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Archive 2014 · Need Advice On Backup System.

  
 
MGH-PA
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Need Advice On Backup System.


Let me preface this post with the disclaimer that I am NOT a professional. I do this as a hobby/enthusiast. With that being said, I still have a decent amount of content that I create and need to backup (better).

Right now, my desktop is setup as follows:

128GB SSD (OS/Apps)
256GB SSD (Working files/first copies)
256GB SSD (Scratch Disk for PS/PP/LR Catalog)

I have a 2TB external HD that I manually backup to then on my own accord.

What I want to see happen is this.

I want to continue to use the External HD as a backup to my Working Files disk, but I want to backup to that as well and that offsite. So I'm thinking I need to add a two+disk hot swappable enclosure. I would purchase three drives. Two for in the enclosure, and one for swapping at all times.

In addition, I would like the backups between my current external and my machine AND this new enclosure to all be automated.

Any suggestions?

NAS is out since I don't have gigabit ethernet and no easy access to making that happen for the next two years (once I move, it will be an option). I'm thinking straight USB 3.0 all around.

Thanks!


Edited on Nov 19, 2014 at 08:40 AM · View previous versions



Nov 17, 2014 at 08:30 AM
MGH-PA
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Need Advice On Backup System.


I should have also specified, I'm not a fan of cloud storage, and as such, don't really want to implement that method. Would prefer to keep everything local.


Nov 17, 2014 at 08:58 AM
galenapass
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Need Advice On Backup System.


I have read this several times and I have to confess that I don't quite understand what you are doing. This statement is causing me some confusion : "I want to continue to use the External HD as a backup to my Working Files disk, but I want to backup to that as well and that offsite"

How are you going to backup offsite with no internet connection and no desire to use the cloud? Are you using the swappable drive to store offsite?

What system are you using, Mac or PC?

Why do you need 3 more drives....why not 2, one for backup of the external drive, and a second drive for the swappable backup?




Nov 17, 2014 at 09:20 AM
MGH-PA
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Need Advice On Backup System.


I want to store one HD offsite. I was thinking of only using my 256MB working file storage as temporary more than the full time use it sees now (it's nearing capacity). So I would offload (hopefully scheduled rather than having to manually move the files) those files to my current 2TB drive. Then I would want to backup that 2TB drive to a 2 drive hot swappable RAID enclosure. Make sense?


Nov 17, 2014 at 10:26 AM
gdanmitchell
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Need Advice On Backup System.


Count me as almost paranoid when it comes to backing up. So either look at parts of what I do for guidance... or accept that paranoia isn't necessarily a bad thing when it comes to backup strategies. When you do lose a drive (and it will happen), you will be quite happy that you were paranoid.

At a minimum I always have four complete copies of all of my drives.

1. The primary computer's own data storage includes in internal SSD, an internal 2TB drive, an external 4 TB drive. Internal SSD is for OS, applications, and some working files. Internal hard drive is for Photoshop files. External HD is for RAW files.

2. I use one backup application (SuperDuper!) to backup all of these volumes daily to drives that are directly attached to the computer via USB. Speed isn't really an issue, since I have the software setup to do an automatic background backup at night and because the backup is incremental, updating only the files that have changed. One advantage of the SD! backups is that they are directly bootable in an emergency. A disadvantage is that they hold only the most current copy of any file.

3. I use Apple's Time Machine to automatically perform a second complete backup process (also on all drives) every hour. This backup is done across the internal network to (currently) a NAS device or (previously, and still with my laptop) to a drive attached to another computer on the network. This storage should, ideally, not be in the same room as your working computer — for reasons that you can probably imagine. You can do this across a slow network or even on wireless. Your initial backup will be very slow, but the follow-up backups (which are incremental) won't take so long. The advantages/disadvantages of Time Machine backups reverse those of SD!. They are not bootable, but TM keeps archival copies of files from weeks or months ago. If the most recent backup copy is bad, you can go get one from last month.

4. In addition, I also make a separate backup set using SD! to small external hard drives. I set these backups up so that they execute automatically any time the drives are connected. These drives live at an off-site location about 10 miles from my location, and every few weeks I update them.

Bonus: Being truly paranoid — and wanting to be able to respond to clients even while traveling — I also carry a copy of all of my Photoshop final files on small, portable USB drives when I travel.

Drives are cheap. Losing data is a horror.

Also, I wonder about your strategy of using a bunch of SSD devices. I think that using one for the OS and applications makes sense, but for most people they are not yet a cost effective storage option for large numbers of photo files — too little capacity and too expensive. And the speed increase isn't really that big of a deal in your situation. Frankly, I'd probably just get one large capacity external hard drive with a reasonably fast connection to the computer... and invest the savings in backup gear.

Dan



Nov 17, 2014 at 10:31 AM
galenapass
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Need Advice On Backup System.


MGH-PA wrote:
I want to store one HD offsite. I was thinking of only using my 256MB working file storage as temporary more than the full time use it sees now (it's nearing capacity). So I would offload (hopefully scheduled rather than having to manually move the files) those files to my current 2TB drive. Then I would want to backup that 2TB drive to a 2 drive hot swappable RAID enclosure. Make sense?


Makes sense. If you are using a PC then consider using SyncToy in concert with Task Scheduler. Here is a link to get you started.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/25046/schedule-synctoy-to-run-automatically-with-task-scheduler-in-windows-7/

This will allow you to automate backups, and best of all it's free. Works very well for me.



Nov 17, 2014 at 10:45 AM
MGH-PA
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Need Advice On Backup System.


galenapass wrote:
Makes sense. If you are using a PC then consider using SyncToy in concert with Task Scheduler. Here is a link to get you started.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/25046/schedule-synctoy-to-run-automatically-with-task-scheduler-in-windows-7/

This will allow you to automate backups, and best of all it's free. Works very well for me.


Excellent. That seems easy enough for scheduling. Thanks!




Nov 17, 2014 at 12:01 PM
MGH-PA
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Need Advice On Backup System.


Random discovery. Came back to this thread today. Saw I listed my drive sizes in MB, haha. Wow, where was my mind when I made this original post?


Nov 19, 2014 at 08:41 AM
rdcny
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Need Advice On Backup System.


I found the cloud helpful for storing photos while I was on the road in Thailand - at the end of the day I would upload all my "keepers" for the day." After three months I had 5GB of files in the Cloud...that I then downloaded once I got home to NYC. (And since this was a first time try of the Cloud, I also backed everything on a USB stick as well.)


Jan 09, 2015 at 11:25 AM
Mr Mouse
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Need Advice On Backup System.


I do backup and have more then one and on different drive and machine and different rooms in my home. I see no need for offsite backup. If I loose my home I would be more concerned with geting a new roof over my head then recovering my computers data. If the disaster has a warning window packing up a drive or two does not require much time or effort. Total data loss is not likely but if it does happen and I'm still alive I'll create new memories.


Jan 10, 2015 at 12:54 AM
chez
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Need Advice On Backup System.


Mr Mouse wrote:
I do backup and have more then one and on different drive and machine and different rooms in my home. I see no need for offsite backup. If I loose my home I would be more concerned with geting a new roof over my head then recovering my computers data. If the disaster has a warning window packing up a drive or two does not require much time or effort. Total data loss is not likely but if it does happen and I'm still alive I'll create new memories.


But it is usually just as simple to store the backup drive offsite as it is in another room in the house...thus having the memories safe in case of fire or even theft. Now I know for some it might be a challenge, but I think for most people they can find an offsite location and I would highly recommend offsite storage.



Jan 10, 2015 at 04:35 AM
15Bit
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Need Advice On Backup System.


chez wrote:
But it is usually just as simple to store the backup drive offsite as it is in another room in the house...thus having the memories safe in case of fire or even theft. Now I know for some it might be a challenge, but I think for most people they can find an offsite location and I would highly recommend offsite storage.


I would agree. In most cases a large capacity hard disk and a plastic box (http://www.ebay.com/bhp/hdd-storage-box) is enough, and i doubt there are many of us who can't leave it in a drawer at work.



Jan 10, 2015 at 07:35 AM
gdanmitchell
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Need Advice On Backup System.


MGH-PA wrote:
Random discovery. Came back to this thread today. Saw I listed my drive sizes in MB, haha.


I STILL do that all the time. Every time I type out a drive size I double-check to see how many times I'll have to edit MB to GB or, these days, MB or GB to TB! And I still miss it periodically.

Perhaps this comes from starting out with computers that didn't have hard drives. (With the exception of the PDP-11 at SAIL back in the day.) The first hard drive that I actually owned had an astonishing 20 MB (yes, MB) of storage... and I wondered if I would really need that much. ;-)

Mr Mouse wrote:
I do backup and have more then one and on different drive and machine and different rooms in my home. I see no need for offsite backup. If I loose my home I would be more concerned with geting a new roof over my head then recovering my computers data. If the disaster has a warning window packing up a drive or two does not require much time or effort. Total data loss is not likely but if it does happen and I'm still alive I'll create new memories.


I wonder if this is true. Forgetting serious photography (in the sense of professional work) for the moment, the things that people are often most distressed about losing in a fire, earthquake, landslide, tornado, etc are their personal mementos such as photographs. Today most of these things (including photos, videos, letters, and more) are saved in digital form rather than on paper, and the destruction of hard drives can take a ton of stuff — basically everything that is stored there. And you probably won't be able to comb through the ruins for random bits underneath the lumber... and folks sometimes do when they find old keepsakes after their homes are destroyed.

Offsite storage isn't that hard for most people. You probably have a drawer or closet at work where you could store a drive. Perhaps you have a friend or relative elsewhere in town who would be happy to set up a mutual off-site exchange — perhaps once every couple of weeks you meet up and swap off-site drives. If you are a bit of a geek, you could even set up a local wireless network with a neighbor and place drives at one another's places.

I do agree with you that there is some level of paranoia that is perhaps too extreme. (Though when it comes to backups, I like to say that if your friends don't think you are paranoid you aren't being careful enough.) In my case, my offsite backups are updated every couple of weeks and stored 10 miles away. A true paranoid would point out that I could lose up to 14 days of work and that a meteor large enough to produce a ten-mile wide crater could take out all of my files! ;-)

Dan



Jan 10, 2015 at 10:17 AM





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