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Ask HN: What do you use to backup your data?

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21–30 of 41 posts

Re: Ask HN: What do you use to backup your data?

#22
I use JungleDisk on both my desktop and my personal file server. The desktop has it on both the Ubuntu and the Windows partition. I use it for the irreplaceable stuff like documents and pictures on the server, and for application data on the desktop. Laptop intentionally has zero irreplaceable data on it. I couldn't be more happy with JungleDisk despite RackSpace owning it.

The file server is 2 TB x2 RAID 1, so there's some protection there - one of the disks actually just failed, and I was able to successfully recover.

I only run hobby sites, so the databases on those I'm currently just backing up to AWS.

Re: Ask HN: What do you use to backup your data?

#24
I use Duplicity (http://duplicity.nongnu.org) for incremental and full backups. It has built-in encryption as a default (but can be disabled). It also manages secure transfert to a distant host via rsync over ssh.

I use it to store my distant backups on http://rsync.net, which is most likely the best storage service I have ever used (simple, fast, reliable, relatively cheap and run by smart + nice people).

Re: Ask HN: What do you use to backup your data?

#25
I use a cron job that wakes my machine in the night and starts TimeMachine.

Independent of the tm backup, I also mirror my disk with carbon copy cloner every night.

Carbon Copy Cloner was one of the main reasons why I stayed with macs. A great software that is perfectly supplemented with Time Machine, IMHO.

Re: Ask HN: What do you use to backup your data?

#26
I use Git to keep track of all my code. It lives on either Github, Dropbox, or AeroFS.

Movies, Music, eBooks live on a WD World Book and aren't backed up. (no real need since I can download them all again)

The few servers that I managed are backed up by http://sourceforge.net/projects/automysqlbackup/ and pushed to an s3 bucket. Code is always in a Git repo so no need. Images and other data from user uploads are backed up by http://s3tools.org/s3cmd

http://www.dokuwiki.org/dokuwiki is used to keep track of changes I make to my.conf, http.conf, php.ini, etc. Backup is done by s3cmd again.

Images of my son are saved using AeroFS since there's no size limit.

Business documents are stored using Dropbox and Google Docs (nothing too confidential)

For documents that are pretty important, they are stored off line on a printed piece of paper and stored in a filing cabinet. IRS documents, Business contracts, etc.

Re: Ask HN: What do you use to backup your data?

#27
post #23

Dirvish

Dirvish is really nice (if you know how to fire up a text-editor)

I run dirvish at my backup server and it fetches the data from other servers over ssh. So I have a central place to configure and monitor my backups.

(I guess that everyone at one point was about to restore some backup, only to find out that this specific server stopped pushing it's nightly backups ... somewhere last year)

Re: Ask HN: What do you use to backup your data?

#28
post #27
post #23

Dirvish

Dirvish is really nice (if you know how to fire up a text-editor) I run dirvish at my backup server and it fetches the data from other servers over ssh. So I have a central place to configure and monitor my backups. (I guess that everyone at one point was about to restore some backup, only to find out that this specific server stopped pushing it's nightly backups ... somewhere last year)

That's how I do it too. It's really neat.

Re: Ask HN: What do you use to backup your data?

#29
On my Mac I've started using Arq: http://www.haystacksoftware.com/arq/

Before that I tried Mozy, iDrive, and a straight Time Machine backup. After multiple external HD failures and frustrating experiences with Mozy and iDrive (100% CPU for multiple weeks on end, extremely slow upload), I've been quite pleased with Arq.

On my non-Mac machines I just use s3cmd sync: http://s3tools.org/s3cmd-sync. I guess I could use JungleDisk, but why layer abstraction on something as simple as a file copy? :)

Re: Ask HN: What do you use to backup your data?

#30
Additionally, I am looking for something that I can setup and forget. I am helping a friend of mine, he owns a retail store, setup a backup system. They do daily backups to usb drives to go offsite. I just got them a nas box, and I want to setup something that would backup all 3 of their computers main files into the nas. Just for extra layer of protection. So I am looking for something that they would not need to touch, totally automatic.
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