Redundant, multi-cycle backup to multiple usb drives
I'm hoping to get some feedback on a backup approach that I'm considering. I'm trying to sort out the use of full, differential and increment in a particular scenario.
The data is on a home office network, 2 XP Pro PC's ("A" and "B"), one Linkstation network Drive. This scheme is only focused on active folders...others, like Media and Archive will have their own backup cycles. Of the active stuff there's about 4GB on the Net Drive and 3GB on the "A" (nothing "active" on the "B" PC). The Net drive material may increase in size; I'm willing to keep it organized in < 4GB chunks if needed. Paranoia factor: considered justifiable.
For simple redundancy against disk failure:
- Backup the network Linkstation to the "A" PC, and the "A" PC to the Linkstation
- incremental (maybe continuous)
- Full backup/replace every 2-3 weeks
For mitigation of risk of total system loss (fire, earthquake, etc):
- Use three WD passport drives...always with encrypted backups
1 Keep one connected to the "A" PC (for grab and run when the alarms go off, I guess)
- daily incremental backup
- maybe upload to remote storage daily
2 Keep one in the bank, cycled every 8-12 weeks, with full backup each time
- backup onto the "local" passport, take it to the bank, bring the one in the bank home, restart it with a full backup
3 Keep one in the car, rotate weekly with the one in the house
(temperature changes might be a concern, however, they won't be that extreme)
- this is the one I can't figure out
I think the fuzzy-ness in 3) is that I can't verify how Acronis "remembers" the basis for incremental and differential backups.
This is a little tricky for me to describe clearly.
It's either "X", where one there's one backup job that "remembers" based on what it finds on the disk itself. In that case, when it sees the disk that's just come in from the car, it thinks, "oh, you haven't been used for backup for week, I'll have to add the last week to you."
Or it's "Y", where there have to be two backup jobs, one for each disk. In that case, when the job for disk "alpha" sees the disk "beta" that's just come in from the car, it thinks, "Hmm, I just updated you yesteday...I'll just add one day to you." Or something like that.
So I guess the simplified question here is, how does Acronis work? Like "X", or "Y"? Or something different?
Any help with this, or general comments on this overall design, would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Thanks for input. The examples indicate this is the right direction (plus good insight into backup/recovery in general). It's going to take a few rereads to sink in. I'll post back after that.