How do you make a back-up?

Something can always go wrong with your digital archive, so it’s important to regularly make backups and store them in a safe place.
In this article, you’ll learn:

• Why is it important to make backups?
• What principles should you follow when making backups?
• Where is the best place to store your backups?

A back-up or reserve copy duplicates the information found on a data carrier or in an application. These copies are made preventively to safeguard and restore important information in case data on the original carrier becomes lost or damaged. The term ‘back-up’ is mostly used for data on computer hard drives, but information from other carriers – such as SIM cards, database management systems and even non-electronic sources like address books – can also be backed up.

How can files become damaged or lost?

• a hardware fault such as a defective hard drive or failing electronics (possibly temporary as a result of overheating);
• human error such as accidentally deleting or incorrectly editing a file;
• programming errors or bugs in the original software or updates;
• changes caused by malware, such as viruses or deletion by a trojan horse.

Everyone knows they should, but not all organisations make good back-up copies. Even just a limited budget, knowledge and resources can go a long way.

But because there is no solution that works perfectly in every situation, this section aims to highlight some basic rules, principles and pitfalls when creating a back-up strategy.

Map out your files

It’s best to gather all your files together before starting to back them up. This allows you to determine which files are important and/or difficult to replace from the outset. Important, irreplaceable information deserves the greatest care, whereas files that can be replaced easily might not need a back-up at all.

Save multiple versions

If it turns out that a file was already deleted a week ago, a back-up from yesterday isn’t much use. It is therefore best to perform a new back-up every day, and to save those from the start of every week and month.

And even this isn’t necessary if you perform an incremental back-up, which records a full copy of your data all at once and only adds new or modified files, also making it easy to retrieve a file’s history so you can see what it looked like a day or month ago. This kind of back-up software is provided as standard in recent operating systems now: Windows Backup or Time Machine for macOS enables you to easily configure incremental back-ups on a network or external hard drive.

Save a copy at an external location

Keeping just a single copy of your data as back-up isn’t enough; in the event of a fire or burglary, you could lose everything. You should therefore save an extra back-up at an external location.

Scenario 1: Local + NAS + take hard drive home

A NAS, or Network Attached Storage, is an external hard drive that makes storage available via the local network for all devices in your office or home via the internet. This can be done via WiFi or internet cable, and storage is managed via the web browser. A NAS is stable enough to stay on for a long time.

You make an automatic back-up on a network drive at your office. You also make a back-up on an external hard drive that is kept elsewhere.

• Efforts:
  • one-off file transfer
  • monthly back-up
• Requirements:
  • stable network
• Costs:
  • network drive
  • extra hard drive
• Disadvantages:
  • You might forget to take your hard drive to the other location
  • You do not have access to colleagues’ files

Scenario 2: Local + NAS + external server

The NAS connects to an external server to send a copy of the back-up. After the initial ICT work, this requires less maintenance than you might think, and the cost is also not very high.

The external server replaces the external hard drive kept at another location. An IT specialist automates the back-up process to the external server.

• Efforts:
  • one-off major configuration
• Requirements:
  • network
• Costs:
  • annual server costs
  • annual ICT costs for server management
  • one-off cost to install the back-up
• Disadvantages:
  • If something goes wrong, you need someone who understands the issues

Scenario 2a: Local + NAS + Cloud storage

A variation on Scenario 2 where the external server is replaced by a cloud storage location.

The prices for cloud services have dropped significantly in recent years. NAS software allows easy connection to a cloud storage service of your choice. This requires minimal set-up, less than with the external server in Scenario 2. Cloud storage services specifically aimed at back-ups emphasise affordable high storage capacity and file version support.

• Efforts:
  • low
• Requirements:
  • network
• Costs:
  • annual cloud storage costs
• Disadvantages:
  • The control is out of your hands

So please note: Google Drive and Dropbox are not full back-ups. A careless colleague can still delete a file, which in some cases can be irretrievably lost. There are specific cloud services that focus on backing up.

Scenario 3: Best practice 3-2-1-1-0

The 3-2-1-1-0 method is the new best practice. The old method, 3-2-1, dates back to the time when back-ups were made on tapes and before the prevalence of cloud services. As is often the case with best practices, this is not feasible for every organisation.

3: Keep at least 3 copies of your crucial data. 2: Store back-ups on 2 different types of storage media, e.g. 1 back-up on an external hard drive and a cloud storage service of your choice. If this is not possible, choose 2 different brands of hard drives to store 2 copies of your crucial data. 1: Keep at least 1 of the copies at an external location. 1: Offline back-up version. For example, an external hard drive that is only connected to make a back-up. This extra step has become relevant since the rise of ransomware. 0: Ensure you have verified back-ups without errors. This can be automated.

• Efforts: medium to high, depending on the required configuration and automation.
• Requirements:
  • reliable storage media
  • robust back-up software
  • access to external locations
• Costs: initially higher due to the need for extra storage media and possibly external locations, plus maintenance costs for monitoring and verification
• Disadvantages:
  • increased complexity and costs
  • may require more maintenance and monitoring

Test and document

It’s important to document the restore procedure, so you don’t lose much time if fate strikes. Make sure you have a document that explains where your files are and how you can restore them. If necessary, document how to re-install all the software and load emails back into your email software/application.

Please note: regularly check that back-ups are complete, and test whether the data can indeed be recovered. You should occasionally perform a random sample with several files as a minimum. If it works, you can rest assured.

Author: Joris Janssens, (PACKED vzw), Henk Vanstappen (PACKED vzw) and Lode Scheers (meemoo)