BackHub was built because we couldn’t find a good solution for backing up our GitHub repositories. Finally, we ended up creating what would become BackHub out of frustration. Our homemade solution grew into the service trusted by over a thousand GitHub users to back up their repositories.
Years later, GitHub has exploded in popularity, growing to over 40 million users worldwide. Unfortunately, many of these developers still suffer from the same issue we did: a lack of quality solutions to back up their repositories and metadata. Facing this lack of options, many companies end up creating internal tools from scratch or using basic open-source scripts to do the job.
When deciding between building your own repository backup system or relying on a third-party provider, there are cost considerations, integration challenges, and reliability concerns to consider.
Is your repository audit-ready?
Backups aren’t just essential for daily operations: Keeping repository backups in mind is also important to remember if you’re seeking to achieve or maintain SOC2 compliance. SOC2 auditors will check that backups of certain application and database components are performed daily. Code backups support recovery in the event of a service failure, and they’re one more safeguard to help get your software back in the hands of your customers – quickly.
Is your backup current?
A backup you can’t restore isn’t much of a backup at all. What good is having a copy of your data if you can’t use it?
Internal or manual backups often run into this issue. Users set up custom scripts to backup their repository somewhere, and consider the job done. Yet, when it comes time to restore their GitHub data, manual backups can fail. Plus, don’t forget that backups need to be current: restoring from a current backup ensures you never waste time re-doing work.
Automated backup solutions solve this issue, since they regularly backup your data to a secure location without prompting. Users can ‘set it and forget it’, without worrying about whether they’ve run a backup yet that day. If you choose to go with a backup solution that isn’t automatic, consider how you will ensure that backups are run regularly.
Is your data accessible when you need it?
Backups help prevent lost work, but they also ensure your data is always accessible. Having a complete copy of your repository (saved externally) protects you from relying on external services, i.e. GitHub. After all, no service can guarantee 100% uptime. Thus, even in the unlikely event of a GitHub outage (which has happened!), you’ll be able to access your repository’s data.
With 1,000+ customers and 150K+ daily repository backups, BackHub (now part of Rewind) is the only complete solution recommended by GitHub and trusted by users around the world. Enjoy automated backups and effortless restores of your GitHub repository, including metadata.
How to choose the right backup solution for your GitHub repository
Although we believe BackHub is a great automated backup solution (we did create it, after all), each software team needs to determine the best backup strategy depending on their needs.
The Complete Guide to GitHub Backups eBook is divided into three parts:
- How to make a case for repository backups to your team
- The pros and cons of using an in-house tool versus a third-party provider
- Comparing three software tools purpose-built for GitHub backups.
This guide contains everything we’ve learned about the BaaS industry, creating and maintaining in-house backups, and the different types of software tools available for developers looking to secure their repository. We think you’ll like it.
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