No backup? No pity!

I have been using Borg Backup to back up my data for several years. I have been using Linux for a long time and am familiar with the console. However, if you prefer a graphical user interface, you can use one of the GUIs, such as Pika or Vorta.

A major advantage of Borg Backup is the space-saving backup of redundant data through Deduplication. Backups can be created on local media, but also on remote computers. Another very important feature for me is the encryption of the backup.

Manual backup #

At home, I back up all my data in the /home/tim directory according to the 3-2-1 backup rule:

• At least 3 copies (the original counts)
• on at least 2 data carriers,
• of which at least 1 is external.

I start the backup process about every two weeks as required. I can’t automate this. After all, I have to fetch the hard disks that are stored off-site first.

System backup #

In addition to my user data, I also back up the operating system in an additional backup. Just a few days ago I discovered the tool Timeshift, which also supports LUKS-encrypted media. It creates a weekly snapshot for me and can hopefully restore it - I haven’t been able to try it out yet. The video, in which the functions are presented individually, is worth watching.

Automatic backup #

I handle backups a little differently on my rented vServer. I have various services running there that I want to back up individually. I have also installed borgmatic for this purpose, as it makes it much easier to set up the various backup configurations for Borg Backup. It also simplifies the backup of databases (MariaDB, PostgreSQL) and offers a number of other interesting features, such as the regular check of the backups for consistency. After all, what good is a backup if it cannot be restored in an emergency?

Cloudy - backup in the cloud #

The backups of my vServer are created on a Storage Box BX11 from Hetzner, which supports Borg Backup as well as other services such as SFTP, SCP, CIFS and WebDAV. Since I also operate my vServer at Hetzner, I can only allow network-internal data traffic. The storage box is then not accessible from the Internet, which means extra security. Time-controlled snapshots can also be set up.

Nextcloud #

One of the services on the vServer is a Nextcloud. I also back up the calendars and address books as .ics and .vcf files to make it easier to restore them. I use the ingenious shell script calcardbackup for this.

What could possibly go wrong? #

The advantage of automated backups is that you don’t have to worry about it. The disadvantage of automated backups is that you no longer have to worry about it.

The daily backups are not only hopefully created correctly and are available in an emergency. I don’t have the time for daily checks, so I use the services of Healthchecks. After every successfully created backup, the vServer pings Healthchecks and reports: All Roger! The backup times are known to both sides. If there is no ping, the sirens start wailing. In my case, this means that I receive emails and Pushover notifications on my smartphone.