Separately stored automated server backups or snapshots?

Posted By on December 30, 2015

doiconDigital Ocean’s cloud based servers have me debating which is best for the MyDesultoryBlog.com in a worse case scenario?  Do I continue with the $1/mo automated backups 4 times per month or go with the no-charge manual “Snapshops?”  The $12/yr charge in the short term is probably reasonable but would have preferred a daily image even though I’d never do that manually. Perhaps I’ll stick with the automated for a month to see just how reliable the cloud-based server is before moving to manual “Snapshots” (along with my usual sFTP backup and database “dumps)?

Scaling:Snapshots can provide an easy way to scale out a system: you can take a snapshot of a current server and spin up a new droplet from the snapshot. As soon as the process completes, you will have two identical servers to bolster your setup.

Backups: While automated backups make sure that is always a version of your system available in case of trouble, snapshots have the added benefit of being possible at any time. A snapshot could be taken prior to making any drastic changes to a server configuration, so that, should the changes be unsuccessful, you will have a version to revert back to.

Comments

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
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