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Start by deciding what you must be able to recover
An AI project’s valuable data is often more than its largest raw dataset. Include labels, metadata, preprocessing code and configuration, manifests, and checkpoints in your recovery plan. A copy of the raw files alone may not be enough to reproduce a usable training run.
For each asset, decide how much recent work you can afford to lose and how long recovery can take. These targets are called the recovery point objective (RPO) and recovery time objective (RTO), respectively. Set backup frequency and retention to fit those targets: data that changes often or would be expensive to recreate may need more frequent copies than replaceable intermediate files. NIST SP 800-209 recommends defining recovery objectives and planning for restoration.
- RPO: the maximum acceptable gap between the latest recoverable copy and the current data.
- RTO: the maximum acceptable time to restore usable data and resume work.
- Retention: how long older copies or versions remain available, including whether you need to recover from an error discovered later.
These choices have budget consequences. Compare the cost and effort of storing additional copies with the likely cost of recreating data, delaying work, or missing a recovery deadline. No single storage option or backup schedule suits every dataset.
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Keep backups independent of the working copy
A second disk inside the same machine may help with some hardware failures, but it can share risks with the original: accidental deletion, corruption, malware, stolen credentials, or damage to the device or site. A replica can also copy a harmful change. Keep at least one recoverable copy outside the primary storage system, and consider a copy that is offline or separately administered for important data.
CISA recommends backing up to a secure external drive or a properly vetted cloud service. Its ransomware guidance recommends frequent offline or cloud-to-cloud backups and, where supported, deletion protection or object lock. NIST SP 800-209 covers backup, replication, isolation, and restoration assurance. The practical test is whether a failure or compromised account affecting the working data could also destroy every backup.
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What different destinations contribute
| Option | What it can contribute | What to evaluate |
|---|---|---|
| External hard drive | A local backup destination that can be disconnected when not in use. CISA names secure external drives as a backup option. | Capacity, interface and sustained transfer rate, reliability and warranty, encryption workflow, storage location, number of copies, and the burden of connecting and updating it. |
| NAS or other network storage | Centralized shared storage and possible replication, depending on configuration. | Redundancy design, a separate backup, access and administrator separation, integrity checks, restore throughput, and maintenance. NIST discusses storage infrastructure, but the cited guidance does not recommend a specific model. |
| Cloud or object storage | A remote copy. Amazon S3 documents transfer checksums and an at-rest checksum operation for datasets. | Region and failure-domain separation, versioning or immutability, access controls, checksum support, transfer and retrieval charges, restore time, and provider responsibilities. S3 features should not be assumed to exist on other platforms. |
| Offline or separately administered copy | Less exposure to some online deletion and ransomware paths. | Update frequency, physical security, time to restore, and whether restoration is tested. |
For a large or fast-changing dataset, estimate how long a full restore would take over your actual storage and network path, and account for retention and retrieval costs before choosing a destination. The cited sources do not establish a universally best option or performance ranking for AI workloads.
Use checksums to detect damaged or incomplete copies
A successful copy operation does not by itself prove that every file arrived intact. Create a manifest with file paths, sizes, and checksums using an algorithm supported by your tools and storage system. Keep the manifest somewhere that will survive damage to the primary copy. Verify checksums after copying, uploading, migrating, and restoring data; investigate mismatches rather than silently accepting or overwriting them.
Schedule checks of stored copies as well as checks during transfer. Monitor storage health and error logs, and decide how a mismatch will be handled: identify a known-good copy, restore or recopy from it, then verify the result. AWS documents checksum-based validation for S3 uploads and downloads. For S3 specifically, Batch Operations Compute checksum can asynchronously calculate checksums for objects at rest and produce an integrity report, including for very large object sets. Availability and cost depend on the service; these capabilities are not general features of all cloud storage.
Protect backup copies from deletion and compromise
Separate backup access from routine write access where possible. A process or credential that can freely delete the working data should not automatically have unrestricted power to erase every backup too. For cloud or object storage, consider versioning, deletion protection, or object lock when the platform supports them and they fit your retention needs. Keep an offline or separately administered copy when the consequences of a compromised account justify the added handling.
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Encrypt sensitive copies and control who can access the keys. Balance protections against recovery needs: a locked or encrypted backup is useful only if authorized staff can restore it, including when the usual workstation or credentials are unavailable. CISA’s ransomware guidance addresses backups and deletion protection; NIST SP 800-209 covers storage security and recovery planning.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Test that recovery works, not just that backups exist
Restore representative files and, periodically, a complete workflow. Check that restored files match their checksums, that metadata and directory mappings are usable, and that the necessary code and configuration are available. Measure the time against the RTO and update the plan if the restore takes too long. Keep recovery instructions current and review them when hardware, software, storage services, or access arrangements change.
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NIST SP 800-209 (2020) says: “Perform a periodic test restore to ensure that it is completed successfully and that it meets the required timeframe.” Its guidance also calls for validating backup-copy health and periodically auditing recovery plans. It recommends setting validation frequency according to the sensitivity and value of the data, and no less than annually; that is a recommendation, not a measured drive-failure rate.
Where RAID fits—and where it does not
RAID can provide redundancy or improve availability after certain disk failures, depending on its design and configuration. It does not by itself provide an independent, point-in-time recovery copy. A deletion, corruption, malware incident, or site-level event may affect both the primary data and a replica or array. Use RAID as part of storage availability if appropriate, but keep separate backups and test restoring from them. The cited guidance does not establish a universally optimal RAID level for AI datasets.
Quick Recap
A practical setup checklist
- Inventory the assets: list raw data, labels, metadata, code, configuration, manifests, and checkpoints; mark what is irreplaceable and how often it changes.
- Set recovery targets: define acceptable data loss (RPO), required recovery time (RTO), and retention for each category.
- Choose independent destinations: keep the working copy and backups from depending on the same drive, host, credentials, or location; add offline or separately administered protection for higher-consequence data.
- Record and verify integrity: create manifests and check checksums after transfers and restores; schedule stored-copy checks and investigate errors.
- Limit destructive access: separate credentials where possible, use suitable retention and deletion controls, and ensure encryption keys and recovery instructions remain available to authorized restorers.
- Run restore tests: restore samples and a full workflow, validate contents, and compare measured recovery time with the RTO.
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