Backup Backup Backup!!!

Linus Torvalds has an interesting way to backup his stuff !!!

This is the second blog post about backup. The first one was about doing your backup based on a hard drive crash experience I got.

This blog post is about a rule that I discovered last year called: Golden Backup Rule.

Before talking about this topic, I will also suggest a backup plan for your contacts. Since everything is broken on the internet and digital world... Try to duplicate your contacts on multiple social networks or communication channels (e.g. messenger, sms/phone, email, WhatsApp, ...).

I got some friends that got blocked or can't interact with those services for a couple of days...

3-2-1-1-0 Golden Backup Rule

The 3-2-1-1-0 Golden Backup Rule is a hardened version of 3-2-1 designed to survive (e.g. hardware failures, disasters, ransomware) and I found this rule on this website.

Keep 3 copies of your data:
- 1 primary (what you use day-to-day)
- 2 backups

Store them on 2 different types of media (ex: internal SSD/HDD + external USB drive, NAS + cloud).

Have 1 copy offsite. Somewhere physically separate: cloud backup, a drive stored at a friend's place / office, a second location/site.

Have 1 copy offline or immutable:
- Offline: a backup drive that stays "disconnected" most of the time, or tape
- Immutable: storage that "cannot be altered/deleted" for a set period (WORM / object lock / immutability)

0 Zero errors (verified). Backups must be verifiable, not just "it ran" (checksums / hash verification, backup logs + alerts, regular restore tests / actually restore files).

The main goals are:
- avoid a single shared failure mode wiping everything
- protect against fire, theft, flood, power events, etc
- ransomware or oops I deleted it...

Simple and strong example setup:
- Your PC (primary)
- A NAS at home (automatic backups + versioning/snapshots)
- Cloud backup (offsite)
- A rotating USB drive kept unplugged (offline)
- Monthly: restore a few random files to prove it works (the 0)

[TL;DR version]
The 3-2-1-1-0 Golden Backup Rule
- 3: Maintain three copies of your data (1 primary + 2 backups)
- 2: Store backups on two different media types (e.g., NAS + cloud, HDD + tape)
- 1: Keep one copy offsite (cloud or a different location)
- 1: Keep one copy offline or immutable (air-gapped drive, tape, or object-lock/WORM storage)
- 0: Zero untested backups (verify with logs, checksums, and regular restore tests)

Old Pictures / Screenshots

I revisited some old screenshots and pictures from my backups and here are some findings. Above are 2 characters from World of Warcraft.

I wanted to create a Paladin called Cecil because I'm a huge fan of Final Fantasy IV but it was already taken so I added a Z at the end. It was the same pattern for the Lich King expansion. I looked for Kain (Dragoon from FFIV) but it was already taken so I've decremented --Z and created a character named Kainy.

I also used this name for my game streaming application that I released in 2012 also called Kainy.

The Cataclysm expansion was the last one I tried. One day I created a character and used the button "Randomize" and the game gave me the result above.

I played the game in english and the word marde in Quebecker / French Canadian language is the version of French merde, meaning shit.

Above is a picture of my desk at Ubisoft's Studio at Nagoya where I worked on Nintendo DS games.

At the beginning, my desk was almost empty but overtime, the plush toys population grew. After the job, I often stopped at Arcade machines between the studio and my hotel and I played Taiko no Tatsujin and some UFO Catchers.

I'm not into toy collections but I like to play UFO Catchers to grab some prizes.

Another picture when Ubisoft sent me to another studio around the world. This time it was in Milan, Italy where I spent 6 months there to help a team on a DS game. This picture is where I lived at the hotel (The pizza was really good).

The first time I saw a kitchen closet. You open that and you have everything to cook (burners, sink, ...). Also I have a picture before and after italy and it was the opposite of the biggest loser show.

A very old picture from the early 90's where I played Metroid at my uncle's house. At the time, I carried my Nintendo almost everywhere...

I bought a "NES" with Contra and Super C (japanese versions) the third time I went to Japan. It was for vacation and I spent 3 weeks visiting Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.

I used the money I got for when I ported my game streaming app called Kainy on OUYA for this awesome trip.

[Tip of the post] The last part was more about my personal content (e.g. screenshots/pictures) and events than technical topic but it was to show one important rule: don't forget to backup your stuff !!!

Thanks for reading,

JS.