Preparing Backups & Preventing Bit Rot

Owned by Ben Chung
Last updated: Dec 18, 2023
5 min read

Introduction

The following information pertains to storing backups securely and understanding what bit rot is.

The title of this article is also slightly misleading.

Bit rot is unpreventable. It is an inevitable phenomenon that digitizers must account for in their assets management. In the following modules, you will come to learn how to better prepare for bit rot and make and store backups to restore data that suffers from corruption.

What is Bit Rot?

Simply, bit rot is data degradation or the process of data decay as a result of slowly accruing errors/issues. In a file's lifetime, changes in their bits, importing, exporting, their physical and electronic containment, and even electric charge will slowly alter the information within. When these changes accrue to a point where you can no longer use or open the file, then the file is corrupted.

Many models and new tools for digitizers and archivists to use are working with new internal mechanisms to prolong the lives of files and detect errors that might indicate incoming corruption. However, you still need to be aware of it and how it can occur with your data.

Certain processes and decisions can minimize the environments and scenarios for bit rot to occur.

In this module, you will conceptualize what bit rot looks like for your data and materials.

The image above is also featured as an interactive diagram in the lesson on bit rot. Here, you can visualize the forces that might damage or make your data apple slightly less appealing. There are concerns of thermal insulation, magnetic orientation issues, decomposition and containment errors, and even biological hazards when it comes to securing your data and heritage materials. Learn more about these considerations in the lesson within the interactive module below.

Within the module, there are also suggestions on how to address bit rot when it surfaces in your collections.

In general the single best remedy for bit rot is to prepare backups to be used to replace corrupted or changed files.

Another tool in your repertoire to aid in the fight against bit rot are checksums.

Checksums are bits of data that attach to files that detect slight changes in the contents and internal structure. They can be used to clue you in to when bit rot might be occurring in entries and recordings before they become unusable. For more information on embedding checksums onto your WAV files, please see this link to https://firstvoices.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/DIGI/pages/1278312

Backup Strategies

If backups are the single best remedy to address bit rot then you need to come up with a strategy to store and make sure your backups are accessible.

A backup is a copy of stored data that is saved in multiple locations and later used to restore lost or corrupted data.

How you manage and create your backups varies. Workflow, human capacity, technical capacity, and storage space are huge factors that influence how you prepare and bundle these resources for use.

Preparing your Backups

Backups can either be done manually or automatically. The more data and files you are wanting to back up, the more likely that automatic backups are better for your workflow.

Having to manually drag and drop folders or even hitting a button to begin a backup takes time out of your day when many software programs will back up on a regular schedule for you.

Programs that will expediate and help you make backups quickly on your computer include:

When looking for a software program to help you back up your data, there are many free open-source options from which to choose. Reliable backup software should act as an easy-to-use facilitator of information.

Administrative Considerations

After completing your backups, there are next steps to take to ensure that these resources are usable and maintained for the future.

Some guiding questions before thinking about storage strategies to consider include:

  • Is your labeling and naming system consistent across documents and files?

  • Are your folders easy to navigate through in the backups?

  • Do you want to add finding aids within folders or one central one to the backups?

It is important to keep in mind who is going to be restoring backups and how long these backups will exist before being updated. If you leave the organization or pass on your responsibilities onto another, it will be important to leave a guide or make your internal information structure inside your backups understandable for the next person.

You do not want to structure your data and internal organization in only a way you can understand. It might be usable to also create finding aids to assist new staff (or anyone unfamiliar with these backups) in locating entries and saved data. For more information on what finding aids are and related terminology, please see this link to 

A Backup Scenario

In the module below, there are scenarios that present storage schemes with various pros and cons.

In these interactive images, you can peruse what aspects might strengthen your backup storage and what might jeopardize it.

One (non-interactive) image example is below:

Some key points to remember in any given scenario and backup strategy are:

  • You will not be able to 100% prevent bit rot, only mitigate its effects

  • Backups must be stored in multiple locations to be useful and considered backups

  • The format how and location where you store your backups should not damage or have long-term effects on the contents within

Within this lesson, you will be presented with more backup scenarios like the one above and, at the end, be able to decide which one is the most feasible and secure for storing backups.

Ultimately, combining storage devices that both are easy-to-use to transfer information between digitizers and are stable for long-term storage is recommended in whatever your backup strategy turns out to be. As your collections and archive grow, your backup strategy is also likely to change too. It all depends on your workflow and capacity.

Please follow this link to take you to both lessons within the interactive module:


For a detailed discussion about these topics that also makes use of the educational materials showcased within the module, please also find the March 2021 DiGI Webinar with the topic, Backups & Bit Rot, here: