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" +++

• 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.
• A backup on the same server is susceptable to the same failures as the original data set (hardware failure, natural disasters, and the like).
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Do you need to back up everything? Of course not. That's up to you to decide. Some data is replaceable, some isn't. If it isn't, back it up!