Rule of Thumb

If you want reliable on-site backup, expect to spend up to 30,000 PHP. Only individuals with workflows that generate high-value media and data should invest in this level of backup. The cost should be trivial in comparison to the earning potential of the data, ideally around 20% or less of the revenue it can generate, multiplied by how critical it is to your work.

Who Needs This Level of Backup?

• IT Professionals: Critical systems and files that require redundancy.
• Video Editors & Media Artists: Large media files that are vital to work.

Expected Costs Breakdown

1. Storage Costs
   • Base cost: ~2,000 PHP per TB.
   • Real-world pricing fluctuates.
   • RAID 1 (mirroring) doubles storage needs and cost.
   • Minimum recommended: 7TB (an 8TB drive offers ~7TB usable space).
     
2. Recommended Enterprise-Grade Storage Drives
   • Western Digital (WD) RED
   • Seagate IronWolf
   • Toshiba N300
   • Warning: Seagate drives have a higher failure rate (up to 3-5x more failures). 1 in 20 fails. Check Backblaze drive failure statistics before purchasing.
     
3. NAS System Costs
   • Choose from Synology, QNAP, or TrueNAS.
   • Typically supports 2 to 4 drives.
   • 2,000 – 5,000 PHP per drive slot.
     
4. Setup & Learning Curve
   • Learn best backup practices.
   • Ensure an easy recovery process in case of failure.

Conclusion

• Valuate your data: If it’s critical, it’s worth protecting. 
• Budget at least 30,000 PHP for a solid backup system. 
• Plan for 2.4 – 3k PHP per TB, factoring in RAID redundancy. 
• Use enterprise-grade drives for reliability.
• Understand failure rates to avoid unreliable brands.

Invest wisely in backups, because when things go wrong, you’ll be glad you did.