I try to follow a 3-2-1 principle:

  • 3 backups
  • in at least 2 devices
  • 1 of which is off-site (a different location)

I also place more importance on raw “source data” than the databases and metadata that tools build around them. So I’d much rather make sure that my music catalogue is preserved well, than my Jellyfin installation as a whole. But ideally you’d like both to be recoverable.

Paperless

You may also wanna check out my Paperless backup restoration guide.

Documents

  • Syncthing to desktop
  • Backrest to store encrypted in my local S3 (garage), every 4 hours

    Database

  • Backrest to store encrypted in my local S3 (garage), every 4 hours

Immich

Media

Database

Jellyfin

Music

Syncthing to my Nothing phone

Videos

Not backed up (except perhaps my own work)

Books

Database

Torrents

Backrest

Backrest is the backup service itself. Besides the configurations for the plans and repositories, it also holds the encryption key for the fails, without which backups are unrecoverable. Additionally, it lives in the same drive as many of the apps above, meaning it would be exposed to many of the same risks. For this reason, I back up the Json config to a password manager, as they themselves recommend.