The Backup Thread

[krishnanv]

My current backup strategy is a 2Bay NAS, 4TB + 4TB on RAID 1  ( Mirroring)
Working HDD is a 2TB

Shoot slow, shoot less and mercilessly delete

[Thad E Ginathom]

My current backup strategy is a 2Bay NAS

NAS... Attached devices are not a backup: they are a copy. When that surge strikes, it can take out everything that is either attached to the computer or plugged into the mains.

Mirroring within a device is described, IIRC (it's been over 20 years) as availability rather than backup. It helps if you just lost one disk, but not if the whole device goes wrong and trashes data. Maybe you disconnect the NAS between backups: that would be good.

My humble advice to all...

Do, please, keep at least two external copies. Preferably one should be offsite and enough km away (I haven't been able to do this for a while: my previous arrangement stopped when my wife raised untrustorthy-teen alarm for that location and I haven't fixed another: this does worry me!)

Do not, please, keep your current backup device plugged to your computer or network. For that time, you can call it a copy, not a backup!

Once bitten twice shy...

As an ex-professional, I am utterly ashamed to have lost about three months data due to a failed disk. "OMG, is this backup really that old?" Yes, it was. I learned the hard way.

How often you swap out your backup devices is up to you. Assess your own willingness to loose. I do roughly once a week. Professionally, that would be pathetic, but personally I can live with it.

Online backup is great but keep your own copies!

[krishnanv]

My current backup strategy is a 2Bay NAS

NAS... Attached devices are not a backup: they are a copy. When that surge strikes, it can take out everything that is either attached to the computer or plugged into the mains.

Yes correct, backed up and then unplugged till next backup. I also have a 3rd copy on my PC. Works for me.