[Gllug] backup solution

[Rich Walker]

Bernard Peek <bap at shrdlu.com> writes:

> In message <6.0.0.10.0.20030708202131.02ed5a38 at postel.clues.ltd.uk>, Martin A. Brooks
> <martin at clues.ltd.uk> writes
> >At 18:11 08/07/2003, you wrote:
> >>1x fast CD writer
> >>1x fireproof safe
> >
> ><pedant>
> > Writeable CDs degrade in time.  Granted, the inside of your fire safe is probably quite dark but
> > that's not the point.  I use DLT because, when stored in optimal conditions, the data integrity is
> > 30 years even after hundreds of passes.
> ></pedant>
> 
> I know that nobody is quite sure what the lifetime of a CD-R is, but 10 years is quite safe using a
> normal drive. Some manufacturers are claiming 30 years. The real limitation will probably be that in
> 30 years it won't be possible to buy a drive to read a CD-R although I suspect that by that time
> flatbed scanners will probably do it.

I know that the outfit my dad used to work for discovered that sunlight
was eating their CD-R's, and so issues  one of those wonderful
company-wide memos... 

But for *english* *legal* reasons, you only *need* to keep 7 years of
data accessible. And anyway, given increase in storage size, in 10 years
you'll burn all your old CDR's onto a corner of your holographic
crystal, and bury a spare in the garden...

 
> My recommendation for backups is to use two media. If you are working with valuable data always take
> a backup to a second hard drive. It's quick, easy and cheap so there's no temptation to skip it when
> you're in a hurry. Not taking a backup is the one of the commonest failure modes of any backup
> system. My backup disk is on a server in the loft. If someone breaks in and steals computers there's
> a reasonable chance that they will miss that one.

That's a good point, of course. Doesn't give you geographic
survivability... or storm survivability...

> Second; tape, CD-R or some variant of DVD-R. Tape is slow and expensive and has limited
> reliability. Good quality tape systems are seriously expensive. If you can fit all of your critical
> data on a few CDs then that's probably the way to go.

CD-R + office junior to move the CD's in and out. Maybe a dedicated
CD Printer to print afterwards, but given the cost of the ribbons, maybe not.


> Another thing to consider is setting up a round-robin mailer of trusted people, at the end of the
> week back up your data to CD and mail it to the next person on the list. When you eventually get it
> back bin it. Everyone in the circle has one generation of backups for everyone. If you have
> broadband why not zip up your data and e-mail it to someone overnight?

If doing this, remember to encrypt it and send the keys to your local
police station. There might be a smiley in that...


-- 
rich walker         |  Shadow Robot Company | rw at shadow.org.uk
technical director     251 Liverpool Road   |
need a Hand?           London  N1 1LX       | +UK 20 7700 2487
www.shadow.org.uk/products/newhand.shtml

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