How to Backup: Use Remote or Online Backup Storage

The disciple came to the master, and said: "I now use backup software which automatically backs up my entire hard drive every day, am I now following the true way of backup?"

The mastered replied: "See this field here, it has seen fires, floods, droughts, and snow. Yet flowers still blossom there. You must understand their secret. They store their most important information in seeds, and those seeds they spread far and wide, by wind, water, and wings of birds. So too, you must spread copies of your backups far and wide, then your data will also survive disasters like fires, floods, droughts, and snow."

The disciple agreed that this was wise. But he did not apply the teaching to his backup strategy. He thought to himself: "Such disasters will never happen to me!" But that very night, thieves broke into his home and stole his computer equipment, including all his backups.

The distraught disciple came to the master and stuttered: "I have failed, for I have lost all my data!"

The master replied: "Be of good cheer, for I saw your lack of faith, and I took one of your backups, and sent it to my sister on the other side of the country, you can get it from her." After a short pause he continued with a smile: "But you must wait many days, for I sent it by donkey mail."

The disciple replied: "I have now learned my lesson, I will not rely on only having backups of my data on-site, I will also keep some copies off-site, but surely this chore can also be automated?"

"As the flower engages external forces to distribute its seeds, we can engage the services of an online backup service," replied the master. Next Page...


Prologue	Totality	Regularity	Continuity	Locality	Longevity	Security	Integrity	Epilogue