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computer_stuff:backup [2012/11/12 17:19] Michael Torrie [Backup Software] |
computer_stuff:backup [2012/11/17 09:56] (current) Michael Torrie [External Disks] |
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| Your first line of defense against losing data is to have a copy of all important files stored on a disk that is external to your computer. Secondary back-up destinations can also include other computers you own, or commercial “cloud” services. Having more than one external backup disk and method (such as the “cloud”) is a good strategy. | Your first line of defense against losing data is to have a copy of all important files stored on a disk that is external to your computer. Secondary back-up destinations can also include other computers you own, or commercial “cloud” services. Having more than one external backup disk and method (such as the “cloud”) is a good strategy. | ||
| ==== External Disks ==== | ==== External Disks ==== | ||
| - | External disks are spinning hard disks in a little plastic case that attach to the computer via a USB cable. They can be purchased in storage capacities equal to or greater than your computer’s internal disk, depending on your needs. There are generally two physical sizes (dimensions), which represent the physical size of the drive within the enclosure: 2.5” and 3.5”. New solid-state drives are becoming available and they are physically smaller, though more expensive. External drives can be purchased at your favorite on-line retailer, a big-box store in Lethbridge, or from smaller computer retailers. | + | External disks are spinning hard disks in a little plastic case that attach to the computer via a USB cable. They can be purchased in storage capacities equal to or greater than your computer’s internal disk, depending on your needs. There are generally two physical sizes (dimensions), which represent the physical size of the drive within the enclosure: 2.5” and 3.5”. Sometimes sites call these |
| + | "Portable" and "Desktop," respectively. New solid-state drives are becoming available and they are physically smaller, though more expensive. | ||
| For larger storage needs, over 1 TB, external drives are often 3.5”. These drives require a power cord to be plugged in, as well as the USB cable to your computer. These drives cost between $100 for 1 TB to $150 for 3 TB (prices in CAD, as of November 10, 2012). Consider that most home computers have between 0.5 TB (500 GB) to 1 TB drives in them usually. | For larger storage needs, over 1 TB, external drives are often 3.5”. These drives require a power cord to be plugged in, as well as the USB cable to your computer. These drives cost between $100 for 1 TB to $150 for 3 TB (prices in CAD, as of November 10, 2012). Consider that most home computers have between 0.5 TB (500 GB) to 1 TB drives in them usually. | ||
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| Other external drives are 2.5” and can be purchased in storage sizes up to 1 TB. These do not require a power cable to be plugged in; they plug in with the USB cable only and get power from your computer through that cable. Some of them have a cable with two USB ends on them. If the drive does not work with only one end plugged in, plug the other one in as well (one cable that plugs into two USB ports). 2.5” hard drives cost between $50 for 0.5 TB to $100 for 1 TB. | Other external drives are 2.5” and can be purchased in storage sizes up to 1 TB. These do not require a power cable to be plugged in; they plug in with the USB cable only and get power from your computer through that cable. Some of them have a cable with two USB ends on them. If the drive does not work with only one end plugged in, plug the other one in as well (one cable that plugs into two USB ports). 2.5” hard drives cost between $50 for 0.5 TB to $100 for 1 TB. | ||
| - | For simplicity and convenience, I recommend the 2.5” external hard drives. The storage capacities they offer are sufficient for most people’s needs, they are reasonably priced, and need no extra power cord. | + | __For simplicity and convenience, I recommend the 2.5”, or "Portable" external hard drives__. The storage capacities they offer are sufficient for most people’s needs, they are reasonably priced, and need no extra power cord. |
| When you buy an external hard drive for use with Macintosh computers, do not worry about buying a drive specifically for Mac OS. Any USB external hard drive will work. After purchasing it, you will want to use a program called “**''Disk Manager''**” (in the Utilities folder in your **''Applications''**) to re-initialize the drive to use the Macintosh format, “**Mac OS Extended (Journaled)**,” and give it a useful name. | When you buy an external hard drive for use with Macintosh computers, do not worry about buying a drive specifically for Mac OS. Any USB external hard drive will work. After purchasing it, you will want to use a program called “**''Disk Manager''**” (in the Utilities folder in your **''Applications''**) to re-initialize the drive to use the Macintosh format, “**Mac OS Extended (Journaled)**,” and give it a useful name. | ||
| - | Most of the time I recommend that an external disk be unplugged and powered off when not in use. There are exceptions to this, which I will detail later in the section on backup software and also Time Machine. | + | __Most of the time I recommend that an external disk be unplugged and powered off when not in use__. There are exceptions to this, which I will detail later in the section on backup software and also Time Machine. |
| - | External hard disk drives are similar to what is already in your computer. They typically spin, and so they can fail mechanically. Even solid-state disks, which are becoming popular, can physically fail. For this reason, you may want to consider two external disks and alternate between them when backing up your files. And every couple of years consider replacing the oldest drive with a brand new one. | + | You can buy external drives at big-box stores, such as Future Shop or Best Buy, and also from Wal-Mart, Costco, and most other stores that have electronics and computers for sale. |
| - | You might also want to store one disk at a different location from where your computer is located. For example, at another’s home, or at work in your office drawer. In the case of a fire or another disaster, your photos may be as important to you as your legal and financial documents. | + | |
| + | As well, you can buy from an online retailer. Here are a few links: | ||
| + | * [[http://www.newegg.ca/External-Hard-Drives/SubCategory/ID-414|NewEgg.ca]]. Click on 2.5" on the left side of the page to see the portable drives. | ||
| + | * [[http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=sr_nr_p_n_feature_five_bro_1?rh=n%3A667823011%2Cn%3A!677211011%2Cn%3A2404990011%2Cn%3A2409503011%2Cn%3A2409504011%2Cp_n_feature_five_browse-bin%3A2419637011&bbn=2409504011&hidden-keywords=external&ie=UTF8&qid=1353170847&rnid=2419635011|Amazon.ca]]. If link does not work, go to [[http://amazon.ca|amazon.ca]], and go to the "Electronics," "Computers & Accessories," "Memory Cards & External Storage," "External Hard Drives," "Portable" category. Or just search for "Portable External Hard Drive." | ||
| + | * [[http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/search.asp?keywords=2.5%22+external+hard+drive|TigerDirect.ca]]. | ||
| + | * [[http://ca.buy.com|Ca.Buy.com]]. Search for 2.5" external hard drive. Buy.com's web site is very hard to search compared to the others. | ||
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| + | External hard disk drives are similar to what is already in your computer. They typically spin, and so they can fail mechanically. Even solid-state disks, which are becoming popular, can physically fail. __For this reason, you may want to consider two external disks and alternate between them when backing up your files. And every couple of years consider replacing the oldest drive with a brand new one__. | ||
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| + | __You might also want to store one disk at a different location from where your computer is located. For example, at another’s home, or at work in your office drawer. In the case of a fire, theft, or another disaster, your photos may be as important to you as your legal and financial documents__. | ||
| But at the very least have one external disk at all times that your important files are on. | But at the very least have one external disk at all times that your important files are on. | ||
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| ==== Another Computer ==== | ==== Another Computer ==== | ||
| If you have two computers in a house, you can copy important files from one computer to the other. This can be done over a network, for example, through your wireless network, or by some other means. There are software packages which will continuously back files up between computers over a network connection (wireless or with a network ethernet wire). I will talk about this software more below. | If you have two computers in a house, you can copy important files from one computer to the other. This can be done over a network, for example, through your wireless network, or by some other means. There are software packages which will continuously back files up between computers over a network connection (wireless or with a network ethernet wire). I will talk about this software more below. | ||
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| Privacy is often a concern when you send your data off into the Internet. Most services will ask you to set up a password that is used to encrypt the data to provide at least some measure of privacy. Do not lose this password as it is impossible to get your data back if you forget it. The back-up service companies cannot retrieve your password for you if the password was used in any way to encrypt your data on their disks. | Privacy is often a concern when you send your data off into the Internet. Most services will ask you to set up a password that is used to encrypt the data to provide at least some measure of privacy. Do not lose this password as it is impossible to get your data back if you forget it. The back-up service companies cannot retrieve your password for you if the password was used in any way to encrypt your data on their disks. | ||
| - | These cloud services could still fail despite their attempts at redundancy, and you could lose your data stored in them, or lose access to your data. However the chances of that happening are much, much, less than your own computer failing. So when used in conjunction with external disks, they provide an added layer of safety that, though usually at a cost, is affordable. Free cloud services work too if your needs are not too great in terms of storage space (just a few gigabytes). Also you can use more than one service to get an added layer of redundancy as well. | + | These cloud services could still fail despite their attempts at redundancy, and you could lose your data stored in them, or lose access to your data. __However the chances of that happening are much, much, less than your own computer failing__. So __when used in conjunction with external disks, they provide an added layer of safety that, though usually at a cost, is affordable__. Free cloud services work too if your needs are not too great in terms of storage space (just a few gigabytes). Also you can use more than one service to get an added layer of redundancy as well. |
| Personally I prefer to have my own external disk back-ups as well as these cloud services, but if you only wish to do one or the other, the cloud services just might be appealing to you. | Personally I prefer to have my own external disk back-ups as well as these cloud services, but if you only wish to do one or the other, the cloud services just might be appealing to you. | ||
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| Most of the software I described previously do not do this. For example, if you edit a document and then back it up, the previous version of your file that was on the backup is over-written. Also if you delete a file, the backup software usually deletes the file off the backup. If later you wish to un-delete the file, you are simply unable to. Time Machine addresses these shortcomings. | Most of the software I described previously do not do this. For example, if you edit a document and then back it up, the previous version of your file that was on the backup is over-written. Also if you delete a file, the backup software usually deletes the file off the backup. If later you wish to un-delete the file, you are simply unable to. Time Machine addresses these shortcomings. | ||
| - | The biggest problem with Time Machine is that in order to function as designed, your external drive has to be plugged in and powered on the entire time. This means that the chance of the drive failing is now at least as good as the chance that your own computer’s internal hard drive will fail. Thus if used by itself, or with only one disk in constant use, I am hesitant to call Time Machine (or any backup software that requires the disk to be constantly plugged in) a fully reliable backup. If you used multiple hard drives with Time Machine, and rotated between disks on a periodic (monthly, perhaps) basis, then I am comfortable with it as a backup, and a very powerful backup system as that, because of the ability to track file changes through time. | + | |
| + | The biggest problem with Time Machine is that in order to function as designed, your external drive has to be plugged in and powered on the entire time. __This means that the chance of the drive failing is now at least as good as the chance that your own computer’s internal hard drive will fail__. Thus if used by itself, or with only one disk in constant use, I am hesitant to call Time Machine (or any backup software that requires the disk to be constantly plugged in) a fully reliable backup. If you used multiple hard drives with Time Machine, and rotated between disks on a periodic (monthly, perhaps) basis, then I am comfortable with it as a backup, and a very powerful backup system as that, because of the ability to track file changes through time. | ||
| So it’s fine to use Time Machine, just be aware (and I have seen this happen) that any external hard drive that is spinning will fail eventually. And this applies especially to the Apple Time Capsule product: it’s a single disk and it spins all the time. It will fail. It’s not enough for a backup by itself. | So it’s fine to use Time Machine, just be aware (and I have seen this happen) that any external hard drive that is spinning will fail eventually. And this applies especially to the Apple Time Capsule product: it’s a single disk and it spins all the time. It will fail. It’s not enough for a backup by itself. | ||
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| “Cloud” backup services provide a second, important layer of backup. Usually the service provides software that you use to “sync” your important files on the computer with a remote server located somewhere in the Internet (that’s the “Cloud” part). One nice thing about these services is that the software they provide continuously backs up your computer to the service. So as you add photos or work with documents, within a short time, a copy is stored on the Internet. Files in these services are encrypted and aren’t easily accessible by others, so don’t think that your files are there on the Internet for anyone to see. Many of these services also allow you to, with the use of a password, access your files from anywhere in the world, as an added benefit. | “Cloud” backup services provide a second, important layer of backup. Usually the service provides software that you use to “sync” your important files on the computer with a remote server located somewhere in the Internet (that’s the “Cloud” part). One nice thing about these services is that the software they provide continuously backs up your computer to the service. So as you add photos or work with documents, within a short time, a copy is stored on the Internet. Files in these services are encrypted and aren’t easily accessible by others, so don’t think that your files are there on the Internet for anyone to see. Many of these services also allow you to, with the use of a password, access your files from anywhere in the world, as an added benefit. | ||
| === Caveats === | === Caveats === | ||
| - | There is a myth about cloud services, however, that needs to be dispelled. Many people think that if they upload their data to the “cloud” that someone else is taking care to back their data up to off-line external disks or old-fashioned tape so that if a disaster hits a data server center, they won’t lose anything. This is not true. These cloud services store your files on large arrays of disks (thousands of disks), arranged in such a way so that entire disks can fail and the data is not lost. There is redundancy built in, but not backup. Should their entire disk arrays fail (in a hurricane or earthquake, for example), you will lose your data. However the chances of this happening are much, much smaller than the chance of losing your own computer’s single hard drive. Also companies try to spread your backup out among many data centers across North America. So while cloud backup is better than no backup, it’s not a completely sure thing. Of course no backup is completely sure. That’s why a cloud service is simply a convenient addition to your backup arsenal to reduce your chances of data loss. | + | There is a myth about cloud services, however, that needs to be dispelled. Many people think that if they upload their data to the “cloud” that someone else is taking care to back their data up to off-line external disks or old-fashioned tape so that if a disaster hits a data server center, they won’t lose anything. This is not true. These cloud services store your files on large arrays of disks (thousands of disks), arranged in such a way so that entire disks can fail and the data is not lost. __There is redundancy built in, but not backup. Should their entire disk arrays fail (in a hurricane or earthquake, for example), you will lose your data. However the chances of this happening are much, much smaller than the chance of losing your own computer’s single hard drive__. Also companies try to spread your backup out among many data centers across North America. So while cloud backup is better than no backup, it’s not a completely sure thing. Of course no backup is completely sure. That’s why a cloud service is simply a convenient addition to your backup arsenal to reduce your chances of data loss. |
| Also, cloud backup services require you to upload your files to them over your internet connection. If your ISP limits you to so many gigabytes per month, be aware that the backup might exceed that. Some cloud backup software lets you “throttle” or limit how much bandwidth the software will use. If you have a large number of photos to back up this way, it could take months to copy everything to the service the first time. After that, new files could be uploaded much more quickly. | Also, cloud backup services require you to upload your files to them over your internet connection. If your ISP limits you to so many gigabytes per month, be aware that the backup might exceed that. Some cloud backup software lets you “throttle” or limit how much bandwidth the software will use. If you have a large number of photos to back up this way, it could take months to copy everything to the service the first time. After that, new files could be uploaded much more quickly. | ||
| === Free Cloud Services === | === Free Cloud Services === | ||
| Free cloud services are often paid for by advertising or other revenue streams. They don’t offer very much space but can still be useful. Here are a number of example services: | Free cloud services are often paid for by advertising or other revenue streams. They don’t offer very much space but can still be useful. Here are a number of example services: | ||
| - | * CrashPlan (http://www.crashplan.com/) -- Provides zero storage for free, but the free version lets you back up to friends’ and family’s computers via the Internet. This is a convenient way of making your own “cloud” backup system using spare space on others’ computers. The only requirement is that each computer be continuously connected to the Internet. You must specifically allow certain people to back up to your computer and they must allow you to back up to their computers. Size is only limited by available hard drive space on friend’s computer. Files you store on a friend’s computer are not readable to him or her, and files they store on your computer are not readable to you, as they are encrypted for privacy. Also if your hard drive crashes any data backed up there by others is lost as well. Likewise, if a friend's computer crashes you have backed up to, you will lose your backup data also. But hopefully if you back up to more than one place the chance of a total loss is small. | + | * CrashPlan (http://www.crashplan.com/) -- Provides zero storage for free, but the free version lets you back up to friends’ and family’s computers via the Internet. This is a convenient way of making your own “cloud” backup system using spare space on others’ computers. The only requirement is that each computer be continuously connected to the Internet. You must specifically allow certain people to back up to your computer and they must allow you to back up to their computers. Size is only limited by available hard drive space on friend’s computer. Files you store on a friend’s computer are not readable to him or her, and files they store on your computer are not readable to you, as they are encrypted for privacy. __Also if your hard drive crashes any data backed up there by others is lost as well. Likewise, if a friend's computer crashes you have backed up to, you will lose your backup data also. But hopefully if you back up to more than one place the chance of a total loss is small__. |
| * Mozy (http://mozy.com) – Provides 5 GB of backup space for free. | * Mozy (http://mozy.com) – Provides 5 GB of backup space for free. | ||
| * DropBox (http://www.dropbox.com) – Provides 2 GB of storage for free, and software to backup files from Windows or Mac. Can also be used to share a large file with a friend. | * DropBox (http://www.dropbox.com) – Provides 2 GB of storage for free, and software to backup files from Windows or Mac. Can also be used to share a large file with a friend. | ||
