After two years of ad-hoc copies, the backup routine finally got a schedule: nightly rsync to a second pool, weekly snapshots, and a monthly off-site archive. The boring parts matter — checksums verified, restore tested, logs rotated.
Kept deliberately boring: postfix in relay-only mode, SPF and DKIM aligned, and a hard rule that the box never accepts inbound mail for local delivery. Deliverability has been uneventful, which is the goal.
Rewire the rack, label every cable this time, move the UPS load test to a calendar reminder, and write down the restore steps before they are needed. Past me is an unreliable narrator; future me deserves better notes.