Backup your data

To avoid accidental loss of data you should:

• Backup your data at regular frequencies
  • When you complete your data collection activity
  • After you make edits to your data
• Streaming data should be backed up at regularly scheduled points in the collection process
  • High-value data should be backed up daily or more often
  • Automation simplifies frequent backups
• Backup strategies (e.g., full, incremental, differential, etc…) should be optimized for the data collection process
• Create, at a minimum, 2 copies of your data
• Place one copy at an “off-site” and “trusted” location
  • Commercial storage facility
  • Campus file-server
  • Cloud fire-server (e.g., Amazon S3, Carbonite)
• Use a reliable device when making backups
  • External USB drive (avoid the use of “light-weight” devices e.g., floppy disks, USB stick-drive; avoid network drives that are intermittently accessible)
  • Managed network drive
  • Managed cloud file-server (e.g., Amazon S3, Carbonite)
• Ensure backup copies are identical to the original copy
  • Perform differential checks
  • Perform “checksum” check
• Document all procedures to ensure a successful recovery from a backup copy

Description Rationale

To avoid data loss, and to retain information held in earlier versions, it is valuable to back-up your data at frequent intervals and in multiple locations.

Additional Information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backup
http://www.carbonite.com/
http://aws.amazon.com/s3/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incremental_backup

Cite this best practice:

DataONE Best Practices Working Group, DataONE  (July 01, 2010) "Best Practice: Backup your data". Accessed through the Data Management Skillbuilding Hub at https://dataoneorg.github.io/Education/bestpractices/backup-your-data on Mar 01, 2024