VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

Mike Harrison

Some of us make manual file backups, whether immediately after making a recording, editing; or hourly, daily, etc. Some of us use an automatic, scheduled backup.

Is there a way to automatically back up files immediately (or within just a few minutes) after recording, editing, etc. rather than having to do it manually or wait until the next scheduled automated backup session? While this approach would seem to practically guarantee failsafe backups...

If I remember correctly, the radio station I last worked for used a RAID array for on-air use, which almost immediately copied files. However, again, if memory serves, if a file somehow becomes corrupted or even just inadvertently changed, any existing copies of that file will be "updated," resulting in multiple copies of a corrupted or inadvertently changed file. So this doesn't seem to be a good idea.

How do you handle your audio file backups?
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georgethetech · Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 11:53 am Post subject:

Mike:
So many options here.
I've used a 1TB Dropbox for 4 years now to keep all of my work files. It syncs in nearly real-time, stores them in the cloud, and I can get to them on my multiple devices very easily.
I also have Crashplan, another cloud backup solution.
I use TimeMachine on my Macs for local backups, which are close to real-time.
If you are looking for redundancy in your hardware, a RAID 1 Mirror drive is the way to go. If 1 of 2 drives dies, you lose nothing. If you want massive amounts of space, try a Drobo, which expands as you need to by swapping out the smallest of the 5 drives as they fill up.
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ballenberg · Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 12:37 pm Post subject:

George,

With Crashplan sunsetting their personal accounts, what's your best replacement choice? The small business account is a lot pricier

Bish · Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2018 7:04 am Post subject:

Mike,
If I'm understanding you correctly, you are trying to solve two problems here:

1) Immediate backup of saved file.
I would simply use an external (or internal if you have multiple HDD on board) mirrored RAID system. You are protected against an immediate single disk crash. Personally, I use a USB3 Drobo.
... or, you could simply work in a folder that's synced to Dropbox (or similar)

2) Security copy of saved file if it a) become corrupted, or b) is inadvertently changed.
In a) how does the file become corrupted?... usually a HDD failure of sorts. It should be solved by solution 1)
In b) it's all human error. If you have an automated system to immediately secure the integrity of your files, then it also secures the integrity of human error screw-ups. The backup cannot tell the difference between inadvertent and advertent* changes. The only way you can do that is to have a complete version history of past saves as with Time Machine... but even that can only work on a schedule (I use daily... hourly is the default, but quite intrusive).

The problem is that when the system says, "This file already exists, do you want to replace it?" we always say "Yes" while muttering a curse... when we should always use the "Keep both" option Smile

*advertent : not a word, but it should be.
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Jason Huggins · Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2018 9:56 am Post subject:

I do a local and a cloud backup.

I have a 4tb external drive where I save all my data (all project files, auditions, documents, everything). I should use a RAID drive, but I don't at this point. I have considered it.

I then use Crashplan as my online backup. It automatically backs up when I'm not using the computer, is 100% transparent when I'm actually on the computer (so no issues with Source Connect latency or something, and I've been using both for years with no issues), creates a new version of the backup every time it backs up so if I mess up a file (which happened with my Quickbooks once) I can just jump online and download the file from right before it got messed up, and it isn't terribly expensive.

The new Crashplan business account is a little more expensive, but it isn't terrible AND it is WAAAAAAY better than any other solution I've tried.

Unlimited storage for all drives (including external drives), doesn't steal all your bandwidth while it is backing up, intelligently monitors your computer so even if it is scheduled to backup it will recognize if you are using the computer and will wait until your are done (settings are very granular).

No other online backup that I've tried matches the functionality and transparency of Crashplan.

Tim Jackson · Joined: 21 Nov 2017 Posts: 23 Location: Salt Lake City, UT

I also do a local and several cloud backups.

I record directly to a folder that gets immediately backed up on Dropbox. When I render, it goes into a separate Dropbox directory that gets backed up with IFTTT to SoundCloud as private files. Since neither of those spaces is infinite, I periodically go through and archive to Google Drive. When I was setting this up, the IFTTT recipes to auto copy files to Google Drive was broken, so I use Dropbox.

A bonus of SoundCloud is that I can also mark the private files downloadable and then can deliver to the customer with a simple link.

Every 60 minutes the folder backed up to Dropbox also gets backed up to my local 'cloud' (maybe more of a fog), when then gets backed up to a duplicate set of disks nightly.

Complicated and super redundant? yes. But I had lost files in the past, before I set up this scheme, and don't want it to ever happen again.

Jason Huggins · Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 10:08 am Post subject:

Doesn't SoundCloud convert files to a compressed format that degrades audio quality? I could be wrong, but I thought when upload full quality files for sharing they are converted to mp3 or something.

Tim Jackson · Joined: 21 Nov 2017 Posts: 23 Location: Salt Lake City, UT

True, SoundCloud streams all audio at 128 kbps MP3, but the download is the original file.

Streams work OK for auditions and the client will want to download the final anyway.

JohnV · Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2018 6:53 am Post subject:

Just a note that DROPBOX has discontinued their use with older MAC OSx systems.
This affects folks like me running legacy hardware (Mac G5's and early iMac and MacBooks under 10.4.11 and 10.6. cool

I am becoming a self-contained island ...
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