The 3-2-1 Backup Strategy

[lingyi]

Came across an interesting and informative post on Backblaze's blog: https://www.backblaze.com/blog/the-3-2-1-backup-strategy/

Of even greater interest is this: "Even the United States Government recommends this approach. In a 2012 paper for US-CERT (United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team), Carnegie Mellon recommended the 3-2-1 method in their publication titled: Data Backup Options." https://www.us-cert.gov/sites/default/files/publications/data_backup_options.pdf which compares the Pros and Cons [edit: Without personal bias of cost or experience] of various media (including magnetic tape AND floppies!) and concludes:

"Whatever backup options you choose, remember to follow the 3-2-1 rule of backups:
3 – Keep 3 copies of any important file: 1 primary and 2 backups.
2 – Keep the files on 2 different media types to protect against different types of hazards.
1 – Store 1 copy offsite (e.g., outside your home or business facility)."

[Beck38]

That suggestion (3 stage backup) has been around for a long time. Back 25 years ago, 6150 qic tape was the 'go to' local storage (I still have cartons of them in storage, holding tons of animation I was doing at the time, and lots of programming stuff as well).

Today, optical (bdxl/m-disc) and internet storage as the third tier are the thing, I run uploading to distributed plants virtually 24/7, obviously wish that upload speeds available to consumer locations (read homes) was more than it generally (99% of the country) is, but maybe docsis3.1 will change that.

[SameSelf]

unless the data has been checksummed, dedupped, WORM'd, etc., it is only a temporary and potentially corrupt copy, NOT a backup/master/archive/etc. Rather than listen to outfits like BB who are motivated by profits and only end up creating an illusion of security, try studying what data preservationists do. It is a very different mindset from the idiotic mantra: copy copy copy!

[lingyi]

unless the data has been checksummed, dedupped, WORM'd, etc., it is only a temporary and potentially corrupt copy, NOT a backup/master/archive/etc. Rather than listen to outfits like BB who are motivated by profits and only end up creating an illusion of security, try studying what data preservationists do. It is a very different mindset from the idiotic mantra: copy copy copy!

Please post links to these procedures so we may all learn and weigh the cost versus potential data loss.

[SameSelf]

I have left enough clues for the sufficiently open minded to spend hours researching. Let me know what you discover.

[bendixG15]

I have left enough clues for the sufficiently open minded to spend hours researching. Let me know what you discover.

There are no open minded people at this site that want to waste hours researching for your benefit.

[ron spencer]

I have left enough clues for the sufficiently open minded to spend hours researching. Let me know what you discover.

LOL...I love this...haha

ZFS...all you need to know

[SameSelf]

LOL...I love this...haha

ZFS...all you need to know

+1 for ZFS
-1 for implying nothing else is needed

There are no open minded people at this site that want to waste hours researching for your benefit.

Did you have anything unique to add to this thread, or just enjoy trolling?

[usually_quiet]

Came across an interesting and informative post on Backblaze's blog: https://www.backblaze.com/blog/the-3-2-1-backup-strategy/

Of even greater interest is this: "Even the United States Government recommends this approach. In a 2012 paper for US-CERT (United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team), Carnegie Mellon recommended the 3-2-1 method in their publication titled: Data Backup Options." https://www.us-cert.gov/sites/default/files/publications/data_backup_options.pdf which compares the Pros and Cons [edit: Without personal bias of cost or experience] of various media (including magnetic tape AND floppies!) and concludes:

"Whatever backup options you choose, remember to follow the 3-2-1 rule of backups:
3 – Keep 3 copies of any important file: 1 primary and 2 backups.
2 – Keep the files on 2 different media types to protect against different types of hazards.
1 – Store 1 copy offsite (e.g., outside your home or business facility)."

3-2-1 is the best backup strategy that most of us can reasonably expect to manage at home. I'll leave the magnetic tape drives, SSD RAID arrays, ZFS file system, checksums, and de-duplicating data to large enterprises and data storage services.

[lingyi]

I have left enough clues for the sufficiently open minded to spend hours researching. Let me know what you discover.

Borrowing from George Orwell

“Beauty is meaningless until it is shared.”

― George Orwell, Burmese Days


I believe Wisdom is meaningless until it is shared.

I view my forum posts as an opportunity to share my wisdom (encompassing what I know to be true or not true, what I believe to be true or not true and what I want to receive addtional wisdom on to determine whether it is true or not true).

I appreciate those who read my posts and intelligently question or expand upon it and ignore those who criticize my posts without any intelligence at all.

[ron spencer]

LOL...I love this...haha

ZFS...all you need to know

+1 for ZFS
-1 for implying nothing else is needed

There are no open minded people at this site that want to waste hours researching for your benefit.

Did you have anything unique to add to this thread, or just enjoy trolling?

Really???

for home user all that IS needed is ZFS. You can get it for nothing in an easy to use NAS4Free distro (or others). What else do you want?

Sure it would be nice to have things in different areas throughout the world, but the average person has no time for this. The average person can do ZFS and external hard drive. Quick..simple..easy. And throw in a cheap synology aor qnap box and pretty much you would be covered.

[lordsmurf]

I have left enough clues for the sufficiently open minded to spend hours researching. Let me know what you discover.

I spend my time doing what I know. I pay others for things I don't.

Locally, I copy, copy, copy.
For offsite storage, I pay others to use ZFS storage, test data integrity, redundant architecture, etc.

You can't DIY all knowledge. As you get older, you find yourself caring less. I'm not trying to impress anybody. I just want a decent backup. I'm not competing with NASA or the LoC.

Came across an interesting and informative post on Backblaze's blog

That "3-2-1" strategy has been around for decades. In fact, it's actually wrong.
You need
- a local master working copy on disk
- a local backup copy on disk
- a local copy not on disk (ie, tape, disc)
- and then an offsite.

It's called "good backup policy".

[TreeTops]

Right on, but I'll bet you a beer that only one in a thousand actually does it. I have been on a uphill battle with our church here to do backups off site as there have been several church robbery's in the area where the bad guys take the computers and all external hard drives they can find. Yep, those churches didn't have a off-site backup and lost everything.

[SameSelf]

I have left enough clues for the sufficiently open minded to spend hours researching. Let me know what you discover.

I spend my time doing what I know. I pay others for things I don't.

Locally, I copy, copy, copy.
For offsite storage, I pay others to use ZFS storage, test data integrity, redundant architecture, etc.

You can't DIY all knowledge. As you get older, you find yourself caring less. I'm not trying to impress anybody. I just want a decent backup. I'm not competing with NASA or the LoC.

everyone's a special snowflake

[usually_quiet]

SameSelf once wrote something to the effect that he'd leave VideoHelp once his own questions were answered because this forum has too few members with sufficient technical expertise to engage a worthwhile discussions with him. As he has not requested any help with a problem of his own for some time, I have to wonder why he is still here.

[bendixG15]

SameSelf once wrote something to the effect that he'd leave VideoHelp once his own questions were answered because this forum has too few members with sufficient technical expertise to engage a worthwhile discussions with him. As he has not requested any help with a problem of his own for some time, I have to wonder why he is still here.

He's having too much fun playing post this and post that and whatever else comes up.

[usually_quiet]

SameSelf once wrote something to the effect that he'd leave VideoHelp once his own questions were answered because this forum has too few members with sufficient technical expertise to engage a worthwhile discussions with him. As he has not requested any help with a problem of his own for some time, I have to wonder why he is still here.

SameSelf once wrote something to the effect that he'd leave VideoHelp once his own questions were answered because this forum has too few members with sufficient technical expertise to engage a worthwhile discussions with him. As he has not requested any help with a problem of his own for some time, I have to wonder why he is still here.

He's having too much fun playing post this and post that and whatever else comes up.

It seems that you are correct. SameSelf is having fun by trying to see how far he can push things before getting banned. I misremembered what he wrote. For the sake of accuracy:

Certain individuals who used to always provided great answers to my questions haven't posted in my threads in a couple of months. No worries. I'll keep coming back here because I still have some unanswered video questions. At least until Baldrick or whoever is in charge bans me.

I have discovered that it is pretty easy to plumb the depths of the knowledge of the users on this website with the exception of only one or two commenters. I have been branded a troll numerous times and accused of being newpball's doppleganger. Hmm, looking up and just noticed that he/she has been banned. Am I next? Any mods care to comment? This is the feedback forum after all.