368: A Jacket and Some Pins

Backup Strategies

The hosts discuss the importance of choosing the right backup strategy for large data sets. Marco Arment emphasizes the need to be judicious about what media to back up to save costs. He suggests categorizing data to determine what is essential to back up and what can be omitted 1. John Siracusa highlights the simplicity of current solutions, noting that while future changes may require adjustments, the current methods are effective and straightforward 2.

Right now, you can do it. Right now, it's very simple. And simple in this case is a big benefit here.

--- John Siracusa

Marco also discusses the potential risks of using services like Backblaze for extensive backups, warning that misuse could lead to policy changes that affect all users 2.

   

Hardware Solutions

The debate on the necessity of NAS (Network Attached Storage) systems is a focal point. John argues that most people no longer need NAS boxes due to the increasing size of hard drives, while Marco defends their utility for specific needs like noise reduction and centralized data storage 3. He shares his personal attachment to his Synology NAS, highlighting its reliability and central role in his computing setup 3.

It has become the center of my computing world, and I like it there because it makes me happy.

--- Marco Arment

They also discuss the cost-effectiveness of using large external hard drives as an alternative to NAS systems, considering both initial costs and long-term benefits 4.

   

Backup Applications

Evaluating backup software, Marco expresses his dissatisfaction with CrashPlan despite its affordability for large backups. He considers Backblaze B2 as a viable alternative, though it comes with higher costs 5. The hosts discuss the importance of prioritizing what data to back up, with Marco noting that family photos and metadata are more critical than media files 6.

The most important thing is the metadata in the database, the Plex database, which is tiny.

--- Marco Arment

They also explore the ease of use and integration of backup solutions, emphasizing the need for a balance between cost, convenience, and data security 6.