Favorite ways to do local/offsite backup?

[heintze]

I'm a programmer and I have 25GB of personal files (many of which are source code text files). I like to keep my notebook computer synchronized with my desktop with all these files.

I decided I don't like backup because then I have to decide between incremental and full. Full takes too much space and time and is silly. Incremental is tricky because you have to remember to not do more than a couple of incrementals for each full. This is much too complicated for my little brain (unless I could automate it somehow).

So I decided I like files synchronizers like syncback better. But the problem with synchronizers is that if you intentionally delete a local file, the synchronizer then restores it. If you really want to delete a file, you have to delete it locally and manually on all your synchronized jump drives. Yuck.

But then I thought: what about version control like subversion? Then I only update what need but I can also grab old version. So for $26/mo I could pay for codehesion.com to provide this service. I'm not sure how this would work for local backup. I suppose I could install CVS on a NSLU2 linksys storage controller for local storage that is redundant with a remote storage like codehesion.com. I'd like to have a local redundant copy should I decided to not pay the $26/mo.

What do you like: backup (full/incremental), synchronizers, or version control (like cvs, subersion, git, etc...).

What services do you like: Amazon S3, Giganews Dump Truck, Codehesion? Google? What else?

Thanks
siegfried

 

[xwb]

If it is source code then subversion. Personal stuff, especially word documents is pointless under subversion because they are binary. The repository just gets enormous.

The problem is then backing up the repository. I prefer full backups in that case. Can't be bothered loading up all the increments to recover the latest version of a file. Trying to recover a MKS/PVCS/Clearcase/CVS/subversion repository from incremental backups is no fun. I've done it once, and I thought, never again.

Personal stuff (tax forms, letters, email) is just backed up on a USB drive. This totals about 2Gb, most of it being emails.

Personally, I don't like backing up on the internet. If the phone line goes down, you can't access the backup. When it does go down, it can be up to two days before the line is restored. If you have a regular procedure, it gets completely screwed.

If you forget to pay your subs, they withdraw it. When you come back on, you may or may not have your original account and the files may have been wiped.

 

[JockMullin]

I use robocopy to sync both files and source code. It has a very extensive set of options (robocopy /? will give you the basic idea) and is ideally suited for backing up/syncing over all kinds of network situations.

I use it in conjunction with Netdrive (

http://www.netdrive.net)

to map a drive letter to my ftp server for access from anywhere.

I also am very leery of cloud based services from the standpoint of availability, security, privacy and price.

Jock

 

[acent]

I'll throw in my 2 cents....

Personally, the way I backup my stuff is on a separate drive - it's a 160 GB laptop hard disk in a Nextstar3 enclosure. Works great.

My webhost (A2 Hosting) gives me what they call a webdisk. Essentially, just a place to store files, that is accessible over the web via FTP, SFTP, etc. They give you a lot of control over it, so you can secure it to your heart's desire.

I know of a few people that use a Carbonite (

http://www.carbonite.com)

backup solution. However, as xwb noted, you play their game and allow them to decide what "secured" means.

Hope this helps you.

"Nothing is so common-place as the wish to be remarkable."
--Shakespear

 

[2ffat]

I prefer a full backup but often synchronize files, too. Really depends on the file as mentioned above.

I don't like "cloud" sites for various reasons such as being burned when a cloud site's servers decide to delete all my files and the notorious slow internet speed in rural Virginia where the company is located. We still use tapes but are slowing moving to portable hard drives.



James P. Cottingham
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