My current data backup strategy

This is how I’m backing up my important personal data these days. It’s not perfect but I think it’s better than nothing.

Level one - Apple Time Machine (daily)

Pros

  • Hourly backup when iMac turned on.
  • On-site, attached to iMac.
  • Backs up everything
  • Effortless
  • Relatively cheap

Cons

  • On-site - will be destroyed in fire
  • Could be stolen along with iMac
  • Disc will fail at some point

Level two - DVD backup (weekly)

Pros

  • Archive quality disc
  • Less likely to fail than hard drive
  • Stored off site with friends and family
  • Relatively cheap

Cons

  • Harder to manage
  • Labour intensive

Level three - online backup (monthly)

Pros

  • Backed up to scalable server
  • Taggable

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Prohibitively expensive to backup music and video

What I’m backing up

  1. Priority one
    1. Photos (iphoto)
    2. Music (itunes)
    3. Video (my flip video)
    4. Documents
    5. Websites / portfolio work (mamp / htdocs)
    6. Application serial numbers
  2. Priority two
    1. Applications
    2. Settings

Published on September 4, 2008

Filed in Web design

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GuyWeb is the personal website of Guy Carberry, a web designer based in Buckingham, England. He currently works full-time as a web designer for the Open University. He also undertakes interesting freelance projects where time allows. You can contact Guy by emailing Guy at this website's address.

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