My current data backup strategy

This is how I’m backing up my important personal data these days. It’s not perfect but I think it’s better than nothing.

Level one - Apple Time Machine (daily)

Pros

• Hourly backup when iMac turned on.
• On-site, attached to iMac.
• Backs up everything
• Effortless
• Relatively cheap

Cons

• On-site - will be destroyed in fire
• Could be stolen along with iMac
• Disc will fail at some point

Level two - DVD backup (weekly)

Pros

• Archive quality disc
• Less likely to fail than hard drive
• Stored off site with friends and family
  
• Relatively cheap

Cons

• Harder to manage
• Labour intensive

Level three - online backup (monthly)

Pros

• Backed up to scalable server
• Taggable

Cons

• Expensive
• Prohibitively expensive to backup music and video
  

What I’m backing up

1. Priority one
   1. Photos (iphoto)
      
   2. Music (itunes)
      
   3. Video (my flip video)
      
   4. Documents
   5. Websites / portfolio work (mamp / htdocs)
      
   6. Application serial numbers
      
2. Priority two
   1. Applications
   2. Settings