How to protect backup from failure with a drive?
How can I ensure that the data in a backup isn't corrupted? Of course, I could run the backup as a RAID array. But I only want to use one hard drive.
If errors occur on this hard drive, I won't notice them at first, as far as I know. Or are there ways to monitor this a bit better? It would be enough for me to be able to intervene as soon as the first problem occurs, even if data in the backup has already been lost. It's enough for me to prevent the data from becoming "nothing" at some point, without me noticing the gradual deterioration beforehand.
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Backup programs have the option of checking whether a backup also has the appropriate integrity and is without error.
Acronis, for example, because the backup can also be validated.
Thank you. That was an important information.
Not at all.
You can check if the data gets corrupt. But this is very computationally intensive, your CPU would be almost permanent to 100%. This can be implemented for smaller folders.
Has a reason why all big companies keep their data for decades on tapes…
Just for the sake of interest: How?
And what would you recommend instead to secure the backup?
https://parchive.github.io/
This is one of the most sensible solutions. Such an art zip archive with redundancy installed so that operation can be repaired.
Simply overwrite several copies and not the old copies, but simply, for example, every 6 months a copy and place them away.
Yes, then the RAID reports to me as soon as checksums no longer fit.
But I have now learned that backup programs often perform such integrity checks. If the backup is matched with the source system and if the backup contains error, there is a warning.
Then you did not solve the problem with corruption.
Because the problem is that you don’t know what version in your raid is the corrupt and which isn’t.
Depends on the file type, but most usually do not give you an error message that they are corrupt.
And a backup of the power is more unfavorable.
If I delete a file, it will remain in a backup running as RAID. That’s what I meant.
A RAID is not a backup. If the PC burns, it won’t help you. And if you miss the file, it’s gone with a RAID.
You usually have two kopien, so if a file is corrupt, you don’t know which is the corrupt and which is the correct one.
A RAID is not a redundancy, but a fast availability.
Okay, and what about a backup in a RAID?
Maybe not for each, but for every second or third. And you just put them in the closet. If one is corrupt, you take an older one.
With just one hard drive next to your main plate, tdu definitely doesn’t have a good backup solution.
This is already solved by software. But I can’t connect a new hard drive for any backup.
Data to digitally secure is complicated and expensive, but also depends on which data throughput you have and which data must be stored in a backup.
You can use different methods, for example, you can save the data on an external hard drive and if you don't get the cheapest you can keep it through for a while.
You could rent a cloud and create your backup. You need to take care of nothing, have access to all your devices and you don't have to worry about the backup. Disadvantages are the monthly costs which, depending on the cloud size, can be quite high. I'm not reading what are good providers for a cloud now, but pCloud and Luckycloud are two companies that are still in my mind.
Another method would be your own NAS at home, then you have to take care of everything yourself. The costs for this are not irrelevant either.
At the end, it will determine the value of the data and the amount of which memory form is useful for you. When it comes to photos, the best backup is an expression you store dry and dark.
A backup on only one single medium is in principle not a good secure backup! In addition, it is also uncertain to keep the backup media connected online, i.e. to the computer to be secured. With this you give viruses, Trojans on the one hand as well as computer hardware problems all chances to destroy your backup!
A professional backup uses at least three media that are alternately connected to the system to be secured. A non-active plate can also not “lost” data in the sense that it is correctly stored.
RAID does not have the least to do with backup! This is a high-availability system which secures disk failures, data losses do not secure RAID.
My advice: Say goodbye to the “one-plate” “backup” “!
So from my private experience: It makes sense to have checksums from all files… For example, md5, sha1, etc… To determine integrity, CRC is also sufficient.
I actually had a case with myself privately: several backups from previous years, which I wanted to merge… on different disks were different files corrupt: different checksums. I only had comparative lists. That was a lot of work.
Whenever you want to check the content, you run a program/script that calculates the checksum from each file and compares it to the stored one. To make sure the files are still readable and intact.
There are also file systems that have installed something like this and probably also various backup solutions…
Since I work with Linux myself and rather write my own scripts than working in various programs, I can give you little concrete on the way… On Linux, for example, you have the program “md5sum” with which you can form checksums of files (and also compare them with entries from a text file). The ZFS file system has already integrated various integrity checks, redundant storage… optionally.
But that actually has little to do with a good secure backup… Good backup software also verified. And if you separate the backup media from the computer after the backup — what should break then, provided proper storage. Whoever leaves his backup medium constantly on the computer makes a basic error.
A hard drive is not a backup.
The backup is on the hard drive.
A single hard drive, which is still in the computer, is definitely not a secure backup!
It’s none. Not without a reason, backup is one of the most difficult topics of IT.
I don’t have a real backup at home either. I synchronize my main plate to 2 more and sporadically on a plate that is normally not connected. Important data is additionally saved in the cloud, sensitive data is stored in a crypto cloud.
If you mean. Do what you want.
It’s not about versioning, it’s about the falk security of the hardware.
Of course, a copy on another hard drive is a backup. So don’t be sworn and be more targeted instead of giving your colorful life history the best.
Okay, but that’s absurdly complicated. Then I can run the backup on a RAID. Versioning is supported by the backup program. For versioning, I don’t need several drives!
Then take at least 2 hard drives. Just close one and change daily. Nothing is perfect and cheap then.
If a fuse really does what you know, you only know when you make a restore somewhere. You’re gonna be throwing hard drives.
It’s not about an academic definition or a “hyper backup”. On the contrary, I am concerned that I can restore individual files with some luck at small invest.