One of those topics we often talk about in support and on our forums is being diligent about backups. At a minimum, an external hard drive and Time Machine are much better than no backups. But for a more robust backup strategy, think: 3-2-1. The 3-2-1 backup strategy is a good way to minimize data loss. Simply stated: keep three copies of your data, on two different types of media, with one copy stored offsite. Here’s a quick overview, with your DEVONthink databases as the example.
Three copies of your data: One copy is the database you’re working on. The second copy is on your primary backup. We advocate a local backup using an external hard drive and Time Machine or a similar snapshot-style backup application. This gives you immediate access to your backups in an emergency. The third copy is a redundant backup.
Backed up to two separated media: Your two backups should be stored on different media, ideally on a different type of media. So, if your primary backup is on an external hard drive, the second backup could be a network-attached storage (NAS) or an online backup via an appropriate backup application, e.g., Arq. But of course, a second external drive is better than no redundant backup.
With one offsite copy: An offsite copy is a safety measure in case of extreme circumstances. Fire, theft, floods, weather, etc. can affect a single geographic location, leaving you in a situation where your local backups, including redundant ones, could be lost. Many people still store backup hard drives in a separate physical location like a safety deposit box in a bank. Sounds old-fashioned, but that can come in handy if the worst happens. If your third copy is online, that counts as an offsite backup.
We hope this encourages you to stop and take a look at your data safety and start or resume your backups today!
To qualify as a backup, the copy must be disconnected from the original data such that damage to the original data won’t affect it. That’s the entire point.
Under that definition, no form of “synchronization” qualifies, since the entire point is to duplicate the current state of the data, no matter how damaged it might be.
Yes, this is true and we’ve covered it in the documentation, written about it in other blog posts, and I’ve mentioned it on these forums, likely ad nauseum
A backup is restorable; a state container to restore data from a certain point in time. A sync location’s state is only static when nothing is syncing, otherwise it is in flux.
And a backup is ideally application agnostic. Even if a backup app uses proprietary mechanisms to do its bookkeeping, raw file retrieval via the Finder should be no different than using any other Finder folder. Our sync does not provide that and it’s not built for it.
Thanks for sharing this. I appreciate keeping the 3-2-1 strategy abstract, but I’d love to see a concrete, budget-friendly and hassle-free example for a typical Mac/DEVONthink user.
Currently I just use Time Machine with an external drive. What would be the simplest sensible way to add the third/offsite copy?
For example: Mac + Time Machine + Arq/cloud backup? If so, could someone please recommend a storage provider with zero to none configuration hassle and relatively low cost? thanks!
By “typical user” I simply mean someone who uses DEVONthink regularly, but isn’t an advanced user and doesn’t have extensive experience setting up or maintaining sophisticated backup systems.
Basically, someone who just wants a reliable, reasonably priced, low-maintenance backup setup without having to become a backup expert.
I use time machine. I have a weekly to do to prompt me to plug in an external drive and time machine does its thing. This is my ‘on site’ back up.
I have Arq installed and configured to do hourly back ups onto a cloud drive (happens to be a folder on Onedrive as I got lots of space with my 365 subscription). My offsite copy.
For extra security, I have a weekly to do to run the DT supplied export applescript that creates a zip file of each database. I have modified the script to output these zip files to a folder on dropbox. An alternative offsite copy.
In the event of disaster, to restore a db I would try Time Machine first, then Arq as these can get me close to my last db updates. The zip file may be a week old but it is belt and braces if all else fails.
I have Arq looking at a set of specific folders as I was only interested in my data. For example: Applications, Databases, Documents, Music, and Pictures. I had trouble with it when it tried to do everything (lots of errors reported in the logs). I suppose I could add Library and a few other user folders for scripts etc. but I keep a copy of all the scripts I use in a scripts folder in documents
I’m not going to be specific about what you should do. I’ll explain what I do. Keep in mind that over the years every single one of my many laptops (since mid '80’s) crashed. Not so much Apple’s, but has happened. But backups also essential for when I buy a new machine (every 5-7 years or so).
TimeMachine on MacBook. Set to backup EVERYthing (entire machine with no exclusions) with destinations multiple places–a Synology NAS on local network (every hour), and when connected to a USB Solid State Disk (probably gets a backup 3-4 times a month when I think of it). I had same when I also had an iMac (which has been retired).
Arq on MacBook. A Third party product backup where I daily backup /users/* (important stuff) directed to a) Arc’s remote server, b) a ~/Backups/MacBook folder on the Synology NAS, and c) another USB Solid State disk that takes a backup when connected (probably 3-4 times a month when I think of it). Also have DEVONthink Archive Backups set to be created and saved on the local ~/Backups/DEVONthink folder which has an Arq Backup Plan set to backup to the Synology NAS ~/Backups/DEONthink folder. My DEVONthink stuff is “precious”.
Dropbox Backup (not sync) on Synology NAS. Daily backups of Synology NAS of all my /user/, /backups, and /archive/ files directed to offside Dropbox’s backup service (not sync service).
One can argue and take exception that I have too many targets to send backups to. Maybe. But since it’s all scheduled/automated, who cares? I don’t–speaking as one who has had to restore numerous individual files to fix blunders (usually from TimeMachine) or whole machines over the years.
Finally, I do test restores from each of these targets at least once a quarter. Confirms that all automated stuff is working, and perhaps most importantly helps me remember that the targets exist and how to restore.
“Belts and Braces”, for sure. But what I have running.
Edit: doing a search on the internet for 3-2-1 backup examples will give you a lot of ideas.
And just here comes the real-world reminder what we make the backups for: My work MacBook Pro suddenly went dark last weekend, out of the blue, and could not be woken up again. The Apple Store diagnosed a main board failure which in turn means I had to get a new MacBook. I make regular backups with Arq and Carbon Copy Cloner. The latter creates and updates full snapshots on an external hard drive and can be used as a restore medium for the on-launch migration assistant. It took me less than an hour to restore everything with the many password dialogs and Touch ID checks being the worst part.
So I do weekly full backups with CCC and evening backups with Arq.
Not sure I’m a “typical” user; I would classify myself as technically proficient compared to the general public but definitely not a techy person (I know what various Mac settings do but rarely use Terminal and can’t code). But here’s my setup:
My system is mostly a compromise on robustness and laziness, and an unwillingness to pay for a cloud service. It’s intended for personal use (there are no professional works involved, though much of my accrued note-taking from my career is in DT).
I have one external hard-drive that I plug in and run Time Machine with whenever I feel like it diligently every week without fail That captures the whole drive.
I have a second external hard-drive that I plug in and download dated database zips of each of my databases, a copy of a couple of folders on my Mac that live outside DT, and whatever stuff I’m accumulating on iCloud. I do this manually whenever I remember to run Time Machine every few weeks.
I have a third external hard-drive that’s a manual copy of all my media (I’ve come off music streaming). That’s also just a copy and paste job to add new folders since I last backed up. I tend to do that whenever I’ve bought something and arranged the new files.
For me, this basically means I have two copies of everything - the Time Machine copies that should be serviceable in case of catastrophic failure, and the manual copies I actually trust of all my files.
I live in the UK so generally speaking the likelihood of a weather or home disaster is fairly low for me, and I always put my drives away as soon as I’ve backed up, so I will know where they are in an emergency.
Anyone using arq to backup iCloud synced folders…? I almost settled for Dropbox Backup but they explicitly advise against using it with the folders which are already synced to other cloud services.
I’m using Arc … there is a setting to take copies:
I use Dropbox Backup on my Synology NAS, not MacBook. Frankly, though, I’m surprised to see that qualification from Dropbox as I would have though if the other third party sync service set for “offline” or whatever words they use – if available – would be ok. But I’ve never looked into it.
(I know what various Mac settings do but rarely use Terminal and can’t code). But here’s my setup:
That captures the whole drive.
