raidisnotabackup/content/3.md

+++ title = "So how do I back up?" description = "Backups are a contentions and complicated subject, but these simple rules should help guide you." weight = 3 type = "post" +++

1. Always back up in some way. While a copy of the data on the same array won't protect you against all problems, it will protect you against some.
2. A backup on the same server is susceptable to the same failures as the original data set (hardware failure, natural disasters, and the like).
3. A good rule of thumb is three copies (the RAID is only one copy for this purpose): the original, one onsite copy, and one offsite copy. Store the offsite copy in the cloud, or at a friend's house.
4. Make backups regularly, at least once a week; the day you need a backup is the day you realize you hadn't run it in 6 months and what you need isn't backed up.
5. Test backups regularly, at least once a month; a backup is worthless if you can't restore from it. Just because you have a backup doesn't mean you're protected; always test them.

There are dozens of backup utilities out there; I'm not going to prosthelytize for any one of them, but I personally use BackupPC for my server and workstation backups.