<page xmlns="http://projectmallard.org/1.0/"

      type="topic" id="backup-frequency">

  <info>
    <revision pkgversion="0.0.1" version="0.0.3" date="2015-01-28" status="draft"/>

    <link type="guide" xref="files#backup"/>
    <desc>How often and when to backup your files.</desc>

    <credit type="author">
      <name>Mate Documentation Team</name>
      <years>2015</years>
    </credit>

    <credit type="author">
      <name>Tiffany Antopolski</name>
      <years>2011</years>
    </credit>
    <credit type="author">
      <name>GNOME Documentation Project</name>
      <years>2011</years>
    </credit>

  </info>

<title>Frequency of backups</title>

<p>How often you make backups will depend on the type of data to be backed up. For example, if you are running a network environment with critical data stored on your servers, then even nightly backups may not be enough.</p>

<p>
On the other hand, if you are backing up the data on your home computer then you may need to factor in a few things, such as:
</p>

<list style="compact">
<item><p>The amount of time you spend on the computer.</p></item>
<item><p>How often and by how much the data on the computer changes.</p></item>
</list>

<p>
If it is just some music, e-mails and family photos, then weekly or even monthly backups may suffice. However, if you happen to be in the middle of a tax audit, more frequent backups may be necessary.
</p>

<p>As a general rule, the amount of time in between backups should be no more than the amount of time you could stand to spend re-doing any lost work. For example, if spending a week re-writing lost documents is too long for you, you should back up at least once per week.</p>

</page>
