The 3-2-1 rule for backups, simple and effective
Everyone knows you should make backups. Few people check whether anything can actually be recovered from them, and even fewer make sure the copy does not perish along with the original. The 3-2-1 rule is a simple recipe that solves both problems.
What the 3-2-1 rule is
- 3 copies of the data, the original plus two copies.
- 2 different media/locations: not everything in one basket.
- 1 copy off the server (off-site), in a location other than the site.
The heart of it is that "one". If the copy sits on the same server as the site, then a server failure, a break-in or the host suspending the account takes the site and the copy at once. A copy off the server survives that scenario.
A backup you have not tested is only hope
The most common drama: a failure comes, you reach for the backup, and it is incomplete, corrupted or six months old. That is why it is worth restoring the site from a copy from scratch now and then and checking that everything comes up. It is the only way to know the backup really works.
A backup is not "set and forget". It is "set, and then now and then check that it still saves you".
How often to back up
It depends on how often the site changes. A blog or a brochure site, once a week may be enough. A shop with orders every day, a daily backup is the minimum. And always before every major update.
We will set up a backup that really saves you
We set up regular copies, off-site storage and periodic restore tests, so that in the event of a failure it is a matter of hours, not losing your business online.
Not sure your backups will work when you need them? Reach out, we will check.