Backups Aren't Simple
4 hours ago
- Data loss is inevitable; everyone will face it at some point.
- The first principle of data safety is having a backup copy stored elsewhere.
- Backups should support point-in-time recovery (snapshots), not just mirroring.
- Recovery Point Objective (RPO) determines how often backups are taken.
- Backup rotation (e.g., GFS: daily, weekly, monthly) balances storage and restore needs.
- Deduplication via hard links saves space and bandwidth by storing only changed files.
- Challenges include permissions in Docker containers and consistent database dumps.
- Physical security requires the 3-2-1 rule: 3 copies on 2 media types, with 1 offsite.
- Cloud storage adds complexity; use tarballs to preserve metadata and reduce costs.
- Rolling your own backup system is error-prone; use proven tools like Borg or Restic.
- Regularly test restores (e.g., every 6 months) to ensure backups work.