Thanks to rsync.net and their donated storage space, we now have constant, tested backups of the main OpenHatch virtual machine! I’ve just set up a Jenkins job that creates a blank VM, restores from backup, and makes sure the site can load there.

I’ve just finished creating a tested backups plan for main OpenHatch website, its databases, and the entire filesystem on our main (virtual) server. I’ve been keeping documentation of this on a wiki page.

I want to draw special attention to the fact that their recommended backup procedure involves encrypting backups so they can’t read them. Kudos to them for that! The other reasons I’ve enjoyed them is:

• It’s extremely easy to use if you’re used to UNIXy tools like rsync and the quota command.
• They recommend and document how to use duplicity to secure backups.
• Every time I’ve contacted support, I’ve received a prompt, smart response.

With the donated space, we use duplicity (as per the rsync.net official document) to do full encrypted backups weekly and incrementals daily. I sent an email to the OH-Dev list with the full details.

Thanks to rsync.net for donating this space! Please consider them when you’re thinking about where and how to back up your own data.