----- Original Message -----
From: "alan c" <aeclist@???>
To: "Hampshire LUG Discussion List" <hampshire@???>
Sent: Monday, June 02, 2008 4:15 PM
Subject: Re: [Hampshire] Big home backups
> lug@??? wrote:
>> Hi all
>>
>> [Webmail message so hope it looks ok for you] I'm looking for a
>> home backup option. The amount of data I have is ~100Gb - quite a
>> bit for a home user I know
>
> The size produces problems of sheer time taken to backup.
> I back up about 50 GB on a data machine and about 100 GB on a daily use
> machine in a home environment. The practical problems have been more
> significant for me rather than security issues to date.
>
> I found that usb external drives were a bit slow for this size of data,
> not impossible, but it is a major event to do it with USB, particularly
> daily. I have not investigated firewire for this.
>
> Also I find that the file system has to be taken account of - I am
> sometimes backing up files with filenames names happily existing in ext3
> (kubuntu) to FAT32 in the external USB drive. It is not always easy to
> predict which will filename give a problem, and in a large data backup it
> is a monumental task to identify after the event. I now use a USB drive
> reformatted to ext3, but it is a significant factor. Some methods of
> backup may not declare errors of problem filenames and maybe skipped
> (missing) files.
>
> I also have a external attached (wired ethernet) storage which is only
> intended to be used as FAT32, I think it says it will only work as that, I
> have not bothered to experiment. It also has USB and I find the USB more
> convenient anyway here anyway.
>
> My practical solution has been to put a second similar hard drive in each
> machine containing data which needs backing up. This gives at least
> another physical hard drive. It also allows the fastest backup likely I
> think - between drives in the same machine.
>
> For this first level backup - to a second physical hard drive - I now use
> rsync, which is fast in these circumstances, it is mostly handing
> differential changes.
>
> --
> alan cocks
> Kubuntu user#10391
> Linux user #360648
>
> --
> Please post to: Hampshire@???
> Web Interface: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hampshire
> LUG URL: http://www.hantslug.org.uk
> --------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> --
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.24.4/1478 - Release
> Date: 02/06/2008 07:12
>
>
Thanks all - some very good points here. As ever, the problem is
identifying where all the important files are:
Pictures - it's fairly straightforward to search a volume (on Linux or
Windows) for jpgs, gifs etc
Videos - ditto avi, vob, mp4 etc
Documents - ods, xls, doc etc
The problems (for me anyway) come with configuration files and other
unmissable files... I had a really hard time configuring one of my boxes
with its graphics card - and while not impossible to recreate - it would be
a pain. Where all the files are that make up that configuration I wouldn't
know. It's just as bad if not worse on windows - thanks to "\program
files" which I really hate - whatever happened to \apps, \utils or \games?
Out of interest - what are people's views on tapes? Still popular in
commercial circles I hear - but I'm not sure it's a worthwhile option for
home.
Cheers
Rob
