All Software development companies have experienced the harrowing moment of accidentally deleting a file, overwriting hours of work, or facing a sudden system failure. World Backup Day (March 31) is a reminder that backups are not optional but necessary.
At Swapps, based on our experience and what we have learned the hard way, we want to remind you why it is so important to have backups.
Why Backups Matter for Developers
Code Repositories Can Fail: GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket have outages. A local backup ensures you’re not locked out.
Data loss is costly: Hours of work searching for possible copies or solutions, starting from scratch or reprocessing, and even losing the client are very high costs that can occur for your company.
Security Risks: Ransomware and cyberattacks can wipe out unprotected files. Backups bring a safety net and peace of mind for stakeholders.
Pixar reminds you of the relevance of protecting your data
Remember the story of Pixar, when in 1998, one of the 150 workers of Toy Story 2 erased, by a mistake in the commands, 90% of the film, and thanks to a copy that Galyn Susman had at home, it could be recovered and completed.
Data Resilience Key Aspects
Availability and Accessibility: Ensuring data is available and accessible when needed.
Data Integrity: Maintain data integrity, even during failures or interruptions.
Rapid Recovery: Implement strategies for fast and efficient recovery in unexpected events.
Best Practices for Backing Up Your Assets
Apply the 3-2-1 Rule:
3 copies of your data.
2 different media types (local + cloud).
1 offsite copy (external drive or another server).
Automate Your Backups: Use tools to create a backup and recovery solution for cloud, virtual, and physical data. Determine the frequency of backups and the Backup storage location.
Use Git Properly: Push changes frequently and consider mirroring your repositories across multiple platforms.
Database Backups: Automate MySQL/PostgreSQL dumps and ensure they are stored securely.
Test Your Backups: Regularly check your backups to prevent copies from being damaged or corrupted.
Factors to consider when choosing a backup tool
Identify the type of data you need to back up: files, folders, entire disks, operating systems, etc.
Backup frequency: Do you need daily, weekly, or monthly backups for your data?
Backup storage location: For example, an external hard drive, cloud, or network location. This depends on the speed, internet dependency, or control you are willing to accept or delegate to manage your business performance.
Additional features: These enable encryption and compression of the data.
Budget: Remember that some tools are free, but you must evaluate their scope and risk.
Final Thoughts
At Swapps, we want you to take care of your data. Data is a company’s most valuable asset, and this means protecting your customers. Don’t wait until a disaster happens to remember the importance of backups. Make March 31 the day you review and improve your backup strategy. Happy World Backup Day!