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Last post Author Topic: backup strategy  (Read 15781 times)

kalos

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backup strategy
« on: December 25, 2015, 08:45 PM »
hello!

I need to backup specific files and folders in my laptop realtime on cloud. Or maybe there is a better backup strategy in case something goes wrong? Could you advise me please?

If not, then which service would be the best? Easy, reliable, free preferably, secure, etc?

Thanks!

TaoPhoenix

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Re: backup strategy
« Reply #1 on: December 26, 2015, 05:43 AM »
hello!

I need to backup specific files and folders in my laptop realtime on cloud. Or maybe there is a better backup strategy in case something goes wrong? Could you advise me please?

If not, then which service would be the best? Easy, reliable, free preferably, secure, etc?

Thanks!

Sounds awfully like a case of (a variant) of the famous "Pick x"!

For me the dangerous one sounds like "Easy" because if either Reliable or Secure fail, Bad Things Happen. I'd theoretically be willing to pay for Easy on top of a legit backbone.



tomos

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Re: backup strategy
« Reply #2 on: December 26, 2015, 05:52 AM »
As usual with your queries kalos, more info would be helpful !
e.g.
  • How important is the info to you?
  • How much do you want to backup?
  • Are you always on the go or usually based in one location?

I need to backup specific files and folders in my laptop realtime on cloud. Or maybe there is a better backup strategy in case something goes wrong?

Much better would be online plus regular rotating local -- to ext hds or even usb sticks, one of which is always kept off-site.
Tom

kalos

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Re: backup strategy
« Reply #3 on: December 26, 2015, 06:02 PM »
As usual with your queries kalos, more info would be helpful !
e.g.
  • How important is the info to you?
extremely important!
  • How much do you want to backup?
less than 1GB, perhaps if I can backup more, up to 5GB
  • Are you always on the go or usually based in one location?
I am usually based in one location
[/list]

I need to backup specific files and folders in my laptop realtime on cloud. Or maybe there is a better backup strategy in case something goes wrong?

Much better would be online plus regular rotating local -- to ext hds or even usb sticks, one of which is always kept off-site.

Shades

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Re: backup strategy
« Reply #4 on: December 27, 2015, 06:19 AM »
In this part of the world, it is not a given to have internet access, let alone fast internet access. Speed or time it takes to make a backup and retrieve those files from the available cloud solutions is often overlooked.

8GByte pen drives don't cost much, are usually fast in storing and retrieving of data and retain data reliably without someone peeking when such drive(s) are stored in a rented safe/storage box in a bank. You have full control over the amount of encryption you apply to the data on those drives.

Cloud solutions are more convenient, but will be released to law if requested firmly enough by local or international law and always under attack by people who want to gain money and/or power over your data. You have (much) less control over the amount of encryption you apply, depending on the provider of the cloud solution you selected. And, of course, when there is no internet, you cannot make a backup or retrieve data from your cloud solution provider.

The "no internet" part doesn't have to be your fault or the the fault of your cloud solution provider. Connections can be disrupted by something as simple as a construction company accidentally destroying the cable(s) or other infrastructure of your ISP. If you are in a muncipalidad that firmly believes in keeping electricity and communication cables on poles above the ground, your internet connection can be disrupted by (electrical) storms, accidents, a car/truck hauling a load that is a bit too high or plain simple gravity.

In the Netherlands all cabling is put underground (and properly mapped) making any kind of network very reliable. So over there the cloud will be a fast and very reliable solution. Combined with its convenience a no-brainer for most.

However, in Paraguay where I live now every cable is above ground. Even fiber cable connections (especially the last section to the house of the customer) are not put into the ground. This makes internet connections unreliable. Connections are more expensive too and paying even more for a cloud solution provider that might or might not work. No, for me the convenience does not make up for lack of reliability and related costs. Over here, I am much more inclined to use pen drives or a portable hard disk for backups and store/retrieve those physical devices myself either on-site (in a home vault) or off-site.

The whole essence of a backup is to be able to reliably retrieve data from it at the moment it is needed. If that isn't the case, you may delude yourself by calling whatever you have stored in the cloud a backup still, but it really isn't.

You stated that the info you want stored is 'extremely important'. In that case, don't be fooled by the convenience promised by cloud solution providers, but make sure that they, your ISP, the infrastructure and yourself can deliver on that promise. If you have doubts, use a pen drive or portable hard disk for backups.

Either that or reduce the importance of the information, of course.

tomos

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Re: backup strategy
« Reply #5 on: December 27, 2015, 06:46 AM »
You stated that the info you want stored is 'extremely important'. In that case, don't be fooled by the convenience promised by cloud solution providers, but make sure that they, your ISP, the infrastructure and yourself can deliver on that promise. If you have doubts, use a pen drive or portable hard disk for backups.

(as long as you're comfortable using cloud) I'd recommend using both.
FWIW I use SpiderOak for online backup. I dont pay much attention to it (probably should check it and test it more..) so cant really say much about it.
and use Syncovery (software) for local backup -- it recognises moved files and adjusts accordingly as opposed to deleting and copying again which is great, esp. when backing up to flash drive. Also does partial file backup, great for backing up large files with small changes. There probably are cheaper options out there (but note: updates are often, but paid upgrades are few, so in the long run it's actually very reasonable software). Also note: Syncovery can be used for online backup -- I did use it for one job to amazon S3 (over a period of a couple of years), but havent used it that way since.

If you have an extra partition on the laptop, you could always do backups there and simply sync these to external-HD/pen-drive. It's important to keep at least one backup off-site (I'm not good at keeping this going myself..).

A problem I find with my backup is that it has grown organically. I recently made the mistake of moving one group of files to a new more logical location, but the new folder wasn't backed-up. Of course that was when I deleted half the content of a file and clicked save :-/ (luckily I still had a recent enough backup).
But point being, try keep a good overview. Really, file organisation, planning of hierarchy etc., should be done with backup in mind. (But that's easy to say in retrospect!)
Tom

Giampy

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Re: backup strategy
« Reply #6 on: December 27, 2015, 07:53 AM »
use a pen drive

I like very much pen drives to do backups, they have great advantages. However as far as I know they are not fully reliable. That's why I use two pen drives, different brand.
"A refrigerator without beer is like a body without soul"

kalos

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Re: backup strategy
« Reply #7 on: December 27, 2015, 11:45 AM »
which is the best of these services like SpiderOak and Syncovery???

maybe some reliable solution from big companies like Google, etc?

I used to use Bitcasa, but these idiots migrated their servers and lost my data!!!

maybe this?  https://tresorit.com...d-storage-comparison

tomos

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Re: backup strategy
« Reply #8 on: December 27, 2015, 12:24 PM »
which is the best of these services like SpiderOak and Syncovery???

maybe some reliable solution from big companies like Google, etc?

try doing a search -- this one most relevant but there are others:
Comparison of FREE Cloud Storage services

and EDIT// Syncovery is software.
Tom

kalos

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Re: backup strategy
« Reply #9 on: December 27, 2015, 12:32 PM »
@tomos
thanks but I would need some software to do the automatic uploading!

kalos

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Re: backup strategy
« Reply #10 on: December 27, 2015, 12:36 PM »
I think I 'll go for Google Drive, anything Google is reliable, but how do I set it up to copy my files whenever there is a change in them in the cloud?

tomos

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Re: backup strategy
« Reply #11 on: December 27, 2015, 03:45 PM »
I think I 'll go for Google Drive, anything Google is reliable, but how do I set it up to copy my files whenever there is a change in them in the cloud?

e.g again using Syncovery
https://www.syncovery.com/googledocs/
Tom

kalos

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Re: backup strategy
« Reply #12 on: December 27, 2015, 04:11 PM »
just installed that, it doesn't even allow you to specify multiple folders in a backup job!
and so many settings are a bit overkill I think
do I have any other reliable option?

I think I 'll go for Google Drive, anything Google is reliable, but how do I set it up to copy my files whenever there is a change in them in the cloud?

e.g again using Syncovery
https://www.syncovery.com/googledocs/

tomos

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Re: backup strategy
« Reply #13 on: December 27, 2015, 04:16 PM »
and so many settings are a bit overkill I think

yeah, I know what you mean

just installed that, it doesn't even allow you to specify multiple folders in a backup job!

does actually, but may need a bit of rooting -
see what others recommend -- or try the search box
Tom

MilesAhead

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Re: backup strategy
« Reply #14 on: December 27, 2015, 05:11 PM »
use a pen drive

I like very much pen drives to do backups, they have great advantages. However as far as I know they are not fully reliable. That's why I use two pen drives, different brand.


For q balance of speed and ruggedness for USB 3.0 I have come to rely on AData s102 series.  At newegg a 128GB can be had for less than $45 including shipping for those in the contiguous 48 states U S of A.

The first one I bought was a 32GB.  As I mentioned before I kept it in my pocket in harsh conditions(much of my body weight on it at times) and it is still working perfectly after more than 3 years.  Since then I purchased a 64GB and a 128GB of the same model.  I am waiting for one more price drop for the 256GB if that ever happens(right now $116 seems just a tad high.)

I use the 128GB for Macrium incremental backups.  It works wonderfully.

http://www.newegg.co...Item=N82E16820211934


kalos

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Re: backup strategy
« Reply #15 on: December 27, 2015, 05:18 PM »
I don't think a pen drive will do versioning and automatic backup realtime as I edit files!

wraith808

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Re: backup strategy
« Reply #16 on: December 27, 2015, 06:32 PM »
I don't think a pen drive will do versioning and automatic backup realtime as I edit files!

It can.  Very easily.  Install a Git repository on it, and you're good to go.  It wouldn't be automatic (though I think there are some git extensions that enable it), but you'd have backups, versioning, and the ability to get it onto other computer(s) very easily.

MilesAhead

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Re: backup strategy
« Reply #17 on: December 27, 2015, 06:33 PM »
I don't think a pen drive will do versioning and automatic backup realtime as I edit files!

The pen drive is just the storage.  The sync software does the syncing.  OneDrive detects file changes in its folders.  But I manually copy from my source code folders to the OneDrive folders.  But you could just as easily save directly to the OneDrive folders.  Then periodically download to the pen drive for an additional copy.

I don't know how much free storage they give now.  I got 25GB for signing up then another 100GB during a Bing promotion for a total of 125GB free online storage.

It may be worth investigating.

kalos

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Re: backup strategy
« Reply #18 on: December 27, 2015, 06:36 PM »
OK, but it doesn't really make any sense to do that, I want to save my data in case someone breaks into my house and steal my laptop! He will also steal the usb as well!

wraith808

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Re: backup strategy
« Reply #19 on: December 27, 2015, 06:38 PM »
OK, but it doesn't really make any sense to do that, I want to save my data in case someone breaks into my house and steal my laptop! He will also steal the usb as well!

Not if you have it on you?

kalos

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Re: backup strategy
« Reply #20 on: December 27, 2015, 06:40 PM »
OK, but it doesn't really make any sense to do that, I want to save my data in case someone breaks into my house and steal my laptop! He will also steal the usb as well!

Not if you have it on you?

and I will plug it in every time I want to use my laptop? that's very inconvenient!

4wd

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Re: backup strategy
« Reply #21 on: December 27, 2015, 06:56 PM »
OK, but it doesn't really make any sense to do that, I want to save my data in case someone breaks into my house and steal my laptop! He will also steal the usb as well!

Not if you have it on you?

and I will plug it in every time I want to use my laptop? that's very inconvenient!

That's not what wraith said.

Someone can't steal the flash drive if it's with you, they can steal the laptop but not the flash drive ... thus your data is still available.

If you're going to keep the flash drive with your laptop and you're worried about it being stolen with the laptop then don't bother making a backup because you have other problems.

MilesAhead

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Re: backup strategy
« Reply #22 on: December 27, 2015, 08:48 PM »
Someone can't steal the flash drive if it's with you, they can steal the laptop but not the flash drive ... thus your data is still available.

He could always hide a pen drive with a copy of the backup, in a mayonnaise jar on Funk & Wagnalls back porch.  Nobody would think of stealing it there.  :)

wraith808

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Re: backup strategy
« Reply #23 on: December 27, 2015, 09:09 PM »
OK, but it doesn't really make any sense to do that, I want to save my data in case someone breaks into my house and steal my laptop! He will also steal the usb as well!

Not if you have it on you?

and I will plug it in every time I want to use my laptop? that's very inconvenient!

That's not what wraith said.

Someone can't steal the flash drive if it's with you, they can steal the laptop but not the flash drive ... thus your data is still available.

If you're going to keep the flash drive with your laptop and you're worried about it being stolen with the laptop then don't bother making a backup because you have other problems.


And even if you do have larger problems... I can still solve your primary objection.

https://www.sandisk....nnect-wireless-stick

tomos

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Re: backup strategy
« Reply #24 on: December 28, 2015, 05:58 AM »
Backup is unfortunately rarely convenient - that is if want you do it properly.

For the ongoing 'monitored' realtime backup, you could always use one of those tiny pen drives -- and leave that always plugged in to the laptop (same as the idea above to backup to a partition on the laptop).
You'd still have to copy that backed-up content very regularly to another drive, be it a full external HD, or to another pen drive. Again, as said multiple times here: keep separate from the laptop, and ideally have one recent copy of same somewhere else completely.

Online backup gives another level of security, but it's just one layer of backup where things can go wrong.
Tom