I’ll confess I don’t do backups regularly 🙀

In the past, I always followed the same routine: I start backing up my files but quickly run into issues and give up.

Recently I corrupted one of the system files, nothing major but I have to reinstall the OS in near future

So it prompted me to think about the whole strategy of backup. Before I waste 2 weeks trying to build “the perfect backuping systemTM” (and give up), I would like to get a peak how others are doing it.

Choose any number and tell me I’m an idiot for even asking that 🤣

  1. how much (of you personal) time you spend to assure regular backuping?
  2. how do you backup settings of your software?
  3. how do you deal with software that doesn’t provide explicit export of settings? do you do it manually by an occasional export once in a blue moon?
  4. do you use configuration managers like Ansible to quickly install/restore settings?
  5. do you backup binaries/installation packages?
  6. do you backup mobile apps and their settings?
  7. do you backup snapshots of OS? if yes, please explain your strategy dealing with them
  8. do you include temporary personal files into backup? For example: a shopping list
  9. do you copy system files in a separate folder for further backup or instead put the paths of system files for backup software to grab the latest version?
  10. do you backup logs? if yes, please explain your reasoning and situation.
  11. what’s your folder (hierarchy) of the drive where you store the backups? How did you come up with it?
  12. do you keep all backup files on a single drive/RAID or you have a separate storage for groups of backup files? For example such groups: drive for Windows backups, drive for networking hardware, drive for mobile devices, drive for server related stuff, drive for grandparents’ backups (😄)
  13. do you keep files residing only in a cloud (excluded from backup)?
  14. do you backup your emails? if yes, how do you filter them to exclude junk from backup?
  15. do you backup your online profiles? like Facebook & google
  16. how and when do you clean old backups?
  17. what do you consider when buying a new drive for backuping needs?
  18. how often do you test your backups?
    • graphito@beehaw.orgOP
      3·
      2 years ago

      Yeah, same bro. Hope one day we’ll clean up all this mess in one tidy efficient structure

    • vord@beehaw.org
      3·
      2 years ago

      I personally note that if you don’t need incremental point in time backups, but just a current or periodically synchronized redundent copy (most of my stuff), rsync or syncthing are much simpler to setup and use.

      Add btrfs snapshotting to the script and you’ve got borg backup with a lot less hassle.

      My backup script looks like:

      • Create encrypted 7z archive with sensitive stuff, timestamped filename.
      • Rsync that folder, plus any non-sensitive folders, to an always-on low power server
      • On boot, high-power server (with more redundency) rsyncs with smaller server and pushes backups to cloud provider after.
      • Non-linux devices use pcloud backup, and high power server copies back locally from that periodically,
      • graphito@beehaw.orgOP
        2·
        2 years ago

        That’s a great strategy, thanks!

        It prompts me to ask, with so much automation in place, I wonder, if 7z archive goes corrupt, would you be able to restore its previous revisions?

        Also do you have any tips how and when to tidy up your old backups?

        • vord@beehaw.org
          2·
          2 years ago

          The 7z archive is created new each time. The sensitive data is less than 100 MB so incremental changes are more hassle than they’re worth.

          Typical best practice is like 30 days of dailies, 3 months of weeklies, and at least 1 annual in perpetuity.

          In practice, I’ll just make sure to have 3 copies.