Data backup / source control

[Eco]

Hello, everyone!

Does anybody use backup or source control software? Is it critical for you to store your code and data safe and back it up often?

As for me, I don't use any software of that kind at home. At work, we store our code on server and use our very simple in-house tool to synchronize it. But, I think, it's not so convenient as it could be. And not really safe.

Now I'm in the process of consideration to new backup ideas and software. In my opinion, a perfect backup tool should be able to transfer data from my laptop or flash drive to any drives I choose (local network drive, my destop PC's drive, remote drive) - requiring just a single click. Of course, it would be fine, if that tool would ask me to pre-choose drives or to create "backup scenarios". And it should be fast and easy-to-use, with nice interface .

And the most attractive feature I'd like to have - it's the possibility to make an emergency backup of the critical data really fast and in pre-given order (for example, the data marked as "critical" first, then the data marked as "important" and so on). And it would be really perfect, if the backup tool would be able to detect "low power" or "power off" signals from UPS (do they exist, btw?) and to make such a backup automatically.

Any thoughts and suggestions are very welcome.

[ZeHa]

I'm using TortoiseSVN at home. I don't have a webserver, which is sad, so I just use an external harddisk. That way, I have two copies, one on my laptop and one on the harddisk. Unfortunately, SVN doesn't work with FTP uploads otherwise I'd just use my webspace, which of course gets backuped automatically. Since I can use any path, even network paths (the external harddisk gets accessed over network in my case, because it's not directly connected to my laptop), I wonder if there might be some special tool which acts as glue between SVN and FTP...

One main advantage of SVN compared to "normal" backup systems is that you can always create spin-offs of your current code base, which is great for experimental stuff. Of course, you can also get back your code from every desired time, which might also be useful for a "lonely developer", not only for teams.
And I'm using Tortoise instead of the cmd-line because it nicely integrates into the shell menu and it even marks your file icons with a little symbol, so that you know which files have changed and which are still in their original form. Pretty cool actually

If you have a webserver, I'd definitely recommend it, since it gets backuped by the provider already. That would be the perfect solution. But even with an external harddisk it's good. Keep in mind though that the directory will always grow and never shrink, so use a big harddisk and not some USB stick

[Danimal]

http://dreamhost.com/ comes with SVN installed, only 8 bucks a month.

[ChrisP]

http://dreamhost.com/ comes with SVN installed, only 8 bucks a month.

As it happens, that's what I use - DreamHost SVN. When on Windows I use TortoiseSVN to access it (best SVN client ever); when on Linux I use the standard command-line svn client.

Before my current project, I didn't bother with version control software. Now that I've tried it, I'm never going back! It not only backs up your project, but also allows you to look back in time and see what changes you made, and when; and, assuming you always fill out the commit log properly, even why you made them. That's been very useful more than a few times.

[jcottier]

You could use Perforce: http://www.perforce.com/
They have a 2 users evaluation demo. If you are on your own at home, it is a perfect tool to source control your code and your data.

JC

[ChrisP]

I think now would be a good time to point out that Subversion (SVN) is free. (Except for hosting costs.) Perforce may be faster, but I've never found SVN to be particularly slow.

Still, if Perforce works well for you than who am I to disagree.

[oNyx]

[...]I wonder if there might be some special tool which acts as glue between SVN and FTP[...]

Sort of. There are various backup tools (eg Cobian Backup), which allow you to execute programs (or scripts) prior (and after) the backup task and which also allow you to use ftp as target.

I execute some python script called "hot-backup.py", which performs a so called "hot backup" of the repository. That is... the repository can be still used during the time the backup is performed.

[svero]

We run subversion and I use tortoise svn at home. Mostly for code tracking/backups. Data files are backed up separately.

[VaderSB]

Thumbs up for TortoiseSVN!

[Nikos Beck]

I use Subversion at work.

At home I work alone so I use copy-and-paste. I know, it's very cutting edge. My biggest concern isn't with revision management but with reliable backup. Every few days I zip the project and copy it to my second hard drive and to a USB drive. If my hard drive dies then I have two backups to go to. I get revision management but saving complete copies of the project that I can look through. I have the ability to lose two of three drives and still have my project intact.

At a previous workplace, backups were make to CD-R. There were six CD-Rs, one for each night of the week except friday. Every monday I used the "monday" CD-R. I had four for fridays that I recycled each month. The last friday of each month I burned a monthly CD-R to be archived in a safe. The nightly copies were saved in a fire-proof box and monthly backups were kept off-site. Sometimes that meant the bosses car.

[supagu]

tortise svn here, and i use a program called robocopy to replicate the repository to all my computers, also planning to add an offsite backup as all my computers (3 of them) are in the same room, so fire would not be good for me :P

i store code, exported and source data in the repo.

[Bad Sector]

RapidSVN on Linux, TortoiseSVN on Windows. The server is in a cheap PVS.

[ZeHa]

@ oNyx: Cool, maybe I'll look at it. Of course, putting the repository on an ftp-server afterwards is something I should have come up with by myself
But one thing would be still missing: checking out from the ftp-server. Or would that still work somehow? I don't think so...

[Nikster]

I'm running perforce, with the db deamon running natively on my buffalo linkstation NAS Linux is great for not having to have a dedicated PC on that's running the SCM.

jcottier: when did they change the licensing system to 45 day trial ? version I have was unlimited for up to 2 user :/

[jcottier]

when did they change the licensing system to 45 day trial ?

didn't notice this, sorry. I don't know when they change it. My version is unlimited too.

JC

[Pyabo]

I use Perforce also. They must have changed their license very recently, because I just downloaded a new copy and installed a few weeks ago.

It's a *wee* bit expensive if you actually have to buy it.

[stiill]

TortoiseSVN on on externally-accessible, password-protected box, so that I can work from anywhere if I need to. I mostly work from 1 box, so it's not really necessary to replicate. Still, the SVN box is separate, for safety. Currently, it's actually on a friend's box-- free offsite SVN ftw!

I also use Mozy for offsite backup, which is pretty sweet and pretty cheap. It's not for version control, just for apocalyptic data failures.

My drives are also configured in a RAID-5, so can withstand one HDD failure. I've had multiple HDD failure before, though, so that's just a small level of convenience backup. (If you have to grab your data off Mozy or SVN, you're still reinstalling your OS. Rebuilding a RAID drive is much easier.)

[vjvj]

Subversion for the win IMHO. It rules and is free.

I used to run it off of a crappy local server but now I use Dreamhost's. Works great and no problems.

[stiill]

As for me, I don't use any software of that kind at home. At work, we store our code on server and use our very simple in-house tool to synchronize it. But, I think, it's not so convenient as it could be. And not really safe.

Also, I'm a little slow on the uptake here, but... are you saying you don't use version control software for your source code at work? If that's the case, I don't care if you're coding the cure for cancer and only have 1 day left to finish it, it's time to stop coding and install subversion. :P

[oNyx]

[...]
But one thing would be still missing: checking out from the ftp-server. Or would that still work somehow? I don't think so...

Well, you cant use your ftp server as central repository. But you can at least use it for off-site backups. And if something happens to your central repository you can roll it back with the latest backup.

If you want that your central repository is online, you either need apache with mod_dav or you could use some SVN hosting (with automatic off-site backups and all that neat stuff). The monthly rates for that are 5-20 bucks.