The DAM Book, 2nd Edition

Chapter 6. Backing Up and Validating Data

The purpose of backing up your files is to make sure that your image archive can survive any of the hazards that await digital data. In principle, this is a straightforward process. Copy all of your files to some other device(s), keep the backup somewhere safe, and use it to restore the data in the event of a problem. If you are a one-computer user and everything you want to preserve can fit on one hard drive, it can be nearly as simple as this.

For many of the readers of this book, however, things are not so simple. The images you want to back up may not even be on one computer, much less on one hard drive. You probably have multiple versions of the images. Which ones do you keep and how do you keep that straight?

In this chapter, as in the previous one, we’ll first go over backup technology and practices, then we’ll take a look at some specific implementations with step-by-step instructions. Finally, we’ll look at ways to validate the existence and integrity of your image files and what to do if something goes wrong and you need to use your backups to restore files.

• Primary vs. Backups

• Understanding Threats to Your Data

• Backup Types

• Additional Protection

• Backup Software

• Protecting Data Throughout the Data Lifecycle

• Putting It All Together: Backup Configurations

• Data Validation

• Restoration

Primary vs. Backups

One of the most important steps in managing ...