Why is storing and backing up your data so important? Initially, we may consider the fact that, there are different types of data being stored on our modern devices, varying in their significance and emotional or financial values for the user. Many data, such as program files, operating systems, mobile applications, and other kind of software can be redownloaded and reinstalled after suffering data loss. Sure, the process of reinitializing may be a hustle, but for the most part users can restore the previous state before the data loss had occurred. Still, some programs, apps or documents may not be accessible anymore because they have been taken down from the source they were downloaded from. This is where it starts getting tricky – but it doesn’t end here. Some (private) data may be relicts of once-in-a-lifetime memories. Once gone, you can’t reconstruct or repeat them. Prominent examples for these data are pictures, videos, private documents, voice recordings, and so on. So, it seems super important to make sure backing them up and to preserve them for a very long period of time.

So there's a lot of opinion about exactly what you should use to store an do backup something for a very long time. Some may question, "I currently have images stored on memory cards, thumb drives, CDs and DVDs, which is best long term?" The off the cuff answer: probably none of the above. They all have a little bit of a problem.

Optical media, CDs and DVDs, for example. Well, as it turns out, unless you've actually purchased archival quality, they're fading as you sit over the years. They will actually start to deteriorate. This process is vernacularly known as “disc rot”. In short, the reflective layer, which contains the data, oxidizes due to reactions with contaminants, UV light damage or de-bonding of the different layers the disc is made of. The result is that the data on those discs may be lost and no longer be recoverable. That's kind of scary and exactly what you don't want when it comes to archival media.

So, what’s about flash memory? Let’s start with most common and abundantly available flash storage, such as (micro) SD cards and USB thumb drives. Good news are that this kind of flash memory is typically relatively inexpensive and that it isn’t prone to oxidation. So, we should use them to store our documents, right? Well, maybe. There's actually no sufficient data that says it's going to last any length of time. It lasts long enough for us to use them, but when all of a sudden you're talking about keeping information for years, decades, even then cheap flash memory is actually not where you should want to place your bets.

Now, there's an argument to be made that more expensive SSD, which is also a form of flash memory, could potentially last significantly longer. Again, the jury's not in on that one. The problem is that we just don't know.

So, speaking of data and experience, the recommendation when it comes to long term storage media: traditional hard drives, traditional spinning disk, ye olde magnetic hard drives should do the trick. Yes, they probably do deteriorate over time as well but the experience of many so far is that we really sort of understand how long they'll last. And it's a long time.

Hard drives are used for long term archival in a number of situations. So one thing to consider for long term archives is to copy things to an external traditional hard drive and then store that thing somewhere. So, it turns out that making copies of your data and store it on external hard drives is pretty reasonable but there may be a better way than to preserve your precious data.

              Case closed, we found our perfect way storing our data, right? Well, although pretty reasonable, there are some different ways you should consider. Something less “traditional” and more modern.

              As reasonable the use of hard drives seems, we should take a look at the way technology changes and revolutionize. Well optimized and reliable storage media has gotten obsolete and being replaced by newer technology over the past. About twenty to thirty years ago, the go-to backup storage were floppies. These were replaced by Compact Disks, which in turn were replaced by hard drives. Although very simplified and excluding some short-lived experimental storage media of the past, this example should do for now. Thing is, media has always been replaced by new. And it always will. That is, although hard drives are now considered a reliable long-term storage, how can we say that it always be that way? See, apparently, we can’t. Maybe the aforementioned Solid State Drives do the trick and prove themselves as reliable as hard drives and experts of the future are going to tell you to use them to archive your data. Whatever the future will bring to the table, it’s all about migration. That's really the only way to ensure that your data will be there when you need it, 20, 30, 40, maybe 50 years from now.

Now, one thing we haven't talked about is the cloud, right? The cloud online storage is kind of sort of its own thing. And it is, in fact a part of a considerable long term backup strategy. It describes a global network of servers, each with a unique function. The cloud is not a physical entity, but rather a vast network of remote servers around the world that are interconnected and designed to operate as a single ecosystem. The cloud can be accessed from any device that has an Internet connection, such as a computer, smartphone, or tablet. Some examples of cloud services are webmail, online storage, streaming media, and cloud computing. Wow, that’s something, sounds like an all-round talent, right? Perhaps. It definitely promises a solid solution for archiving data but also holds its own quirks and issues.

Lets start with the benefits of using cloud services for archiving your data. Most cloud services are user friendly and easy to use, featuring drag an drop or other functionalities. Your data is stored across redundant servers, that is, even if one server containing your data is corrupted, it is managed by other data centers. Furthermore, cloud storage options provide file-sharing features, which help you to share your file with other users without bringing your own hardware. Another benefit of cloud storage relates to synchronization, allowing you to sync the cloud storage data with any device you want.

On the other hand, cloud service providers can be more expensive in the long run. While many providers offer free services, they often come with limited storage space and functionality. If you require additional storage, you may need to sign up for a premium service, which also makes you reliant on the provider's dedicated servers. This raises concerns about what would happen if the provider were to change its terms and conditions. To use cloud storage, you must either accept its terms or set up another storage option. It's important to note that when using cloud storage, the location of your data is not always certain, which increases the risk of hacking and data theft. Unlike physical storage devices, you cannot simply unplug the device to protect your data. Perhaps you may not experience a security breach, but it is possible that you may forget your login details. Additionally, if there is no network available, you may encounter difficulties. Please try again later.

Returning to the initial idea of our text, we may ask: what kind of storage do these cloud service providers utilize? Well, we don't know for sure. They use whatever is convenient for their needs. Dropbox uses hard disks of some flavor. One Drive probably uses something else. It is very likeable that the hard drives that stored photos on Dropbox, say, ten years ago, are long gone. Those hard drives have been replaced with newer ones, newer servers, whatever. They're handling, this migration of technology in the background. Ultimately, this is the proposition put forth by cloud providers: you need not concern yourself with the technical details, as your data will be securely stored.

To summarise our findings thus far, traditional hard disk drives appear to be the most durable and capable of retaining data for extended periods of time based on current experience. We also discovered that cloud services offer excellent opportunities for backing up your data, despite having some issues to consider. Good, but what now? Where should I archive my data? Should I use my own hardware or a cloud service? It's up to you. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages, but never rely on only one option. To ensure the safety of your data, remember the premise that 'if the data is in only one place, it's not backed up.'

Using One Drive or Dropbox or any online service provider is one way to have another copy of your data placed somewhere that is independent of the storage media. As long as that service exists, as long as your account isn't hacked or lost, then your data remains accessible to you. But it's only one place, so it needs to be an additional place alongside the backups, hard disks, whatever it is, you keep yourself on premises.

Oh, one more thing. Archival has another aspect to consider: formats. Nowadays, hard disks are typically formatted with either the NTFS or exFAT filing system. However, we cannot be certain that in 40 or 50 years there will be machines capable of reading these formats. This makes long-term archival on single hard drives more complicated. Although we can copy our existing data from the soon-to-be obsolete hardware to a different storage system, we must do so proactively to avoid any issues.

The issue of file formats is another challenge that is difficult to address. For example, it is uncertain whether there will be support for “.doc” or “.docx” files in 50 years, despite their current ubiquity and popularity. Moreover, if a program stores its data in a proprietary format, it is highly likely that the data will not be readable in the future. If your data is in a proprietary format and you want to archive it, it may be beneficial to save it in a less proprietary format such as CSV, which is a fundamental file format that is expected to last indefinitely. Similarly, if you have a document in an obscure word processor or another format, saving it as a PDF could be a suitable option. Printing to PDF may be the best option for saving even the most obscure file formats that do not natively support PDF.

22.02.2024