proven several times that SMART does not work.

Ignoring personal preference and the clear indication that perhaps my faith in the WD brand is misplaced, I do not think you could accuse me of buying 'crap brand disks' or 'treating my hardware as ****". However I have had 3 HDDs in 3 different systems 'just fail' on me in the last 2 months (4 drives if you include the Passport). None gave any warning, none showed any SMART errors, they just failed.

i dident but dident you just have what 3 WDÃ,´s die on you?.

aircondition cant help you here you know that, due to the air thatÃ,´s inside your rack case is still hotter than the enviroment air due to hardware.

- claw

p.s next time you edit my post, atleast you can do is tell me your doint it, instead of just doing it. it p***** me off! thank you

[Penfold]

ok ok already mr grumpy chops. Try not to wear out the swear filter eh :flirty:

I've occasionally had HDD's failing on me and I'm sure it's because I don't look after them right - naughty Pen.

If people want to back up their information (which can only be a sensible thing imo) then so be it.

Anyway, in answer to Oth's original question, I do mine thus:

I keep all my data on a separate HDD which makes it easy - as I can copy  the whole drive.

I have use live sync to copy my pertinent files between the office, my home and my laptop. So I reckon that's the information duplicated in 3 locations. I also have an small external HDD which I copy the whole drive to weekly and, for good measure, I have a large 1TB NAS drive that I backup the work files to once a month (which then gives me the last 6 months worth - @ 150gb per time).

In addition, for clients, I have set them up with 100GB dropbox accounts where I upload their photo galleries and press releases etc. My reckoning is that if I get run over by a bus then at least they can get their image banks relatively easily.