Protecting what matters.
WHAT TO BACK UP
The database Uploaded files Configuration Anything not reproducible from code
WHAT NOT TO RELY ON
A replica, which is not a backup.
WHY
A deletion or corruption replicates immediately.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
How much data you could afford to lose How long a restore may take
WHAT THOSE DETERMINE
Backup frequency, and the approach.
WHAT TO KEEP
Several generations, not only the most recent.
WHY
A recent backup may already contain the problem.
WHERE TO KEEP THEM
Somewhere separate, and at least one copy the live system cannot reach.
WHY
So an intrusion or a mistake cannot destroy both.
WHAT TO ENCRYPT
Backups, which contain everything.
WHAT TO TEST
Restoring, on a schedule.
WHY
An untested backup is an assumption, and the commonest discovery is that something important was never included.
WHAT TO MEASURE
How long a full restore actually takes.
WHAT TO DOCUMENT
The restore procedure, stored outside the system it restores.
