James Courtier-Dutton wrote:
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "James Courtier-Dutton" <james.dutton@???>
> To: "Hampshire LUG Discussion List" <hampshire@???>
> Sent: Friday, October 26, 2007 2:00 PM
> Subject: Re: [Hampshire] Backup strategies
>
>
> On 26/10/2007, Rob Malpass <rob@???> wrote:
>> Hi all
>>
>> I'll keep this as short as possible - I've written this message 3 times
>> and each time it's turned into a story...
>>
>> What's the best way (hardware solution) of backing up 300+Gb of data?
>> I can't store it off site.. Frequency of backup is about once a month.
>>
>> Options I've considered
>> 1) DVD - even Blu-ray is only 50 odd Gb isn't it - so even max
>> compression wouldn't work?
>> 2) Tape - nothing approaching that much capacity.
>> 3) HDD - preferably NAS but probably USB and left completely
>> disconnected when not in use to avoid power spikes etc.
>> 4) Some sort of commercial backup where the files are stored deep
>> underground most likely in Siberia. Not only costly but with an upload
>> of only 256Kbps across my domestic broadband - 300Gb is going to take
>> ages.
Indeed - My archiving activities have led me to believe that at least
three average quality storage pools, i.e. ordinary hard drives, perhaps
with RAID 1 at remote locations is a reasonable level of security compared
to expensive data center or elaborate disk rotation schemes. The amount of
data you can squeeze in to a remote archive scheme is limited, say 100 Meg
in three hours with a degree of differential recovery over a domestic
broadband line - that's not quite 1G per day, so it could take you all
year:) but you will have access to data in three places!
Backup is a compromise - so for you the most important data, your thesis
or company payroll and accounts - which may roll in at around 75 Megs for
example - the above calculations are meaningful. The calculations above
also offer a degree of data retention or differentials.
So as a compromise consider categorizing the types of data and split your
requirements into two; data that will ruin your year if lost and data that
ruin your week if lost then choose two different systems. I won't repeat
the systems discussed already in this thread.
Hope this helps
Damian
--
Damian Brasher
www.diap.org.uk "Aiming to protect mission critical data: 'You can't afford
to lose...'"
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