You know, I have been in the computer industry now for over 35 years and to be honest with you, I have lost gigabytes of data over my career. That is, until about 8 years ago. What changed? I woke up and put together a good backup policy for all of my data.
Considering all of the data we are producing and consuming, as well as the price drops in both memory and disk storage, and the human behavior of not wanting to throw anything away, a solid backup policy is needed for each of us to protect our valuable assets.
Here is some of the stuff that I have which needs to be backed up on a daily basis. I'm sure you will be able to sympathize with some of it:
- Pictures. I own about 6 digital cameras, each with different capabilities and for different purposes (while flying, while scuba diving, while walking around, as well as some high-end devices to express my creativity and love of photography).
- Documents. Everything I receive on paper is scanned into my computer. Everything that is of importance to me which I receive as email I print to an on-line document for archival purposes. This process has saved me multiple times when the IRS or a creditor asks for proof of payment, for example.
- Financial data. Like iBank or Quicken, all of my investments and financial institutions are tracked using one of these programs. These files are imperative to back up.
- Remote Devices. I/We own two iPhones, four iPads, three laptops and two iPods. There is different information on each, and the process of synchronizing all of them (that is a different story all together) aside, backing them up is of major concern.
- Audio Files. I rip all of my CD's to my computer as well as purchase music on Apple's iTunes. This is valuable media to me and something which I would rather not have to re-purchase.
- Email. I don't trust any kind of computer to keep my email safe, especially, network or cloud mail servers. So a couple times each month, I download all of my email to my local computer and then take it off of the server where it resided. This allows me to be off-line and still access my emails. But now, they must be backed up!
Well, with all of that said, what do you need to create a truly safe backup policy?
Software.
You need some sort of software program that backs up, either manually or automatically (I like the later). And, it MUST be easy to use and pain free for you to do it, otherwise, you won't want to do it. When picking a solution, you need to answer a few questions:
- Convenience. Will the program allow you to do your backups in the background (so it won't bother you while your working)? Can you schedule backup jobs to occur at a specific data/time? Can the program start backing up when you insert a USB device to backup or backup to automatically? Can you backup multiple files or folders at the same time?
- Ease of Use. Is the user interface easy to understand and use? This is VERY important. If the UI is not easy to use, you will never want to use the program
- Scheduling. This was mentioned earlier, but your backup solution must be able to allow you to schedule backups so the backup doesn't take up your computer's valuable memory and processor resources while your trying to do something.
- Device Trigger. No, I'm not talking about a 'Gun' trigger, but instead, the ability of your chosen program to start a backup when a device is attached to your computer. This is invaluable for backing up your USB thumb-drives each time you attach them
- Security. Can the program encrypt your data so the backup is safe? This is very important, especially if you will be backing up to an external/portable disk drive
- Network. This means that your program should be able to backup to a network device: Another computer or a Network Attached Storage Device.
My favorites which accomplish all of these needs include:
- For Apple Macintosh Computers:
- For Windows based PC's:
Media.
You need someplace to store your backed up data. Putting the data on the same computer that contains the original data doesn't make much sense. If your computer is stolen, breaks or you loose it, you will loose all of the data you backed up to it. So you must purchase (they are so inexpensive these days) an external disk drive (or tape drive if you have the money) to store your data. Here are some of the things you need to look at to help you pick the right device:
- Interface. How will you connect the device to your computer. For Apple products, this choice can be rather complicated because you have so many choices: Firewire 400/800, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, Thunderbolt, and in some cases, external SATA. For Windows PC's, it can be a little easier because you are normally stuck with one option, probably, USB 2.0 or USB 3.0. Make sure the device you pick satisfies these interface needs. You can easily do this by writing down the model number of your computer, and take that information to your local Apple store or any computer store and they should be able to easily help you.
- Capacity. How much storage do you need your external device to handle? If you have a 1 terra-byte drive inside of your computer, it's a good practice to have at least twice that much in your external device. Four times is even better. With the low cost of external disk drives, this should not be too financial burdensome. In fact, it might be a good idea to buy two of these devices, you will see why later.
- Network. If you plan on backing up to a network drive, then the drive must be connected to your local network (wired or wireless) and your program must be able to access it. Most network attached devices (Network Attached Storage - NAS) will come with directions on how to set it up. The advantage of a NAS is that every computer (and sometimes devices) can connect to it through your wired or wireless network. The disadvantage is that it is more difficult to initially set up and it is dependent on the underlying network speed and reliability.
- Cloud or Backup Service. NEVER EVER EVER NEVER use these services! Why? Your data is now on someone elses computer and no matter how secure they say their servers are, you can never be 100% certain about that. I will NEVER use a backup service for a number of reasons:
- Security or Lack of Security
- Speed. Now I'm reliant on my internet speed instead of my local network speed which is almost always faster than internet speed
- Cost. These services cost money, and when you stop paying, you no longer have a backup solution
- Privacy. I do NOT want my data on some public network, for obvious reasons
A Plan.
Some very important questions that need to be answered are: What data will I back up? How will I backup? How Often will I backup? What Kind of backup will be done? And Where will the backup be kept? You need to answer these questions, something like this:
- What: I will backup all files in my user directory (Mac and Windows: /Users/My ID).
Note that /Users/My ID is the userid you use to log in. So, if your Userid is tomw, then this would read /Users/tomw.
- How: I will use Chronosync on my Mac and Goodsync on my PC.
- How Often: Whenever I connect my backup drive to my computer via USB 3.0 cable. I will put an entry in my reminder program to remind myself to plug it in at least once a week.
- What Kind: I will do a backup of only new and changed files. Deleted files will be removed form the backup device if I deleted them previously on my computer.
- Where: After the backup is done, I'll place the external drive in my small safe in my bedroom closet.
A Network Plan.
You're going to have the same questions as in the previous scenario:
- What: I will backup all files in my user directory (Mac and Windows: /Users/My ID).
- How: I will use Chronosync on my Mac and Goodsync on my PC. Both will automatically mount the network drive that I am backing up to, so I'll have to set that up in the program.
- How Often: I will setup the backup program to run in the background. Every day at 12:00 noon (while I'm at lunch), it will connect to the network drive and do its backup.
- What Kind: I will do a backup of only new and changed files. Deleted files will be removed form the backup device if I deleted them previously on my computer.
- Where: After the backup is done, the network drive will be disconnected from my computer. Since the backup will be on the network drive, which is in a different room, that will be its location.
A Monthly Plan.
You're going to have the same questions as in the previous scenarios except this time, you will do this backup only once a month using the second backup device you purchased along with the first one:
- What: I will backup all files in my user directory (Mac and Windows: /Users/My ID).
- How: I will use Chronosync on my Mac and Goodsync on my PC.
- How Often: Whenever I connect my second backup drive to my computer via USB 3.0 cable. I will put an entry in my reminder program to remind myself to plug it in at least once a month.
- What Kind: I will do a backup of all files, not just new or changed ones.
- Where: After the backup is done, I'll place the second external drive at my place of business/office as off-line storage.