Backup tips and strategies for Artists

In this article we'll take a look at common backup typesand strategies, data compression, and common backup mediatypes. The article will end with generalbackup tips.

COMMON BACKUP TYPES

A full-backup consist of making a copy of all importantdata. When you copy a folder with important files,from say a hard drive to a floppy, you actually makea full-backup of those files. Due to simplicity,this approach is the most reliable of all backuptypes. Its main advantage is ease of backup creationand restoration. The main disadvantage is that thebackup will use as much space as the important data. Ifthe data is large, the backup process can be veryresource intensive in terms of time and the processingpower needed to carry out. Imagine the time needed tofull-backup a digital library consisting of millions ofbooks. Such operation takes days.

An incremental-backup works differently in that it backsup only the modified files since the last backup. Whenusing this method, a full backup is created first andthen incremental backups are run on regular basis. Forlarge amounts of data this method is often the onlypractical way to backup. It takes up less space than afull backup and is less resource intensive to run. Onthe other hand, contrary to full backups, incrementalbackups need dedicated backup software to keep track ofwhat files to backup.

ESSENTIAL BACKUP STRATEGIES

Regardless of the backup type and data, the followingbackup strategies should always be followed:

- backup should be taken on a regular basis
- backup should be automatic and need as little human supervision as possible
- backup should be stored in a safe remote location
- backup should rely on well established hardware and software technologies

Backup should be taken on a regular basis. The morefrequently the data changes the more often it shouldbe backed-up. For example, some of my most frequentlyupdated files (website files, source code, notes,etc.) are backed-up daily. Files that are lessfrequently updated are backed-up monthly.

Backup should be automatic. Except for the initialconfiguration of the backup program and the occasionalsupervision, the whole backup process should be automaticand completely transparent. That is, the backup shouldrun by itself without causing any attention unlessnecessary.

Backup should be stored in a safe remote location. Shouldthe location of the important data get damaged,destroyed, or exposed to theft - a remotely stored backupbecomes invaluable. How remote? Disasters like fire,flood, tornado, earthquake, etc., can cause widespreaddamage. Ideally a backup should be stored in a far awayenough, minimal risk location.

Backup should rely on well established hardware andsoftware technologies. Such technologies are typically inwidespread use - thus cheaper and easier to troubleshoot,or get help in the event of failure. As establishedtechnologies become gradually replaced by new andbetter ones, so should the backup media and hardwareand, if used, the software to re/store the data. Thereis no guarantee that the common backup media of today,like CD or DVD, will be usable in ten years. The sameis true for software. A good data preservation strategyshould include continual migration of the backup datato mature and well established technologies of the time.

A BIT ABOUT DATA COMPRESSION

Compression makes data smaller and thus is a popularbackup option. Its main advantage is lower backupcost due to lower space use. The downside is the timeneeded to compress the data and later to uncompress itfor restoration.

Many compression formats exist. Each format use somesort of compression method called an algorithm. Thereare two types of data compression algorithms: "lossy"and "lossless". Lossless compression reduce the datasize without modifying its content. Lossy compressionmodify the data content to make it even smaller thanlossless compression.

Some compression formats, like MP3 or JPG, are highlyspecialized. They use lossy algorithms and produce verysmall file sizes but can only compress a particulartype of data. Other formats, like ZIP or BZIP2, areof general purpose. They rely on lossless compressionalgorithms and can work on any data. However, they willnever outdo special purpose formats like MP3 or JPG.PNG and TIFF are popular image file formats which supportlossless compression.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of lossy compression,JPG, MP3 or any other lossy format degrade the originaldata to some extent. In other words, saving an image ormusic in a lossy file format will make it different thenthe original. Usually the difference, called compressionartifacts, is so small that most of us don't see orhear it.

For the above reasons, lossy compression should neverbe used when saving important data. Only losslesscompression is suitable for that. PNG and TIFF areexamples of image file formats that support losslesscompression. Such formats are ideal for storinghi-resolution master images.

CONSIDER YOUR NEEDS

Some additional issues need to be considered whendesigning the most suitable backup strategy for own use:

- the type of backup files
- if compression is desired, what compression to use and how
- backup storage media

As noted earlier the best backups are simply copies ofimportant data. Such approach works especially well forartists who rely on compressed image formats like PNGor TIFF.

Note the difference between "built-in" image compression,done every time you save an image in a format thatsupports it, and compressing the backup data - appliedto all backup data regardless of what it is.

What backup compression to use, and if to use it at all,depends on the type of backup data. Generally,text files (TXT, HTML, XML, etc) can be compressedthe most of all file types. Images that have beencompressed with their own algorithms (PNG, JPG, TIFF,etc) can't later be compressed much if at all. Imageswhich don't have own compression (BMP, TGA, etc) canoften be compressed quite a bit, though this depends onthe actual image data.

Thus if most of your important art data consist ofimages that are already compressed, there is no need tocompress the backup. Text files on the other hand, canbe compressed a lot and save significant amount of space.

There are a few other things to consider when compressingbackup data. What compression program to use and howto compress the files.

ZIP is the most commonly used compression format today -it's fast and compresses well. It's been around for along time and is universally available. But there areother, less known, good alternatives. For example,7ZIP, RAR, and BZIP2 compress significantly better thanZIP and are only slightly slower.

Finally, how to compress backups. Basically one caneither create a compressed archive of many files, orcompress each file individually. The main disadvantageto creating a compressed archive is the possibilityof loosing all files in the archive if the archivegets corrupted and can not be recovered. On theother hand, if files are compressed individually onelooses only one file - should it get corrupted and beunrecoverable. Additionally, since a compressed fileuse less space than uncompressed, it's less likely toget corrupted. Thus it's more safe to compress filesindividually.

WHICH BACKUP MEDIA TO USE

The commonly used backup media today are hard drives,tapes and CDs/DVDs. Hard drives are the fastest andoften the best option for large amounts of data. They arealso the most expensive and not very durable. Tapes areslow but can store a lot of data and can last decades.CDs/DVDs are probably the most common backup media usedtoday due to its very low cost. Unfortunately, justlike hard drives, most have a relatively short expectedlife span of between two to five years. Internet backupsolutions are also becoming a popular backup option.

Reliability is important to consider when choosing thebackup media. How robust is the media and for how longcan it retain the data? The quality of the media playsa significant role here. All media degrade over time,but some degrade more than other. Most of the low costburnable CDs have a life span of around two years. Higherquality CDs can last up to five. Very high qualityCDs with a gold layer are expected to last decades.Generally, if the handling and storage conditionsare good, quality media should last at least few yearswithout data loss. However, unless the best quality mediais used, an annual full backup is probably the safestprevention against data loss due to media degradation.

A combination of different media may often be the idealsolution. For example, some of my own backup practicesinclude using an external hard drive to mirror (update)certain parts of my computer hard drives. Twice a yearI burn all important data on several DVDs.

THE NECESSITY OF VERIFYING BACKUPS

The most important aspect of taking backups is makingsure they are error free. The backup data may proveuseless if corrupted due to media or other error.It's good practice to immediately test the backup forits validity. Errors will be detected and a new backupcan be taken right away. Any respectable backup programprovides an option for data verification. What good isa backup if its data is corrupted?

FINAL NOTES

Depending on your needs a dedicated backup software maybe a necessary investment. Make sure to research thiscarefully. Usually, products from reputable companiesthat specialize in certain solutions are best. There arealso many good open source or free software alternatives.

It's best to avoid products which rely on proprietaryor closed solutions. For example, a backup softwaremay store the backup data in an unknown format onlysupported by this particular backup software. Avoidthat. If the company goes out of business and thebackup software breaks, your backup data may be lostforever. Look for products that rely on well known,mature, and ideally open technologies. For example,PNG is an open format for storing image data. What thismeans is that the specification, or blueprint, for thatformat is publicly available for anyone to use it. Thisincreases compatibility and reduces reliance on anyspecific vendor or product.

Most artists important data consists mainly of imagesand 3d files. To save space rely on PNG, TIFF or JPGfor bitmap image formats. Vector images and 3d filescan be compressed individually if needed. A basicbackup software that simply copies specified filesor directories to the backup media may be all thatis needed. It's best to make two sets of the backupdata and store each at different location. One closeto home, like a friends place, or a bank box and theother far away.

Setting up a proper backup strategy may initially requirea significant amount of time and cost money. There isa lot to research and consider. In the end however,a good backup procedure will prove an exceptionallyvaluable investment. As you read this, your screen couldgo blank due to a hard drive crash. All your valuabledata - years of work, reference images, documents,photo albums, 3d files, email, etc., - could be lostforever. Unless you were prepared and took a backup.

 
 
About the Author
Dawid Michalczyk is a freelance illustrator and an artist.He has been creating computer graphics since the early 90s.To see examples of his work and other writingsvisit his website at http://www.art.eonworks.com.He can be reached at dm@eonworks.com

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