3-2-1 backups for peace of mind

The 3-2-1 backup plan means three copies of your site on two kinds of storage with one copy offsite. It gives you options if something breaks, gets deleted, or is hacked. I use this simple approach for sites I care for and you can put it in place this week.

Primary backup

• Schedule automatic daily backups of site files and the database from the live server.
• Add weekly full snapshots. A snapshot is a full capture at a point in time.
• Use incremental backups on other days. Incremental means only the changes since the last backup.
• Store backups on a separate volume not writable by the site account, and encrypt them in transit and at rest.
• Keep multiple versions so you can roll back a bad update or delete.

Onsite copy

• Replicate backups to a second device in the same environment, not the same server or disk.
• Use a different storage type, such as network storage if the primary is local disk.
• Apply short retention for fast restores, and protect the share with strict access controls.
• Monitor space and job logs so growing files do not quietly stop your backups.

Offsite copy

• Send an automated copy to a separate provider and account in a different geographic area.
• Use object storage with versioning and optional immutability. Immutability means nobody can change or delete a backup for a set time.
• Encrypt with keys you control, and store those keys in a safe password manager.
• Throttle transfer windows to avoid slowing visitor traffic during business hours.

What to check

• Perform a test restore to a staging site each month, and document every step. A staging site is a private copy used for testing.
• Verify databases, media and configuration files are included and readable after restore.
• Confirm alerts fire on failure, missed schedule, low storage and integrity errors.
• Keep written recovery contacts, passwords and keys in a secure location with a second copy.
• Review retention and success reports on a set day, and adjust before space runs out.
• After major updates, run a fresh backup and confirm it completes.

If you want this handled without surprises, I offer Web Hosting and Maintenance Plans, with Website Updates and WAF & Firewall when needed. I host and care for client websites on my own servers. AppWT Analytics helps me spot unusual behavior after a change.