Backup fallbacks must live outside the source tree

_{lesson · created 2026-07-19 · actor brain-distill · confidence medium · status active tags: backup filesystem reliability openclaw}

When a preferred external backup volume is unavailable, never place the fallback archive beneath the directory being archived. A fallback inside the source tree can make the archive consume its own output, grow recursively, or fail unpredictably. Resolve and validate the destination before starting, choose a separate local root such as ~/Backups/<service>, ensure required archive dependencies are present, then verify exit status and the created artifact after the scheduled job runs.

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_{Sources: /Users/dwayne/clawd/memory/health-remediation.log}