Let's talk backups.
polycounter lvl 17
So. Being a fucking moron i lost a bunch of my work and realized that my backup solutions aren't good enough by far so I've been thinking alot about backups lately and I'd be very interested in hearing how you guys are dealing with it.
I currently only use Dropbox but that's just for shuffling files around between computers and sometimes backups for various art files but really, that's secondary to why I use dropbox. The downside with dropbox is that it's not automated and you must move files into it yourself.
I'd really like a program/service that sends the latest version to the big safe cloud in the sky. Alternatively a hardware solution that's not my computer or another computer in the house. I think macs have some kinda small backup box that does this?
Anyway. How do you deal with backups and what service do you use? Online storage or extra hdd?
I currently only use Dropbox but that's just for shuffling files around between computers and sometimes backups for various art files but really, that's secondary to why I use dropbox. The downside with dropbox is that it's not automated and you must move files into it yourself.
I'd really like a program/service that sends the latest version to the big safe cloud in the sky. Alternatively a hardware solution that's not my computer or another computer in the house. I think macs have some kinda small backup box that does this?
Anyway. How do you deal with backups and what service do you use? Online storage or extra hdd?
Replies
Once a project's finished, I throw it on my NAS, which has RAID-whatever-it-is-when-one-HDD-mirrors-the-other.
For me, I don't really want to rely on automatic copying of files, other than the uploading/downloading that Dropbox does, as I'd be paranoid it wasn't working as advertised. Copying finished projects to my NAS isn't any effort at all
Concepts, references, working files, finished files, builds are all on Dropbox.
The only thing I don't keep on there is a design doc, should the project need it, as that's done via Google Docs.
http://www.apple.com/se/timecapsule/ (but does it work with PC?)
http://www.lacie.com/products/product.htm?id=10520
Laurens apparently puts udk packages and the like in dropbox aswell which seems to be a good solution aswell.
EDIT: I normally use dropbox for my modeling for the above reason you mention Meph. I just didn't utilize it enough. However putting all my stuff online might not be ideal (it's quite alot of stuff) so a mix would probably be best I think. Secondary box for archiving. Online for current.
manual backup about once a month to a USB HDD which I turn off afterwards and stow away - so if a big power surge fries everything, this is safe
manual backup of work files only to my own webspace (thanks dreamhost for giving me lots and lots of space!). All I need is some easy to set up drop-box style software that runs with my own webspace (too lazy to do it myself)
Same a Glynn really.
Once projects are done I move them to a separate HD, which gets backup to another physically separate one every few months. The older something is the more likely I would lose it if I haven't done the second HD backup though. But for old stuff I tend to care less + it's finished anyway.
For UDK stuff specifically: I try to keep my things in 2-3 UPK packages at most. Everytime I start UDK, I need to open them before loading the map, and I get warnings from UDK about it even though they are safer in dropbox.
I looked into defining extra auto-load folders, but apparently it's not possible...
I'm inclined to give Google Drive a go, as I use the crap out of my Google account, and there's no doubt benefits to going the whole hog, there.
Skydrive = 7GB (Free). Google Drive = 5GB (Free).
After looking around I found that all web hosts do this same thing. Advertising nearly unlimited space, but actually only allowing maybe 25gb at most, and strict limits of what can be hosted (no backups), so I ended up setting up my own web server with some extra computer parts I had.
So now I have a 50gb dropbox account and am syncing the web server and all my dev stuff like game projects, programming projects, dev apps. To do this I use Symbolic links with dropbox, although unfortunately this only works correctly if you move the folders into the actual dropbox folder and create symbolic links in their previous locations.
So now I have my web server and game/programming projects all constantly backed up on 2 local computers, as well as the dropbox network.
It's pretty smart and does crc-checks or something on the files so if nothing have changed it will not overwrite what has already been backed up etc.
You can also point it to a external device such as hdd, nas etc. or even to a ip I think.
1) NAS / External backup box. Prefferebly wireless.
2) Dedicated HDD for all workrelated stuff - Backups to the above every other day.
3) Online Storage and/or Dropbox. Not sure if i wanna put exactly everything onto it or just what I'm currently working on. If i want to put everything on I need to get alot bigger space. Also will suck to upload and download like 50gbs.
Edit: Also I forgot I back up once a month/2 months to a external HDD.
I also have my own site where they keep bumping up the storage capacity at no extra charge so I use that also for online storage, mostly reference that I find useful for whatever project I'm working on. If I stuck all of the ref I gather for projects, in the working folder of the project it gets unwieldy quickly.
I also use Raid1 to back up my storage drive but my regular HD is rarely backed up (nothing but programs, the OS and the working files).
For everything else, it's backed up to an external HDD every so often. Lots of stuff also exists on my USB stick as well as a hard drive somewhere.
Dropbox annoyed me with a lack of options last I used it. I might look into Google Drive (got an account, but not used it yet). I'm not too keen on the syncing to a remote server thing as some of the PSD or sculpt files can easily be hundreds of MB, it's a lot of data to throw about over wifi with any real speed.
I had a nice NAS drive for that with gigabit ethernet, but I can't run cables to it in the house where I'm at now and it's painfully slow over wireless internet.
Just did a restore yesterday of a failed HDD, about 250GB of stuff, worked great. I also have a couple external drives that are mirrors of each other, for redundancy, using a nightly Syncback task to keep them updated.
http://www.lacie.com/sea/products/product.htm?id=10451
This one is a bit more and no hdd included. So I'm not sure.
http://www.synology.com/products/product.php?product_name=DS112j&lang=enu
It can be annoying if you are sharing a folder with other people to be saving every few seconds, by default you get notifications that tell you when files are downloaded. But if its just you no one is going to care.
All i had to do was go back 10 minutes in history and copy paste the old model into the latest scene.
http://www.drobo.com/
I worried alot about losing my work, so I decided id be proactive and pay £7-10 a month for the piece of mind that my stuff is stored somewhere online. Definately worth it. Living in the city, I figured that if my appartment were to ever get burgled id be most pissed about losing my files, so If i keep them elsewhere then atleast I can be happy that im not going to lose the last 6/7 years of my life.
Sorry to hear about you losing your work man, the most positive way of looking at it is that im sure that when you redo the work you'll do it better and quicker and general quality will be better throughout.
I think this came up a year or two back when someone lost their life's work that was stored on an external drive. I think his/her new plan was to have a wireless HD sitting on the network but, buried in the back of a closet or in a wall or some strange place that is hard to get to. It seems a bit extreme... until it happens... =/
my Nas is about 200 miles away
The best backup solution I've encountered by far - automatically syncs and backs up folders/files, and can sync over multiple computers, so if you need between labtop/desktop or home/work. Also starts with five gigs free - up to an additional 750 mb free and runs deals often, I've got the 30 gig of storage for only $ 25 a year. Switched form dropbox about a year ago and haven't looked back since.
It's a massive, heavy case with about 3.5 litres of water in it along with all the rest of the hardware. If they made it down the stairs without destroying their back, I'd be impressed :P
I do open the app when I'm done with my shit, and let it upload.
Just gotta hide them. Most robbers are in a hurry (except for the drunk/drugged stupid kind). They usually don't bother turning a place inside out. Nobody's going through all your books or plates and pans and looking what's behind them.
Just don't keep your only backup right next to your PC. Hide a NAS somewhere (may be a problem with Wifi/cabeling) or just do a monthly backup and hide the media somewhere. Super paranoid people can also rent a safe deposit box at a bank....or if you can afford to lose more, copy everything to a HDD and deposit it with parents/relatives/etc. and then update it every 6 months/year.
Kwramm, that's a good point.
http://active.tutsplus.com/articles/news/quick-tip-versioning-your-files-with-dropbox-via-webdesigntuts/
sugarsync link - https://www.sugarsync.com/referral?rf=bn9f9586xbyoa&utm_source=website&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=referral&shareEvent=458386
Along with that I use a few WD 2TB HDD, got them back when newegg had them on sale months ago for like $60 a piece.