Sometimes the possibility to encrypt is offered by the backup software (e.g., GoodSync) but otherwise there are stand-alone solutions that you can use such as VeraCrypt. There are different types of encryption and the best systems balance safety and efficiency. Modern encryption scrambles data using a secret value or key known only by the person who makes the backup. Regardless of the backup format (blocks or file-based) you may or may not encrypt your backups. However, a manual backup requires some discipline. I can see what has been backup’ed (which gives me trust in the backup), and I can restore any individual file without the need of dedicated software. The screen dump shows one of my Cubase mixing projects in their native file-based format. Backup of files from my Windows computer to Strato HiDrive, which I made manually. Note, that I do not longer use the Acronis software but currently use the GoodSync backup program. These proprietary tib files are binary files (blocks) that can only be read (restored) by the Acronis software. tib files contain the files and folders that were backup’ed. Image 2: Backup of files from my Windows computer to Strato HiDrive with use of Acronis True Image. Although there are advantages for storing backups in a specialized format (e.g., tib files), I generally prefer to backup all files and folders in there native file-based format such that I can see what I have backup’ed and such that I can directly access any file or folder without the need of dedicated backup/restore software to restore (or inspect) the file (image 3). A block is a raw storage volume filled with files that have been split into chunks of data of equal size (see image 2 below). However, this mostly applies to backups that were made and stored in some kind of special format (blocks) by the backup program. Therefore, in general, I don’t trust backups. For me there were always two considerations:īased on my experience I know that I hardly ever need any of my backups (but we want to be safe, right?) but when I need them it sometimes turned out that the backup could not be restored (e.g., because it became corrupted without me knowing). Once you decided where the backup your files you need to decide about the format of your backup. Unexpectedly, the second disk of the second NAS crashed (yellow led). In the end it is a balance between investment (costs for NAS, Cloud service, power consumption) and risk for loosing data. Dropbox is also not free if you need more storage space than offered by the free variant, your files may reside on US computer servers (which is not a problem per se), and your backup software should be able to access Dropbox. Perhaps Dropbox is an alternative for HiDrive but I never looked into this in detail. In case my computers/NAS are stolen or my house burns down, I can still access all files from the Strato server. Finally, I have a copy of all files in the Cloud for which I use Strato HiDrive, thus located on a computer server somewhere in Europe. These NAS drives are also local inside my home. In addition, I have a backup of all files on two local Synology NAS (Network Attached Storage), currently a DS218 with 6Tbyte and a DS218 with 14Tbyte of disk space. In the last 10 years I only once had problems with a disk but even in this case I could clone 99% of the files to a new disk without having to rely on my backups. I don’t use RAID for data redundancy, although this could further improve reliability it also increases backup costs. In practice this implies that I have all (audio) files, many Tbytes, on my SATA disks inside my studio computer. I have always followed a 3-2-1 backup strategy, which implies having at least three total copies of my data, two of which are local (inside my home) but on different hard drives, and at least one copy off-site in the cloud. But you may need a completely different strategy. Below I describe my strategy and approach that is based on many years of experience (and failure to restore backups). If you do a Google search you will find many resources providing useful insights about computer backups. There are even companies that advice on this. Designing a good backup strategy involves many aspects and is not easy. Frequency, (one-third) octave, and decadeĪ frequently returning question concerns best practices for computer file backup to prevent loss of your (audio) files and projects.Volume level calibration (K-(N) system).Sound intensity, pressure, and decibels.Fender Rhodes: amplification, effects, reverb.Solutions to stream your DAW, music, microphone, (and video).(Vocal) recording and monitoring in Cubase.Spitfire BBC Symphony Orchestra Professional.Laney IRT60H Ironheart / Harley Benton G112.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |